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More than twenty Olympic medallists, trainers and other global sports figures have signed a statement urging a halt to the execution of a champion boxer and instructor, who is sentenced to die in the nation.

Increasing International Outrage

Amid growing international outrage over the country's escalating use of the death penalty as a instrument of repression, the powerfully expressed statement condemns the Iranian regime's verdict to uphold the capital punishment of the athlete.

The boxer, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was detained for being involved in countrywide demonstrations in two thousand nineteen and charged of aiding an opposition group. He has spent five years in prison, where he has been mistreated and held in solitary confinement.

“Competition is meant to promote faith, togetherness, and courage,” the endorsers wrote. “The capital punishment of a champion for his political views is a clear violation on these principles and a warning to all sportspeople who dares to speak out.

Pattern of Putting to Death Competitors

The statement noted that the boxer's circumstances was not an isolated one and emphasized the nation's past of executing sports champions for their beliefs, including a national team leader, leader of the national football team, and a women's sports leader, captain of the female volleyball side. In 2020, a wrestling champion, a young national wrestling champion, was also executed.

Further endorsers to the appeal consist of Tracy Edwards, who captained the inaugural women's squad in a round-the-world competition and was the initial female to be awarded a renowned yachting trophy; the former captain of the soccer side Craig Foster; and a footballer, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Arrest and Flawed Legal Process

Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in early 2020. The accusations against him comprised “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and ruin of state assets”. His verdict has been reversed on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the third attempt. His trial was criticized as “deeply biased” by advocates and bodies.

Appeal to International Body

The call to prevent the athlete's execution comes after a earlier appeal to the United Nations official for rights, backed by more than a hundred rights specialists and organizations, calling for intervention to stop the sports figure's capital punishment.

Execution Crisis

Based on reports, there is an “death penalty surge in the nation, which has attained shocking dimensions”. In two thousand twenty-three, the government sentenced at least 853 people – a nearly half rise on 2022. In the prior period, statistics showed nine hundred seventy-two deaths, marking the peak figure since two thousand fifteen. Over hundreds of people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Activists and dissidents are targets, notably in the wake of the the year 2022 demonstrations. Specialists say the government have used the capital punishment to suppress opposition, generate fear among the citizenry and tighten their grip on rule.