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In excess of two dozen Olympic medallists, mentors and further world-class competitors have put their names to a letter demanding a end to the capital punishment of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is on death row in the country.

Increasing International Outrage

During growing international outrage over Iran’s escalating use of capital punishment as a tool of suppression, the forcefully phrased appeal denounces the government's verdict to maintain the execution order of the athlete.

Vafaei Sani, thirty, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for taking part in national uprisings in the year 2019 and charged of supporting an dissident organization. He has passed five years in detention, where he has been abused and confined in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is meant to encourage hope, solidarity, and courage,” the supporters wrote. “The death penalty of a champion for his political views is a direct assault on these ideals and a caution to any competitor who dares to speak out.

History of Killing Athletes

The statement pointed out that the boxer's circumstances was not an isolated one and highlighted the nation's past of putting to death competitors for their beliefs, including Habib Khabiri, leader of the football side, and a women's sports leader, leader of the female volleyball side. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old Iranian competitor, faced the death penalty.

Additional supporters to the appeal comprise a sailing champion, who led the first female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a esteemed yachting trophy; the ex- leader of the national squad Craig Foster; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in March 2020. The accusations against him comprised “causing deterioration on Earth through incendiarism and ruin of public property”. His verdict has been overturned on two occasions but on October 4 it was upheld on the third attempt. His court case was denounced as “highly unjust” by rights defenders and groups.

Appeal to United Nations

The urging to stop the athlete's execution is subsequent to a earlier letter to the UN high commissioner for human rights, signed by over a hundred human rights experts and entities, calling for measures to stop the sports figure's death.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to reports, there is an “death penalty surge in the country, which has reached alarming levels”. In the year 2023, officials put to death at least 853 people – a forty-eight percent surge on 2022. The year before, statistics showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, representing the maximum count since 2015. More than eight hundred people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Activists and dissidents are victims, particularly in the aftermath of the the year 2022 uprising. Specialists say the Iranian authorities have utilized the death penalty to suppress protest, instil fear among the population and strengthen their hold on authority.