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More than two dozen Olympic medallists, mentors and additional international athletes have endorsed a appeal demanding a stop to the execution of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is facing execution in the country.

Growing Global Anger

Amid increasing international outrage over the country's increasing application of capital punishment as a tool of suppression, the strongly worded appeal censures the government's decision to maintain the execution order of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

Vafaei Sani, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was arrested for participating in national uprisings in the year 2019 and indicted of aiding an opposition group. He has spent 60 months in prison, where he has been abused and held in isolation.

“Athletics is intended to inspire optimism, togetherness, and bravery,” the signatories stated. “The death penalty of a champion for his opinions is a direct assault on these values and a caution to any competitor who ventures to speak out.

History of Executing Sports Figures

The statement noted that Vafaei Sani’s circumstances was part of a pattern and emphasized Iran’s record of sentencing to death sports champions for their beliefs, including Habib Khabiri, skipper of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old Iranian wrestling champion, was put to death.

Further supporters to the statement comprise a yachting pioneer, who led the inaugural all-female crew in a global yacht race and was the initial female to earn a esteemed yachting trophy; the ex- skipper of the national squad a sports advocate; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Arrest and Flawed Legal Process

The boxer was taken into custody in early 2020. The charges against him comprised “spreading corruption on Earth through fire-setting and damage of state assets”. His verdict has been reversed twice but on 4 October it was upheld on the third attempt. His legal proceedings was condemned as “highly unjust” by rights defenders and organizations.

Urging to International Body

The call to prevent Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment follows a previous letter to the United Nations official for rights, signed by over one hundred rights specialists and entities, calling for action to stop the competitor's death.

Death Penalty Surge

According to findings, there is an “death penalty surge in Iran, which has attained horrific dimensions”. In two thousand twenty-three, authorities executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a forty-eight percent rise on the previous year. The year before, data showed 972 executions, representing the peak figure since 2015. Over hundreds of people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Activists and opponents are focus, especially in the aftermath of the 2022's demonstrations. Experts say the regime have utilized the executions to stifle dissent, instil anxiety among the population and reinforce their control on power.