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In excess of twenty Olympic medal winners, coaches and further global sports figures have put their names to a letter calling for a halt to the death penalty of a champion boxer and trainer, who is facing execution in the country.

Growing Global Anger

During growing worldwide anger over Iran’s escalating use of executions as a means of oppression, the powerfully expressed statement denounces the government's verdict to maintain the death sentence of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

Vafaei Sani, 30, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for participating in countrywide demonstrations in two thousand nineteen and indicted of backing an opposition group. He has endured five years in prison, where he has been mistreated and held in isolation.

“Competition is intended to inspire optimism, togetherness, and bravery,” the signatories stated. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a direct assault on these ideals and a admonition to every athlete who attempts to voice opinions.

Pattern of Putting to Death Athletes

The appeal pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s circumstances was not an isolated one and emphasized Iran’s record of executing sports champions for their views, including Habib Khabiri, captain of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the women's volleyball squad. In 2020, an athlete, a 27-year-old Iranian wrestling champion, was put to death.

Further supporters to the statement comprise a sailing champion, who skippered the first all-female crew in a international sailing event and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a esteemed nautical honor; the former skipper of the Australian football team a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the national team for the global tournament.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

Vafaei Sani was detained in early 2020. The accusations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and damage of public property”. His verdict has been annulled on two occasions but on October 4 it was confirmed on the third attempt. His court case was denounced as “grossly unfair” by human rights activists and groups.

Appeal to International Body

The urging to prevent the boxer's death sentence comes after a previous statement to the United Nations official for freedoms, endorsed by more than 100 rights specialists and entities, demanding measures to avert the sports figure's death.

Execution Crisis

Based on findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has achieved horrific proportions”. In the year 2023, authorities executed at least 853 people – a 48% surge on the previous year. The year before, statistics showed nine hundred seventy-two executions, marking the maximum count since 2015. More than hundreds of people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Dissidents and opponents are focus, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 protests. Experts say the government have employed the death penalty to quell dissent, create fear among the population and strengthen their grip on authority.