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In excess of two dozen Olympic champions, mentors and further international athletes have endorsed a statement calling for a halt to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and instructor, who is sentenced to die in the nation.

Increasing International Outrage

Amidst rising worldwide anger over Iran’s escalating use of the death penalty as a tool of suppression, the strongly worded appeal censures the authorities's ruling to maintain the capital punishment of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

The athlete, thirty, from the city in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for taking part in national uprisings in 2019 and accused of backing an dissident organization. He has spent five years in incarceration, where he has been abused and confined in seclusion.

“Sport is intended to inspire hope, solidarity, and fortitude,” the endorsers stated. “The death penalty of a winner for his political views is a clear violation on these principles and a warning to all sportspeople who dares to speak out.

History of Killing Athletes

The appeal noted that Vafaei Sani’s circumstances was not unique and highlighted Iran’s past of sentencing to death sports champions for their convictions, including Habib Khabiri, skipper of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In the year 2020, a wrestling champion, a young Iranian competitor, faced the death penalty.

Further signatories to the appeal include a yachting pioneer, who led the inaugural women's squad in a international sailing event and was the pioneering lady to receive a prestigious nautical honor; the former leader of the national squad an athlete; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Apprehension and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was taken into custody in the spring of 2020. The charges against him included “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of government belongings”. His verdict has been reversed twice but on the fourth of October it was maintained on the third attempt. His court case was criticized as “deeply biased” by rights defenders and organizations.

Urging to UN

The urging to prevent Vafaei Sani’s death sentence is subsequent to a 2023 letter to the global human rights chief for rights, endorsed by in excess of a hundred advocates and groups, demanding action to avert the competitor's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

According to reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has reached shocking dimensions”. In 2023, authorities put to death at least over 850 people – a nearly half surge on 2022. The year before, data showed nine hundred seventy-two executions, constituting the highest number since 2015. Over hundreds of people have been executed so far in 2025.

Activists and dissidents are victims, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 demonstrations. Specialists say the government have employed the death penalty to quell protest, instil anxiety among the public and strengthen their control on power.