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In excess of 20 Olympic medallists, trainers and other global sports figures have signed a appeal urging a stop to the execution of a boxing champion and trainer, who is on death row in the country.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amidst growing global condemnation over the country's escalating use of the death penalty as a means of repression, the powerfully expressed statement denounces the authorities's ruling to uphold the capital punishment of the athlete.

The boxer, three decades old, from the city in the northern province, was arrested for being involved in national uprisings in the year 2019 and indicted of backing an opposition group. He has endured five years in incarceration, where he has been tortured and kept in solitary confinement.

“Sport is intended to encourage optimism, solidarity, and bravery,” the endorsers wrote. “The capital punishment of a winner for his beliefs is a clear violation on these ideals and a warning to all sportspeople who attempts to express dissent.

Record of Executing Athletes

The appeal noted that the boxer's situation was not an isolated one and underscored the nation's past of putting to death athletes for their beliefs, including a football captain, leader of the national football team, and a volleyball captain, leader of the female volleyball side. In the year 2020, an athlete, a 27-year-old national sports titleholder, was also executed.

Other supporters to the appeal include a sailing champion, who skippered the first female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to receive a esteemed nautical honor; the former leader of the national squad Craig Foster; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the Iranian squad for the 1978 World Cup.

Apprehension and Unfair Trial

Vafaei Sani was arrested in early 2020. The allegations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and damage of state assets”. His verdict has been reversed multiple times but on October 4 it was confirmed on the third occasion. His legal proceedings was denounced as “grossly unfair” by human rights activists and groups.

Urging to UN

The urging to prevent the athlete's death sentence is subsequent to a previous statement to the global human rights chief for human rights, signed by over one hundred rights specialists and entities, urging intervention to stop the competitor's capital punishment.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has attained alarming levels”. In two thousand twenty-three, officials executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a nearly half surge on the previous year. Last year, statistics showed 972 deaths, marking the peak figure since the year 2015. Over eight hundred people have been sentenced so far in the current year.

Activists and opponents are targets, especially in the aftermath of the 2022's demonstrations. Analysts say the government have employed the capital punishment to stifle protest, create anxiety among the citizenry and reinforce their hold on authority.