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In excess of 20 Olympic medallists, mentors and further world-class competitors have signed a letter urging a stop to the capital punishment of a champion boxer and coach, who is on death row in the nation.

Growing Global Anger

Amidst growing global condemnation over the nation's increasing application of the death penalty as a means of suppression, the forcefully phrased letter censures the authorities's decision to maintain the capital punishment of the boxing champion.

Vafaei Sani, 30, from the city in the northeastern region, was taken into custody for participating in nationwide protests in 2019 and indicted of backing an dissident organization. He has endured half a decade in incarceration, where he has been tortured and held in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is intended to encourage hope, solidarity, and courage,” the endorsers stated. “The execution of a winner for his beliefs is a direct assault on these values and a warning to any competitor who dares to express dissent.

History of Executing Athletes

The letter said that Vafaei Sani’s situation was part of a pattern and highlighted the country's record of putting to death sports champions for their convictions, such as Habib Khabiri, leader of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, Navid Afkari, a young national wrestling champion, was put to death.

Additional endorsers to the appeal include Tracy Edwards, who captained the first all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the initial female to be awarded a esteemed yachting trophy; the previous captain of the national squad Craig Foster; and a footballer, who was in the Iranian squad for the international competition.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

The athlete was detained in March 2020. The allegations against him included “spreading corruption on Earth through incendiarism and damage of state assets”. His ruling has been annulled twice but on October 4 it was upheld on the third attempt. His court case was condemned as “deeply biased” by rights defenders and groups.

Urging to International Body

The call to stop the athlete's death sentence follows a earlier letter to the United Nations official for rights, signed by in excess of a hundred advocates and groups, calling for measures to avert the athlete’s death.

Capital Punishment Escalation

Based on data, there is an “execution crisis in the nation, which has achieved horrific proportions”. In the year 2023, the government put to death at least 853 people – a nearly half surge on 2022. In the prior period, records showed nine hundred seventy-two deaths, representing the highest number since 2015. More than hundreds of people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Activists and protesters are victims, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 uprising. Experts say the government have employed the executions to suppress dissent, create apprehension among the public and tighten their grip on authority.