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Over 20 Olympic medal winners, mentors and additional world-class competitors have put their names to a appeal urging a end to the death penalty of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is on death row in Iran.

Growing Global Anger

Amid growing worldwide anger over the country's escalating use of capital punishment as a means of oppression, the strongly worded letter censures the authorities's verdict to uphold the execution order of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

The boxer, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northern province, was detained for taking part in national uprisings in 2019 and charged of aiding an dissident organization. He has spent five years in prison, where he has been abused and kept in isolation.

“Sport is designed to encourage optimism, unity, and bravery,” the signatories expressed. “The capital punishment of a titleholder for his opinions is a clear violation on these values and a warning to every athlete who ventures to speak out.

Pattern of Putting to Death Sports Figures

The appeal pointed out that the boxer's case was not unique and underscored Iran’s history of executing competitors for their convictions, including a football captain, skipper of the football side, and a volleyball captain, leader of the women's volleyball squad. In 2020, Navid Afkari, a young national sports titleholder, was put to death.

Further supporters to the letter comprise a sailing champion, who captained the inaugural all-female crew in a international sailing event and was the initial female to be awarded a renowned nautical honor; the ex- skipper of the soccer side a sports advocate; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Detention and Unfair Trial

Vafaei Sani was detained in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him included “spreading corruption on Earth through arson and destruction of state assets”. His verdict has been overturned multiple times but on October 4 it was upheld on the third attempt. His trial was denounced as “highly unjust” by advocates and organizations.

Urging to UN

The urging to stop Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment follows a previous statement to the United Nations official for freedoms, endorsed by over 100 rights specialists and organizations, urging measures to avert the sports figure's death.

Execution Crisis

Based on reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has reached alarming levels”. In 2023, the government executed at least 853 people – a 48% rise on 2022. In the prior period, records showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, constituting the highest number since two thousand fifteen. Over 800 people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and protesters are targets, especially in the aftermath of the the year 2022 uprising. Specialists say the Iranian authorities have used the executions to suppress dissent, instil anxiety among the citizenry and reinforce their control on authority.