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More than 20 Olympic medallists, trainers and further world-class competitors have put their names to a statement demanding a stop to the capital punishment of a champion boxer and instructor, who is facing execution in the country.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid increasing global condemnation over Iran’s increasing application of capital punishment as a tool of repression, the powerfully expressed statement condemns the Iranian regime's decision to maintain the capital punishment of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

The boxer, thirty, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was taken into custody for being involved in nationwide protests in the year 2019 and accused of aiding an dissident organization. He has spent 60 months in detention, where he has been mistreated and kept in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is meant to promote optimism, unity, and fortitude,” the supporters stated. “The execution of a winner for his opinions is a direct assault on these ideals and a warning to all sportspeople who ventures to express dissent.

History of Killing Competitors

The statement pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s circumstances was not an isolated one and underscored Iran’s past of executing athletes for their views, such as a football captain, captain of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a 27-year national sports titleholder, faced the death penalty.

Other signatories to the appeal comprise a yachting pioneer, who led the first female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to be awarded a esteemed yachting trophy; the ex- skipper of the national squad a sports advocate; 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 the spring of 2020. The charges against him entailed “spreading corruption on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of public property”. His verdict has been reversed on two occasions but on 4 October it was upheld on the latest review. His trial was denounced as “highly unjust” by advocates and groups.

Call to United Nations

The urging to prevent Vafaei Sani’s death sentence is subsequent to a earlier letter to the UN high commissioner for freedoms, signed by in excess of one hundred advocates and entities, demanding measures to stop the athlete’s death.

Execution Crisis

According to reports, there is an “execution crisis in Iran, which has achieved alarming dimensions”. In two thousand twenty-three, authorities executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a forty-eight percent surge on the previous year. The year before, statistics showed 972 deaths, marking the maximum count since two thousand fifteen. Over eight hundred people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Activists and opponents are focus, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022 uprising. Analysts say the Iranian authorities have utilized the capital punishment to suppress opposition, generate apprehension among the citizenry and strengthen their grip on authority.