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In excess of two dozen Olympic medal winners, trainers and additional international athletes have put their names to a letter calling for a stop to the death penalty of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is facing execution in Iran.

Growing International Outrage

During growing global condemnation over the nation's increasing application of capital punishment as a means of suppression, the forcefully phrased appeal condemns the government's verdict to maintain the execution order of the boxing champion.

The athlete, 30, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was detained for being involved in nationwide protests in two thousand nineteen and accused of aiding an resistance movement. He has passed 60 months in incarceration, where he has been abused and kept in isolation.

“Competition is meant to promote faith, solidarity, and fortitude,” the endorsers wrote. “The execution of a champion for his political views is a clear violation on these principles and a admonition to every athlete who attempts to express dissent.

History of Killing Athletes

The letter pointed out that the boxer's situation was part of a pattern and highlighted Iran’s history of putting to death sports champions for their views, for example Habib Khabiri, captain of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, leader of the female volleyball side. In 2020, Navid Afkari, a young Iranian sports titleholder, was also executed.

Other supporters to the letter consist of a yachting pioneer, who captained the pioneering female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to be awarded a renowned yachting trophy; the previous captain of the soccer side an athlete; and a footballer, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Detention and Unfair Trial

Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in March 2020. The accusations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and damage of state assets”. His ruling has been annulled on two occasions but on 4 October it was confirmed on the latest review. His trial was criticized as “grossly unfair” by human rights activists and groups.

Appeal to United Nations

The appeal to stop Vafaei Sani’s execution comes after a 2023 statement to the United Nations official for rights, backed by in excess of 100 human rights experts and groups, calling for intervention to prevent the sports figure's death.

Capital Punishment Escalation

Based on data, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has reached shocking proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, authorities sentenced at least 853 people – a nearly half increase on the previous year. Last year, records showed nearly a thousand executions, constituting the peak figure since two thousand fifteen. Over hundreds of people have been executed so far in the current year.

Political prisoners and protesters are targets, particularly in the wake of the 2022 protests. Experts say the Iranian authorities have used the capital punishment to suppress protest, create fear among the population and strengthen their hold on rule.