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More than 20 Olympic medal winners, trainers and other international athletes have endorsed a letter demanding a halt to the capital punishment of a champion boxer and coach, who is on death row in Iran.

Increasing Global Anger

During increasing worldwide anger over the nation's increasing application of executions as a means of suppression, the powerfully expressed appeal denounces the government's ruling to uphold the capital punishment of the athlete.

Vafaei Sani, thirty, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was taken into custody for taking part in countrywide demonstrations in two thousand nineteen and accused of supporting an dissident organization. He has endured 60 months in prison, where he has been mistreated and kept in solitary confinement.

“Sport is designed to inspire faith, togetherness, and courage,” the signatories expressed. “The execution of a titleholder for his beliefs is a clear violation on these principles and a admonition to any competitor who ventures to express dissent.

Pattern of Killing Competitors

The letter said that the boxer's situation was not unique and emphasized the nation's past of executing athletes for their beliefs, including a football captain, skipper of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, leader of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a 27-year-old national wrestling champion, was put to death.

Further signatories to the appeal include a sailing champion, who skippered the inaugural all-female crew in a international sailing event and was the first woman to receive a renowned sailing award; the former leader of the national squad Craig Foster; and a footballer, who was in the national team for the global tournament.

Apprehension and Unjust Proceedings

Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in early 2020. The accusations against him comprised “causing deterioration on Earth through incendiarism and damage of state assets”. His ruling has been reversed multiple times but on October 4 it was maintained on the latest review. His court case was criticized as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and groups.

Urging to UN

The urging to stop Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment comes after a previous letter to the global human rights chief for freedoms, backed by more than 100 advocates and entities, urging measures to prevent the athlete’s execution.

Death Penalty Surge

As per findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has achieved horrific dimensions”. In the year 2023, the government sentenced at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% rise on the previous year. The year before, statistics showed nine hundred seventy-two capital punishments, representing the highest number since two thousand fifteen. In excess of hundreds of people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Dissidents and opponents are targets, notably in the wake of the the year 2022 uprising. Experts say the Iranian authorities have employed the capital punishment to suppress opposition, create apprehension among the citizenry and strengthen their control on power.