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Over twenty Olympic champions, trainers and other global sports figures have signed a statement calling for a halt to the capital punishment of a champion boxer and trainer, who is sentenced to die in the nation.

Escalating Global Anger

During rising global condemnation over the country's increasing application of the death penalty as a instrument of suppression, the powerfully expressed letter condemns the government's ruling to confirm the capital punishment of the athlete.

The boxer, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for being involved in national uprisings in 2019 and charged of backing an resistance movement. He has passed 60 months in incarceration, where he has been tortured and kept in solitary confinement.

“Sport is intended to inspire faith, togetherness, and bravery,” the supporters expressed. “The death penalty of a champion for his beliefs is a direct assault on these values and a caution to any competitor who attempts to speak out.

History of Putting to Death Competitors

The letter said that the athlete's situation was not unique and emphasized the nation's past of sentencing to death competitors for their beliefs, for example a national team leader, leader of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a young national competitor, was put to death.

Additional signatories to the statement comprise a sailing champion, who captained the pioneering all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to receive a prestigious yachting trophy; the former captain of the soccer side a sports advocate; and a sports figure, who was in the national team for the 1978 World Cup.

Arrest and Unjust Proceedings

Vafaei Sani was arrested in the spring of 2020. The accusations against him included “promoting decay on Earth through arson and ruin of state assets”. His verdict has been annulled multiple times but on October 4 it was confirmed on the third attempt. His legal proceedings was denounced as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and organizations.

Appeal to United Nations

The urging to prevent Vafaei Sani’s death sentence follows a 2023 appeal to the global human rights chief for rights, backed by more than one hundred human rights experts and groups, demanding intervention to prevent the competitor's capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

According to reports, there is an “execution crisis in Iran, which has attained alarming dimensions”. In the year 2023, authorities executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% surge on the previous year. Last year, data showed nearly a thousand executions, constituting the peak figure since two thousand fifteen. More than hundreds of people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Activists and opponents are victims, notably in the aftermath of the the year 2022 protests. Experts say the government have utilized the capital punishment to quell dissent, instil fear among the public and reinforce their hold on authority.