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More than 20 Olympic medal winners, trainers and other world-class competitors have endorsed a letter urging a end to the death penalty of a boxing champion and instructor, who is facing execution in the nation.

Growing Global Anger

Amid growing international outrage over Iran’s escalating use of executions as a tool of oppression, the powerfully expressed statement denounces the government's verdict to confirm the death sentence of the boxing champion.

Vafaei Sani, thirty, from the city in the northeastern region, was taken into custody for being involved in countrywide demonstrations in the year 2019 and indicted of aiding an resistance movement. He has spent 60 months in prison, where he has been tortured and confined in seclusion.

“Competition is intended to encourage hope, solidarity, and bravery,” the signatories stated. “The death penalty of a champion for his political views is a clear violation on these values and a warning to every athlete who attempts to speak out.

Record of Killing Competitors

The statement said that Vafaei Sani’s situation was not unique and underscored Iran’s record of executing athletes for their convictions, such as Habib Khabiri, captain of the football side, and a women's sports leader, skipper of the female volleyball side. In 2020, an athlete, a 27-year Iranian wrestling champion, was also executed.

Further supporters to the appeal include a yachting pioneer, who skippered the first women's squad in a global yacht race and was the first woman to receive a prestigious yachting trophy; the previous leader of the national squad Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Detention and Unfair Trial

The boxer was taken into custody in March 2020. The allegations against him comprised “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and ruin of state assets”. His sentence has been overturned twice but on 4 October it was maintained on the latest review. His trial was condemned as “grossly unfair” by advocates and organizations.

Urging to United Nations

The appeal to halt the boxer's execution follows a previous statement to the global human rights chief for freedoms, backed by in excess of 100 advocates and groups, demanding action to avert the sports figure's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

As per findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has attained horrific dimensions”. In two thousand twenty-three, officials executed at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent surge on 2022. The year before, records showed nine hundred seventy-two deaths, constituting the highest number since two thousand fifteen. In excess of hundreds of people have been sentenced so far in the current year.

Dissidents and opponents are focus, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 protests. Specialists say the regime have used the capital punishment to suppress protest, instil apprehension among the population and reinforce their hold on authority.