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More than 20 Olympic medal winners, coaches and additional global sports figures have endorsed a appeal urging a halt to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and trainer, who is on death row in Iran.

Growing Worldwide Condemnation

During growing worldwide anger over the nation's escalating use of the death penalty as a tool of oppression, the forcefully phrased letter denounces the authorities's decision to confirm the execution order of the boxing champion.

The boxer, 30, from the city in north-east Iran, was arrested for being involved in countrywide demonstrations in two thousand nineteen and indicted of backing an resistance movement. He has passed five years in detention, where he has been mistreated and kept in solitary confinement.

“Sport is designed to promote optimism, togetherness, and courage,” the endorsers wrote. “The capital punishment of a titleholder for his beliefs is a clear violation on these values and a warning to any competitor who ventures to voice opinions.

Pattern of Killing Competitors

The appeal noted that the boxer's case was part of a pattern and highlighted Iran’s record of executing competitors for their views, such as a football captain, leader of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In 2020, an athlete, a 27-year national sports titleholder, was put to death.

Further signatories to the appeal comprise a sailing champion, who led the pioneering women's squad in a global yacht race and was the initial female to receive a prestigious nautical honor; the ex- captain of the Australian football team Craig Foster; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the Iranian squad for the 1978 World Cup.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

Vafaei Sani was detained in early 2020. The charges against him entailed “spreading corruption on Earth through incendiarism and destruction of public property”. His verdict has been annulled multiple times but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the third occasion. His legal proceedings was denounced as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and bodies.

Urging to United Nations

The urging to prevent Vafaei Sani’s execution follows a earlier statement to the UN high commissioner for human rights, endorsed by more than 100 human rights experts and organizations, calling for action to avert the athlete’s death.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to findings, there is an “execution crisis in the country, which has reached horrific dimensions”. In 2023, officials executed at least over 850 people – a nearly half rise on the previous year. In the prior period, statistics showed 972 executions, constituting the maximum count since the year 2015. In excess of 800 people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Dissidents and dissidents are targets, notably in the aftermath of the 2022's demonstrations. Specialists say the regime have utilized the executions to suppress dissent, generate anxiety among the public and strengthen their hold on power.