Amin Bazrgar: The Iranian Wrestler Forcibly Disappeared Who Died of “Natural” Cause

Amin Bazrgar, a renowned Iranian wrestler, went missing in August 2021, a day after he took to Instagram to protest the September 2020 execution of another wrestler, Navid Afkari.

"Our silence is a betrayal," Bazrgar wrote.

In September last year, security forces told Barzgar's family that several of his bones were discovered in a mountain in Shiraz province. 

However, both his family and friends question whether these bones actually belonged to the wrestler.

Ebrahim Eshaghi, a wrestler and close friend of both Afkari and Bazrgar, shares his insights with IranWire concerning the circumstances surrounding Barzgar's disappearance and the events that unfolded afterward. 

"The security agencies tried to mislead the Bazrgar family by orchestrating events, using personnel masquerading as local residents," says Eshagh, who has recently left Iran. 

Who Was Amin Barzgar?

Bazrgar was an intimate friend and training competitor of Afkari. 

He was first arrested in May 2021 and subsequently faced threats from the security establishment of the Islamic Republic.

"Amin held the wrestling title in Shiraz provincial and was frequently invited to join the national team’s training camps,” Eshaghi says. "It was a well-known fact that Amin maintained a deep friendship with Navid Afkari. Following the tragic episode involving Navid, Amin stood alone among Shiraz's athletes, as he lent unwavering support [to Afkari] through his social media posts and verbally."

According to Eshaghi, Bazrgar was repeatedly summoned by the security agencies.

"Amin was under constant surveillance and his movements were meticulously monitored. He was taken by intelligence organizations several times," he says, adding, "I personally witnessed instances where he was forced to promise to be silent. Yet, Amin remained resolute and consistently affirmed that remaining silent would be a betrayal of Navid."

After Amin Bazrgar’s Disappearance

Eshaghi recounts the circumstances surrounding the abrupt vanishing of Bazrgar: "It was in May 2021, Amin Bazrgar secured the third spot in the Takhti Cup, the most prestigious wrestling competition in Iran. However, days after that tournament, he was once again summoned. I spoke to him two days before his disappearance, and we agreed that I would travel to Shiraz to meet him."

"On the day we were set to meet, I dialed his number but his phone was turned off. A day or two later, I made another attempt only to find out that his phone was still switched off. As the following week unfolded, no trace of him could be found despite concerted efforts by his friends. Thus, Amin's family and I went to Shiraz police…Authorities instructed us to report him missing so that the case could be addressed," Eshaghi tells IranWire. 

About five months after Amin's disappearance, as the matter gained media attention, “we learned Amin had been held for over six months at Shiraz's No. 100 Detention Center, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence," Eshaghi says. 

"As media coverage intensified…we were interrogated, with the questions centering on who had disseminated Amin Bazrgar's story through media channels.”

"They inquired about our links to international media outlets [and] urged us to identify individuals connected to foreign media. Nevertheless, their inquiries yielded no substantial results, and six months later they assured us that we would imminently receive news about him. Two additional months passed and we were informed that the remains of a wrestler from Shiraz had been discovered."

According to Eshaghi, security agents informed Bazrgar's family that the bones were located alongside a mobile phone and the wrestler’s bag.

"We implored Amin's family to provide a DNA sample from the bones, but security officials vehemently refused. They stipulated that Amin's belongings must be tested. Despite this, they remained mum for months, withholding any information from his family."

Eshaghi discloses that despite assurances that the DNA test results would be available within two months, the Bazrgar family was left bereft of any response from the security agencies for an extended period of time. 

Buried in Silence

Eshaghi says that security agencies contacted the Barzgar family in the wake of last year’s nationwide protests.

"Amid the growing nationwide protests, Amin's family received a call from the security agencies. They asserted that the DNA sample matched the bone fragments and urged them to collect the remains.”

"We were already aware that Amin had been held captive for six months. Subsequently, we uncovered that a man and a woman who purportedly discovered Amin's remains were affiliated with the Information Protection Unit of the Shiraz Police Force. They set up a scenario to make Amin's death appear natural."

According to Eshaghi, the intelligence authorities prohibited Bazrgar's friends and family from organizing a proper burial, which was held in the presence of a small group of friends and relatives amid heightened security measures.