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Over twenty Olympic medallists, trainers and further international athletes have signed a statement calling for a end to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and coach, who is on death row in Iran.

Growing Global Anger

Amidst increasing worldwide anger over the country's increasing application of executions as a instrument of suppression, the forcefully phrased letter condemns the authorities's verdict to maintain the capital punishment of the athlete.

The athlete, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northern province, was detained for being involved in national uprisings in two thousand nineteen and indicted of aiding an resistance movement. He has spent 60 months in detention, where he has been abused and kept in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is designed to promote optimism, togetherness, and fortitude,” the supporters wrote. “The capital punishment of a winner for his political views is a clear violation on these values and a caution to every athlete who dares to voice opinions.

Pattern of Killing Athletes

The statement said that the athlete's situation was not an isolated one and underscored the nation's record of executing athletes for their beliefs, including Habib Khabiri, leader of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a young Iranian competitor, faced the death penalty.

Additional endorsers to the statement comprise a yachting pioneer, who led the first female-only team in a global yacht race and was the first woman to be awarded a prestigious sailing award; the former skipper of the soccer side Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Detention and Unfair Trial

Vafaei Sani was detained in March 2020. The accusations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of state assets”. His ruling has been reversed multiple times but on 4 October it was upheld on the third occasion. His court case was criticized as “grossly unfair” by advocates and groups.

Urging to International Body

The call to halt the athlete's capital punishment is subsequent to a previous statement to the United Nations official for freedoms, backed by over one hundred rights specialists and entities, calling for action to prevent the sports figure's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

Based on findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has attained horrific proportions”. In the year 2023, officials sentenced at least 853 people – a nearly half increase on 2022. In the prior period, records showed nearly a thousand executions, representing the maximum count since the year 2015. In excess of 800 people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and dissidents are victims, especially in the aftermath of the the year 2022 protests. Experts say the Iranian authorities have used the death penalty to quell protest, instil anxiety among the population and strengthen their control on authority.