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Over two dozen Olympic champions, coaches and other international athletes have endorsed a statement calling for a halt to the capital punishment of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is sentenced to die in the nation.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amidst increasing global condemnation over the country's escalating use of the death penalty as a tool of suppression, the strongly worded appeal denounces the Iranian regime's verdict to confirm the death sentence of the athlete.

Vafaei Sani, 30, from Mashhad in the northern province, was arrested for being involved in countrywide demonstrations in 2019 and charged of supporting an resistance movement. He has endured half a decade in incarceration, where he has been mistreated and confined in seclusion.

“Sport is designed to inspire faith, unity, and bravery,” the supporters stated. “The death penalty of a titleholder for his opinions is a blatant attack on these values and a admonition to every athlete who dares to express dissent.

Pattern of Putting to Death Competitors

The statement said that the athlete's situation was not an isolated one and underscored the nation's past of executing sports champions for their beliefs, including a national team leader, skipper of the soccer squad, and a volleyball captain, skipper of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old national sports titleholder, faced the death penalty.

Other signatories to the appeal comprise a sailing champion, who captained the pioneering women's squad in a international sailing event and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a prestigious sailing award; the former leader of the national squad an athlete; and a footballer, who was in the country's selection for the 1978 World Cup.

Apprehension and Unfair Trial

Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in early 2020. The charges against him included “spreading corruption on Earth through arson and damage of state assets”. His ruling has been overturned on two occasions but on 4 October it was maintained on the third attempt. His court case was denounced as “highly unjust” by human rights activists and bodies.

Appeal to United Nations

The appeal to prevent the boxer's capital punishment is subsequent to a previous statement to the United Nations official for human rights, backed by more than one hundred advocates and groups, calling for measures to prevent the sports figure's capital punishment.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to findings, there is an “execution crisis in the nation, which has attained horrific proportions”. In 2023, officials sentenced at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent surge on 2022. The year before, statistics showed 972 deaths, representing the peak figure since the year 2015. More than hundreds of people have been executed so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and dissidents are focus, notably in the wake of the the year 2022 demonstrations. Specialists say the Iranian authorities have utilized the capital punishment to quell opposition, create anxiety among the citizenry and strengthen their control on rule.