🔗 Share this article

More than 20 Olympic medallists, coaches and further global sports figures have put their names to a appeal calling for a stop to the death penalty of a boxing champion and coach, who is facing execution in the nation.

Growing Worldwide Condemnation

During growing global condemnation over the country's increasing application of the death penalty as a means of repression, the strongly worded appeal condemns the government's ruling to uphold the death sentence of the athlete.

The athlete, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northern province, was arrested for participating in national uprisings in two thousand nineteen and indicted of aiding an dissident organization. He has passed half a decade in incarceration, where he has been abused and held in seclusion.

“Competition is intended to promote hope, unity, and bravery,” the signatories stated. “The death penalty of a titleholder for his beliefs is a clear violation on these values and a admonition to all sportspeople who ventures to speak out.

Record of Killing Sports Figures

The appeal pointed out that the athlete's circumstances was not unique and emphasized the nation's past of putting to death athletes for their views, for example a football captain, captain of the national football team, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the women's volleyball squad. In the year 2020, Navid Afkari, a young Iranian sports titleholder, faced the death penalty.

Additional supporters to the appeal include a yachting pioneer, who skippered the first all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to receive a renowned sailing award; the previous captain of the national squad a sports advocate; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the 1978 World Cup.

Detention and Flawed Legal Process

The boxer was taken into custody in March 2020. The allegations against him comprised “spreading corruption on Earth through incendiarism and destruction of government belongings”. His sentence has been overturned twice but on October 4 it was upheld on the third attempt. His legal proceedings was denounced as “highly unjust” by rights defenders and groups.

Urging to United Nations

The urging to stop Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment follows a earlier letter to the United Nations official for human rights, signed by in excess of 100 rights specialists and groups, demanding intervention to prevent the sports figure's capital punishment.

Capital Punishment Escalation

Based on reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has achieved shocking dimensions”. In 2023, officials put to death at least over 850 people – a 48% increase on 2022. Last year, data showed nearly a thousand deaths, marking the peak figure since 2015. Over hundreds of people have been executed so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and opponents are victims, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022's demonstrations. Specialists say the regime have employed the death penalty to suppress dissent, instil fear among the citizenry and reinforce their grip on power.