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Over twenty Olympic medal winners, coaches and other international athletes have signed a statement calling for a halt to the death penalty of a champion boxer and instructor, who is on death row in the country.

Escalating Global Anger

Amid rising international outrage over the nation's increasing application of the death penalty as a tool of oppression, the strongly worded letter condemns the government's decision to maintain the capital punishment of the boxing champion.

The boxer, 30, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was detained for taking part in nationwide protests in two thousand nineteen and charged of supporting an opposition group. He has passed 60 months in incarceration, where he has been tortured and kept in solitary confinement.

“Sport is designed to encourage optimism, togetherness, and courage,” the signatories wrote. “The capital punishment of a titleholder for his beliefs is a clear violation on these principles and a caution to all sportspeople who dares to voice opinions.

History of Putting to Death Competitors

The statement noted that the athlete's situation was not an isolated one and emphasized the nation's history of putting to death competitors for their views, including a national team leader, captain of the national football team, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the women's volleyball squad. In the year 2020, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old Iranian competitor, faced the death penalty.

Other signatories to the letter include a yachting pioneer, who skippered the first all-female crew in a global yacht race and was the initial female to earn a esteemed yachting trophy; the ex- captain of the Australian football team an athlete; and a footballer, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Arrest and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was arrested in the spring of 2020. The accusations against him included “spreading corruption on Earth through fire-setting and damage of public property”. His sentence has been overturned twice but on the fourth of October it was maintained on the third occasion. His legal proceedings was criticized as “highly unjust” by human rights activists and groups.

Appeal to UN

The urging to stop Vafaei Sani’s execution follows a 2023 letter to the United Nations official for human rights, signed by more than one hundred advocates and organizations, calling for action to stop the competitor's capital punishment.

Capital Punishment Escalation

As per data, there is an “death penalty surge in the nation, which has reached shocking dimensions”. In 2023, the government put to death at least 853 people – a 48% increase on 2022. Last year, data showed 972 executions, marking the highest number since the year 2015. Over 800 people have been sentenced so far in the current year.

Dissidents and dissidents are focus, especially in the aftermath of the 2022 protests. Specialists say the regime have used the capital punishment to suppress opposition, instil fear among the population and reinforce their grip on power.