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More than twenty Olympic medal winners, trainers and additional global sports figures have endorsed a appeal demanding a stop to the death penalty of a boxing champion and coach, who is on death row in Iran.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amidst growing worldwide anger over the nation's escalating use of capital punishment as a instrument of suppression, the powerfully expressed letter condemns the government's verdict to confirm the execution order of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

Vafaei Sani, thirty, from Mashhad in the northern province, was arrested for being involved in nationwide protests in 2019 and accused of supporting an dissident organization. He has spent 60 months in incarceration, where he has been abused and confined in solitary confinement.

“Sport is meant to inspire optimism, solidarity, and courage,” the supporters expressed. “The execution of a winner for his political views is a clear violation on these ideals and a admonition to all sportspeople who attempts to voice opinions.

Record of Putting to Death Athletes

The appeal noted that Vafaei Sani’s case was not an isolated one and highlighted the country's record of putting to death sports champions for their convictions, including a national team leader, captain of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the national women’s volleyball team. In the year 2020, an athlete, a 27-year national competitor, faced the death penalty.

Further supporters to the letter include a sailing champion, who skippered the inaugural female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a esteemed yachting trophy; the previous captain of the national squad an athlete; and a footballer, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Arrest and Flawed Legal Process

The boxer was taken into custody in early 2020. The charges against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and damage of government belongings”. His verdict has been reversed multiple times but on the fourth of October it was maintained on the third attempt. His court case was criticized as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and groups.

Urging to International Body

The urging to stop the boxer's death sentence is subsequent to a previous letter to the global human rights chief for rights, endorsed by more than one hundred human rights experts and entities, demanding intervention to prevent the athlete’s capital punishment.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to data, there is an “execution crisis in Iran, which has attained shocking proportions”. In 2023, the government put to death at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent rise on 2022. The year before, statistics showed nearly a thousand executions, representing the maximum count since the year 2015. In excess of eight hundred people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Dissidents and protesters are focus, particularly in the wake of the 2022's protests. Analysts say the regime have used the capital punishment to stifle opposition, create fear among the public and reinforce their grip on rule.