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In excess of two dozen Olympic champions, trainers and other global sports figures have endorsed a appeal urging a halt to the death penalty of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is sentenced to die in the country.

Escalating International Outrage

Amid increasing global condemnation over the country's escalating use of executions as a means of suppression, the strongly worded appeal denounces the Iranian regime's verdict to maintain the execution order of the athlete.

The athlete, thirty, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was detained for participating in countrywide demonstrations in two thousand nineteen and charged of aiding an opposition group. He has spent half a decade in prison, where he has been abused and confined in isolation.

“Athletics is designed to encourage hope, solidarity, and courage,” the supporters stated. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a clear violation on these values and a caution to all sportspeople who attempts to express dissent.

History of Putting to Death Competitors

The letter noted that Vafaei Sani’s case was part of a pattern and highlighted the country's past of sentencing to death athletes for their beliefs, such as a national team leader, skipper of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the women's volleyball squad. In the year 2020, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old Iranian competitor, was also executed.

Other signatories to the statement comprise a sailing champion, who led the first female-only team in a global yacht race and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a prestigious nautical honor; the ex- skipper of the soccer side a sports advocate; and a sports figure, who was in the Iranian squad for the 1978 World Cup.

Arrest and Unjust Proceedings

The athlete was arrested in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and destruction of public property”. His ruling has been reversed twice but on October 4 it was maintained on the third attempt. His trial was condemned as “grossly unfair” by advocates and groups.

Urging to United Nations

The appeal to stop the athlete's capital punishment comes after a previous appeal to the global human rights chief for human rights, backed by more than 100 rights specialists and groups, demanding measures to stop the athlete’s capital punishment.

Execution Crisis

According to findings, there is an “death penalty surge in the nation, which has achieved alarming proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, officials executed at least 853 people – a forty-eight percent rise on 2022. In the prior period, data showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, marking the peak figure since the year 2015. In excess of 800 people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Activists and opponents are victims, especially in the wake of the 2022's demonstrations. Experts say the regime have used the executions to quell protest, create fear among the citizenry and reinforce their hold on rule.