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More than twenty Olympic champions, coaches and additional world-class competitors have endorsed a statement urging a stop to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and coach, who is facing execution in the country.

Increasing Global Anger

Amidst increasing international outrage over Iran’s escalating use of executions as a instrument of oppression, the strongly worded statement denounces the government's ruling to confirm the capital punishment of the boxing champion.

The athlete, thirty, from Mashhad in the northern province, was detained for taking part in national uprisings in the year 2019 and indicted of backing an resistance movement. He has endured 60 months in incarceration, where he has been mistreated and held in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is meant to encourage optimism, solidarity, and bravery,” the endorsers expressed. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a direct assault on these principles and a warning to every athlete who attempts to express dissent.

History of Killing Athletes

The appeal noted that the athlete's situation was not unique and emphasized the nation's record of sentencing to death sports champions for their convictions, including a football captain, leader of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In the year 2020, a wrestling champion, a young national wrestling champion, was also executed.

Other supporters to the appeal comprise a sailing champion, who captained the first all-female crew in a global yacht race and was the first woman to earn a prestigious yachting trophy; the ex- leader of the Australian football team an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the Iranian squad for the 1978 World Cup.

Apprehension and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was taken into custody in March 2020. The charges against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and destruction of state assets”. His sentence has been reversed on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the third occasion. His court case was denounced as “grossly unfair” by advocates and groups.

Call to United Nations

The call to stop Vafaei Sani’s death sentence is subsequent to a earlier appeal to the global human rights chief for human rights, endorsed by more than 100 human rights experts and groups, urging intervention to stop the competitor's capital punishment.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to reports, there is an “execution crisis in the nation, which has reached horrific levels”. In 2023, authorities executed at least over 850 people – a nearly half surge on 2022. The year before, records showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, representing the highest number since 2015. Over 800 people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Dissidents and opponents are victims, especially in the aftermath of the the year 2022 uprising. Specialists say the government have used the death penalty to suppress dissent, generate anxiety among the population and tighten their grip on power.