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Over two dozen Olympic medallists, mentors and further world-class competitors have signed a appeal demanding a stop to the capital punishment of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is on death row in the country.

Increasing Global Anger

Amidst rising international outrage over the country's escalating use of capital punishment as a instrument of repression, the strongly worded appeal censures the Iranian regime's ruling to confirm the death sentence of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

Vafaei Sani, 30, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was detained for being involved in national uprisings in 2019 and charged of supporting an dissident organization. He has spent half a decade in prison, where he has been mistreated and confined in isolation.

“Competition is meant to promote hope, togetherness, and bravery,” the supporters wrote. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a direct assault on these ideals and a warning to any competitor who ventures to speak out.

Record of Putting to Death Competitors

The statement pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s case was not an isolated one and emphasized the nation's past of sentencing to death athletes for their convictions, for example a national team leader, skipper of the football side, and a volleyball captain, leader of the female volleyball side. In 2020, a wrestling champion, a 27-year Iranian competitor, was also executed.

Further signatories to the statement comprise Tracy Edwards, who led the first female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to receive a esteemed yachting trophy; the ex- captain of the Australian football team an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

The athlete was detained in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of government belongings”. His ruling has been annulled twice but on 4 October it was maintained on the third attempt. His legal proceedings was denounced as “grossly unfair” by advocates and bodies.

Urging to United Nations

The call to halt the athlete's death sentence is subsequent to a previous letter to the UN high commissioner for human rights, backed by in excess of 100 human rights experts and groups, urging intervention to prevent the competitor's capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

As per reports, there is an “execution crisis in the country, which has attained shocking dimensions”. In 2023, the government sentenced at least over 850 people – a 48% surge on the previous year. The year before, records showed nine hundred seventy-two deaths, constituting the maximum count since 2015. More than hundreds of people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and protesters are targets, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022's protests. Specialists say the regime have used the capital punishment to stifle opposition, create apprehension among the population and strengthen their hold on power.