Sister of executed Iranian wrestler arrested and identified by state news as 'agent' - CNN

CNN  — 

Iranian officials said they person identified the “Iran International agent” arrested Thursday arsenic Elham Afkari, the sister of celebrated Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari, who was executed 2 years ago, according to authorities quality bureau IRNA.

London-based quality transmission Iran International has go 1 of the go-to sources for galore Iranians looking for quality connected the country’s ongoing protests successful the country.

The absorption tv broadcaster, which was called a “terrorist” enactment by the Iranian quality curate connected Tuesday, has denied immoderate relation with Elham.

In a connection sent to CNN, the London-based broadcaster said Elham “is not an worker of Iran International, nor is she an subordinate oregon cause of the company.”

Her brother, Navid Afkari, was convicted of sidesplitting Hassan Torkman, a h2o institution information employee, during a protestation successful Shiraz successful 2018.

Initially, Afkari confessed to the crime, but successful tribunal helium retracted those words, arguing that helium had been tortured into making a mendacious confession.

“It should beryllium noted that she [Elham Afkari] is the sister of Navid Afkari, the slayer of martyr Torkman, an worker of the determination h2o institution of Fars province,” IRNA reported.

“Intelligence operatives person been monitoring the activities of Elham Afkari for the past fewer years,” IRNA said, adding that “she was 1 of the main leaders successful organizing caller riots.”

State media shared pictures allegedly showing Elham’s arrest. The pictures amusement a pistillate seated successful the backseat of a conveyance with barred windows, with a achromatic blindfold implicit her face.

Saeed Afkari, Elham and Navid’s brother, confirmed his sister’s apprehension connected Twitter connected Thursday, saying that Elham’s three-year-old girl was besides missing.

He aboriginal said Elham had been taken to a section of Iran’s quality ministry, and that his sister’s spouse and girl had been released.

“Elham was taken to No.100 quality ministry department,” helium tweeted.

Since Navid Afkari was executed, his household has faced galore tribunal cases implicit engagement successful the demonstrations successful 2018.

Vahid Afkari, 1 of his brothers, remains successful solitary confinement, according to the rights radical Iran Human Rights.

Founded successful 2017, Iran International has been astatine the forefront of covering caller demonstrations pursuing the decease successful custody of Mahsa Amini – a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian pistillate detained by morality constabulary for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

However, the 24-hour quality channel’s sum of the demonstrations has brought it nether the scrutiny of the Iranian government.

This week, Iran International said 2 of its British-Iranian journalists moving successful the United Kingdom person been warned by constabulary of a “credible” crippled by Iran to termination them.

In a connection Monday, the Farsi-language broadcaster said it was “shocked and profoundly concerned” by the alleged lethal threats, portion accusing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of being portion of a “significant and unsafe escalation” of Tehran’s “campaign to intimidate Iranian journalists moving abroad.”

“Two of our British-Iranian journalists have, successful caller days, been notified of an summation successful the threats to them,” Iran International said successful the statement.

“The Metropolitan Police person present formally notified some journalists that these threats correspond an imminent, credible and important hazard to their lives and those of their families.”

Iran International did not sanction the journalists for information reasons.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said that arsenic of Monday astatine slightest 61 journalists person been arrested successful Iran for reasons including covering the protests, reporting connected the decease of protesters, and taking photos of demonstrations, according to a study from the organization.