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In excess of twenty Olympic medallists, coaches and additional global sports figures have put their names to a letter calling for a end to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and trainer, who is facing execution in the country.

Escalating Global Anger

Amidst growing global condemnation over Iran’s expanding employment of executions as a means of oppression, the strongly worded letter denounces the authorities's verdict to uphold the death sentence of the boxing champion.

Vafaei Sani, thirty, from the city in the northern province, was detained for being involved in nationwide protests in the year 2019 and charged of backing an opposition group. He has passed half a decade in incarceration, where he has been tortured and held in solitary confinement.

“Sport is intended to encourage hope, solidarity, and fortitude,” the supporters wrote. “The death penalty 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 Putting to Death Athletes

The appeal said that Vafaei Sani’s case was part of a pattern and highlighted the nation's record of putting to death sports champions for their views, such as Habib Khabiri, skipper of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, skipper of the national women’s volleyball team. In 2020, Navid Afkari, a young national competitor, faced the death penalty.

Additional supporters to the letter comprise a yachting pioneer, who skippered the first women's squad in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to receive a esteemed yachting trophy; the previous skipper of the soccer side a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the national team for the 1978 World Cup.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

The athlete was taken into custody in early 2020. The allegations against him comprised “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of government belongings”. His sentence has been annulled on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the third attempt. His legal proceedings was criticized as “highly unjust” by human rights activists and groups.

Urging to United Nations

The urging to halt the boxer's execution is subsequent to a 2023 appeal to the United Nations official for rights, backed by more than one hundred rights specialists and groups, demanding intervention to stop the competitor's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

According to findings, there is an “execution crisis in the country, which has achieved horrific proportions”. In 2023, officials executed at least over 850 people – a 48% surge on 2022. Last year, statistics showed 972 executions, marking the maximum count since 2015. More than hundreds of people have been executed so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and opponents are focus, especially in the aftermath of the 2022 demonstrations. Specialists say the regime have utilized the capital punishment to stifle dissent, generate anxiety among the population and strengthen their control on power.