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Over 20 Olympic champions, trainers and other world-class competitors have endorsed a statement urging a end to the death penalty of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is sentenced to die in the country.

Growing Global Anger

Amid rising worldwide anger over the country's increasing application of the death penalty as a tool of suppression, the powerfully expressed statement condemns the authorities's verdict to maintain the execution order of the athlete.

The athlete, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was detained for being involved in countrywide demonstrations in two thousand nineteen and indicted of backing an dissident organization. He has passed five years in prison, where he has been mistreated and kept in isolation.

“Competition is designed to inspire hope, solidarity, and bravery,” the endorsers wrote. “The death penalty of a champion for his beliefs is a direct assault on these values and a caution to all sportspeople who ventures to express dissent.

Record of Putting to Death Sports Figures

The statement pointed out that the boxer's situation was part of a pattern and emphasized Iran’s record of sentencing to death sports champions for their views, such as a national team leader, leader of the football side, and a volleyball captain, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In the year 2020, Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old national sports titleholder, was also executed.

Further signatories to the appeal consist of a yachting pioneer, who captained the inaugural female-only team in a international sailing event and was the first woman to receive a esteemed yachting trophy; the former leader of the national squad an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Arrest and Flawed Legal Process

Vafaei Sani was arrested in the spring of 2020. The accusations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and ruin of public property”. His sentence has been overturned twice but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the latest review. His legal proceedings was criticized as “deeply biased” by advocates and groups.

Call to UN

The call to prevent the athlete's execution follows a 2023 letter to the United Nations official for human rights, endorsed by in excess of 100 rights specialists and groups, calling for intervention to stop the sports figure's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

According to findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has achieved alarming proportions”. In 2023, authorities put to death at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent surge on 2022. In the prior period, records showed nearly a thousand deaths, marking the peak figure since the year 2015. More than hundreds of people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Activists and dissidents are focus, particularly in the wake of the 2022's uprising. Experts say the regime have used the capital punishment to stifle dissent, instil apprehension among the public and strengthen their control on authority.