Eshragh Najafabadi

Eshragh Najafabadi is an Iranian athlete, civil engineer, and former member of the Iranian national downhill cycling team. He gained national recognition for his achievements in mountain biking, and later, international attention following his arrest during the 2022 Iranian protests, in what has been widely described by human rights organizations as an arbitrary and politically motivated detention.

Release and International Support

Najafabadi was released on February 6, 2023, after three months in detention.
His case drew international attention:

Theo Francken, former Belgian minister of migration, adopted his case as a political sponsorship.
Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, chair of the German Bundestag's Legal Affairs Committee, took political sponsorship.
Sol Zanetti, a member of the National Assembly of Quebec, also expressed support.
Reza Deghati, a renowned photojournalist, and rapper Hichkas voiced public support for his release.
A petition on Change.org demanding their freedom gathered over 15,000 signatures.