🔗 Share this article Elite Athletes Appeal on Iranian Authorities to Stop Death Sentence of Champion Boxer Over twenty Olympic medal winners, mentors and other global sports figures have signed a letter calling for a halt to the death penalty of a boxing champion and trainer, who is on death row in the nation. Escalating Global Anger Amidst rising worldwide anger over the nation's expanding employment of executions as a instrument of suppression, the forcefully phrased appeal condemns the authorities's ruling to uphold the death sentence of the athlete. The boxer, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northern province, was arrested for taking part in national uprisings in the year 2019 and indicted of backing an resistance movement. He has spent half a decade in incarceration, where he has been mistreated and kept in solitary confinement. “Competition is meant to encourage optimism, unity, and fortitude,” the endorsers stated. “The execution of a winner for his political views is a clear violation on these principles and a caution to every athlete who dares to speak out. Record of Killing Athletes The statement said that the athlete's circumstances was not unique and underscored the nation's history of executing sports champions for their convictions, for example a national team leader, leader of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the female volleyball side. In 2020, Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old Iranian sports titleholder, faced the death penalty. Further supporters to the letter include a sailing champion, who led the inaugural all-female crew in a international sailing event and was the pioneering lady to earn a prestigious sailing award; the previous captain of the Australian football team an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the national team for the international competition. Apprehension and Unfair Trial Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in early 2020. The charges against him included “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and ruin of public property”. His sentence has been annulled on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the third occasion. His legal proceedings was criticized as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and bodies. Appeal to United Nations The call to prevent Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment comes after a earlier statement to the global human rights chief for rights, signed by more than 100 advocates and entities, demanding action to avert the sports figure's execution. Execution Crisis Based on data, there is an “execution crisis in Iran, which has achieved shocking dimensions”. In two thousand twenty-three, authorities sentenced at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% surge on 2022. In the prior period, records showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, representing the highest number since two thousand fifteen. More than 800 people have been executed so far in 2025. Activists and protesters are focus, particularly in the aftermath of the the year 2022 uprising. Experts say the Iranian authorities have utilized the capital punishment to quell dissent, create apprehension among the citizenry and strengthen their control on rule.