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Over two dozen Olympic medallists, coaches and other international athletes have endorsed a statement demanding a halt to the execution of a champion boxer and trainer, who is on death row in the nation.

Growing Global Anger

During rising international outrage over the nation's expanding employment of capital punishment as a instrument of oppression, the powerfully expressed appeal censures the Iranian regime's decision to uphold the capital punishment of the boxing champion.

The athlete, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for participating in nationwide protests in the year 2019 and charged of supporting an opposition group. He has passed 60 months in prison, where he has been tortured and held in isolation.

“Competition is intended to inspire hope, unity, and bravery,” the supporters stated. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a clear violation on these values and a admonition to any competitor who attempts to voice opinions.

Pattern of Executing Sports Figures

The statement noted that the boxer's case was not an isolated one and highlighted Iran’s past of sentencing to death athletes for their convictions, including a national team leader, leader of the national football team, and a volleyball captain, leader of the national women’s volleyball team. In 2020, an athlete, a 27-year Iranian competitor, was put to death.

Other signatories to the appeal comprise Tracy Edwards, who captained the inaugural all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the initial female to be awarded a renowned yachting trophy; the former captain of the soccer side Craig Foster; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the national team for the international competition.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

The athlete was taken into custody in early 2020. The accusations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and damage of public property”. His sentence has been annulled multiple times but on 4 October it was maintained on the third occasion. His trial was condemned as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and organizations.

Call to UN

The call to prevent Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment comes after a earlier appeal to the United Nations official for human rights, endorsed by over 100 human rights experts and groups, calling for action to avert the athlete’s capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

As per findings, there is an “execution crisis in the nation, which has attained shocking proportions”. In the year 2023, authorities executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% rise on 2022. Last year, statistics showed nearly a thousand deaths, constituting the maximum count since two thousand fifteen. Over 800 people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Activists and dissidents are victims, notably in the wake of the the year 2022 protests. Specialists say the government have utilized the death penalty to suppress protest, create apprehension among the citizenry and strengthen their control on rule.