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Over two dozen Olympic medallists, mentors and further global sports figures have endorsed a appeal calling for a stop to the death penalty of a champion boxer and trainer, who is on death row in the country.

Escalating International Outrage

Amid increasing international outrage over Iran’s escalating use of executions as a means of oppression, the forcefully phrased appeal denounces the Iranian regime's verdict to uphold the capital punishment of the boxing champion.

The boxer, thirty, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for being involved in nationwide protests in the year 2019 and accused of backing an dissident organization. He has spent 60 months in prison, where he has been mistreated and kept in seclusion.

“Athletics is intended to promote optimism, unity, and fortitude,” the endorsers expressed. “The execution of a winner for his opinions is a blatant attack on these principles and a warning to any competitor who ventures to voice opinions.

Record of Killing Athletes

The appeal noted that the boxer's case was part of a pattern and highlighted Iran’s history of executing sports champions for their convictions, such as Habib Khabiri, skipper of the football side, and a volleyball captain, skipper of the female volleyball side. In the year 2020, Navid Afkari, a 27-year national wrestling champion, was put to death.

Other supporters to the letter comprise Tracy Edwards, who captained the pioneering female-only team in a international sailing event and was the initial female to be awarded a prestigious sailing award; the former skipper of the soccer side Craig Foster; and a footballer, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Arrest and Flawed Legal Process

The boxer was detained in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him comprised “causing deterioration on Earth through incendiarism and destruction of state assets”. His ruling has been overturned multiple times but on the fourth of October it was maintained on the latest review. His legal proceedings was condemned as “grossly unfair” by advocates and bodies.

Urging to United Nations

The appeal to prevent Vafaei Sani’s death sentence comes after a previous appeal to the United Nations official for rights, backed by in excess of 100 advocates and entities, demanding measures to avert the athlete’s death.

Death Penalty Surge

As per findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has reached shocking proportions”. In 2023, the government executed at least 853 people – a nearly half increase on the previous year. Last year, data showed 972 executions, representing the peak figure since 2015. Over eight hundred people have been sentenced so far in the current year.

Activists and dissidents are victims, notably in the aftermath of the 2022's uprising. Specialists say the government have employed the capital punishment to quell dissent, instil apprehension among the public and reinforce their control on rule.