🔗 Share this article Olympians Urge on Iranian Authorities to Stop Death Sentence of Boxing Champion Over 20 Olympic medallists, coaches and additional world-class competitors have put their names to a appeal calling for a stop to the execution of a boxing champion and instructor, who is sentenced to die in the nation. Growing Global Anger During growing international outrage over the nation's increasing application of executions as a instrument of oppression, the strongly worded appeal condemns the government's decision to confirm the execution order of the athlete. The athlete, thirty, from the city in north-east Iran, was detained for taking part in national uprisings in the year 2019 and accused of aiding an resistance movement. He has spent 60 months in incarceration, where he has been mistreated and confined in isolation. “Athletics is intended to promote optimism, solidarity, and fortitude,” the signatories expressed. “The death penalty of a winner for his opinions is a clear violation on these principles and a caution to any competitor who ventures to voice opinions. Pattern of Putting to Death Competitors The appeal said that the athlete's situation was part of a pattern and underscored Iran’s past of sentencing to death competitors for their views, such as a football captain, captain of the national football team, and a women's sports leader, skipper of the female volleyball side. In 2020, Navid Afkari, a 27-year national wrestling champion, was put to death. Other supporters to the appeal include Tracy Edwards, who captained the pioneering women's squad in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to receive a renowned yachting trophy; the former skipper of the Australian football team Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the national team for the international competition. Arrest and Unjust Proceedings The boxer was detained in early 2020. The accusations against him comprised “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and ruin of public property”. His verdict has been overturned twice but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the third occasion. His court case was criticized as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and groups. Call to International Body The call to prevent Vafaei Sani’s death sentence is subsequent to a previous letter to the global human rights chief for human rights, endorsed by more than one hundred human rights experts and entities, urging measures to prevent the athlete’s capital punishment. Capital Punishment Escalation According to findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has achieved shocking proportions”. In 2023, authorities put to death at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% surge on 2022. Last year, statistics showed nine hundred seventy-two capital punishments, representing the peak figure since the year 2015. In excess of 800 people have been executed so far in 2025. Activists and opponents are targets, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 demonstrations. Experts say the regime have utilized the death penalty to quell opposition, create anxiety among the population and strengthen their control on power.