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More than twenty Olympic medallists, mentors and further international athletes have signed a appeal urging a end to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and coach, who is sentenced to die in Iran.

Growing International Outrage

Amid rising international outrage over the country's escalating use of capital punishment as a tool of suppression, the powerfully expressed appeal denounces the Iranian regime's decision to maintain the capital punishment of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

The boxer, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northern province, was arrested for taking part in national uprisings in two thousand nineteen and indicted of supporting an resistance movement. He has spent 60 months in detention, where he has been abused and confined in isolation.

“Athletics is designed to promote optimism, solidarity, and bravery,” the signatories expressed. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a clear violation on these ideals and a warning to all sportspeople who dares to express dissent.

Record of Killing Competitors

The appeal said that the athlete's circumstances was not an isolated one and underscored Iran’s record of sentencing to death competitors for their views, such as Habib Khabiri, leader of the soccer squad, and a volleyball captain, captain of the women's volleyball squad. In the year 2020, an athlete, a 27-year Iranian competitor, was put to death.

Other supporters to the statement include a sailing champion, who captained the pioneering all-female crew in a global yacht race and was the first woman to earn a esteemed yachting trophy; the previous skipper of the Australian football team an athlete; and a footballer, who was in the national team for the 1978 World Cup.

Arrest and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was detained in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through incendiarism and destruction of government belongings”. His ruling has been overturned twice but on October 4 it was confirmed on the third occasion. His court case was condemned as “grossly unfair” by human rights activists and groups.

Appeal to International Body

The urging to prevent Vafaei Sani’s execution comes after a 2023 appeal to the UN high commissioner for freedoms, backed by more than 100 advocates and groups, demanding intervention to avert the sports figure's capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

According to reports, there is an “death penalty surge in the nation, which has attained horrific proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, the government executed at least 853 people – a nearly half rise on 2022. In the prior period, data showed 972 executions, constituting the maximum count since two thousand fifteen. More than hundreds of people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Dissidents and dissidents are victims, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022 protests. Experts say the government have used the executions to quell protest, create anxiety among the citizenry and reinforce their hold on rule.