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Over two dozen Olympic champions, mentors and further international athletes have put their names to a letter calling for a end to the execution of a boxing titleholder and instructor, who is sentenced to die in Iran.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid rising worldwide anger over Iran’s escalating use of capital punishment as a means of oppression, the strongly worded statement censures the Iranian regime's decision to uphold the execution order of the athlete.

The boxer, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northern province, was taken into custody for being involved in countrywide demonstrations in 2019 and indicted of backing an resistance movement. He has endured 60 months in prison, where he has been tortured and held in solitary confinement.

“Competition is intended to encourage faith, solidarity, and bravery,” the signatories stated. “The capital punishment of a titleholder for his opinions is a blatant attack on these ideals and a caution to all sportspeople who dares to speak out.

Record of Executing Sports Figures

The appeal pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s circumstances was not unique and underscored the nation's past of executing competitors for their convictions, including a national team leader, captain of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the female volleyball side. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a young national wrestling champion, was also executed.

Additional signatories to the statement include a yachting pioneer, who led the first women's squad in a global yacht race and was the pioneering lady to earn a renowned yachting trophy; the previous captain of the Australian football team an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the national team for the 1978 World Cup.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

The athlete was taken into custody in early 2020. The accusations against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and damage of government belongings”. His sentence has been annulled on two occasions but on October 4 it was confirmed on the latest review. His court case was denounced as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and organizations.

Urging to United Nations

The urging to halt the athlete's capital punishment comes after a previous statement to the United Nations official for freedoms, endorsed by more than one hundred rights specialists and entities, calling for measures to prevent the sports figure's death.

Death Penalty Surge

As per reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has attained horrific dimensions”. In 2023, authorities executed at least 853 people – a nearly half rise on 2022. Last year, statistics showed 972 executions, representing the maximum count since 2015. In excess of eight hundred people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Dissidents and dissidents are focus, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 demonstrations. Specialists say the Iranian authorities have utilized the executions to quell dissent, generate apprehension among the public and reinforce their hold on authority.