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Over twenty Olympic medallists, mentors and other world-class competitors have put their names to a letter calling for a end to the capital punishment of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is sentenced to die in the country.

Growing Global Anger

Amidst rising global condemnation over the nation's escalating use of capital punishment as a instrument of oppression, the strongly worded appeal denounces the Iranian regime's verdict to maintain the death sentence of the boxing champion.

Vafaei Sani, 30, from Mashhad in the northern province, was taken into custody for participating in countrywide demonstrations in the year 2019 and charged of supporting an dissident organization. He has endured five years in prison, where he has been abused and held in solitary confinement.

“Competition is designed to inspire faith, unity, and bravery,” the signatories wrote. “The execution of a titleholder for his opinions is a direct assault on these values and a warning to any competitor who ventures to express dissent.

History of Executing Sports Figures

The letter pointed out that the boxer's situation was part of a pattern and highlighted Iran’s past of executing competitors for their convictions, for example Habib Khabiri, captain of the soccer squad, and a volleyball captain, leader of the national women’s volleyball team. In the year 2020, an athlete, a 27-year Iranian sports titleholder, was put to death.

Additional endorsers to the letter comprise a sailing champion, who captained the pioneering all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the initial female to earn a prestigious nautical honor; the previous skipper of the Australian football team an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Detention and Flawed Legal Process

Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through arson and destruction of state assets”. His ruling has been reversed on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the latest review. His court case was condemned as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and bodies.

Call to International Body

The urging to halt the boxer's execution follows a earlier letter to the United Nations official for human rights, signed by over one hundred rights specialists and groups, urging action to stop the competitor's death.

Execution Crisis

According to reports, there is an “execution crisis in the country, which has achieved alarming levels”. In the year 2023, officials put to death at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% rise on the previous year. The year before, statistics showed nearly a thousand executions, representing the highest number since 2015. More than eight hundred people have been put to death so far in the current year.

Dissidents and dissidents are targets, especially in the wake of the the year 2022 uprising. Specialists say the regime have employed the capital punishment to stifle opposition, create anxiety among the citizenry and tighten their hold on power.