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Over 20 Olympic medallists, mentors and additional global sports figures have endorsed a appeal calling for a halt to the execution of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is sentenced to die in the nation.

Growing International Outrage

Amidst rising international outrage over the nation's escalating use of capital punishment as a instrument of repression, the strongly worded statement condemns the Iranian regime's ruling to maintain the death sentence of the boxing champion.

The athlete, three decades old, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was detained for being involved in nationwide protests in two thousand nineteen and charged of supporting an dissident organization. He has passed half a decade in prison, where he has been mistreated and confined in isolation.

“Sport is designed to encourage optimism, solidarity, and fortitude,” the signatories wrote. “The execution of a winner for his beliefs is a clear violation on these principles and a admonition to any competitor who ventures to speak out.

Pattern of Putting to Death Athletes

The statement pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s circumstances was part of a pattern and highlighted Iran’s record of executing athletes for their beliefs, for example a national team leader, leader of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a 27-year Iranian sports titleholder, was also executed.

Other endorsers to the statement include a yachting pioneer, who led the pioneering all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to receive a renowned sailing award; the previous leader of the Australian football team an athlete; and a sports figure, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in early 2020. The charges against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through incendiarism and ruin of state assets”. His verdict has been annulled twice but on October 4 it was upheld on the latest review. His trial was criticized as “grossly unfair” by human rights activists and groups.

Urging to UN

The call to stop Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment follows a 2023 appeal to the global human rights chief for freedoms, endorsed by more than one hundred human rights experts and groups, demanding action to prevent the athlete’s capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

Based on data, there is an “execution crisis in the nation, which has attained alarming levels”. In 2023, authorities executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% rise on the previous year. The year before, statistics showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, constituting the peak figure since 2015. More than hundreds of people have been put to death so far in the current year.

Dissidents and protesters are victims, especially in the wake of the 2022 protests. Specialists say the Iranian authorities have utilized the capital punishment to quell protest, generate apprehension among the citizenry and tighten their hold on rule.