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Over 20 Olympic medal winners, mentors and other international athletes have endorsed a statement demanding a halt to the death penalty of a champion boxer and trainer, who is facing execution in the nation.

Increasing International Outrage

Amid growing global condemnation over Iran’s increasing application of the death penalty as a tool of suppression, the strongly worded appeal condemns the government's ruling to uphold the execution order of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

The boxer, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was taken into custody for being involved in national uprisings in the year 2019 and charged of aiding an opposition group. He has endured 60 months in detention, where he has been abused and held in seclusion.

“Competition is intended to encourage faith, unity, and fortitude,” the signatories stated. “The execution of a titleholder for his opinions is a clear violation on these values and a warning to all sportspeople who ventures to voice opinions.

Pattern of Executing Athletes

The letter pointed out that the athlete's case was part of a pattern and highlighted Iran’s history of sentencing to death athletes for their beliefs, such as a football captain, skipper of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the national women’s volleyball team. In the year 2020, a wrestling champion, a 27-year Iranian competitor, faced the death penalty.

Other endorsers to the appeal include a yachting pioneer, who captained the pioneering all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a prestigious yachting trophy; the ex- leader of the national squad an athlete; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Detention and Unfair Trial

The athlete was taken into custody in early 2020. The accusations against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and damage of public property”. His verdict has been reversed on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was maintained on the third attempt. His court case was condemned as “highly unjust” by advocates and groups.

Appeal to United Nations

The urging to prevent the athlete's death sentence follows a previous appeal to the UN high commissioner for human rights, endorsed by more than one hundred rights specialists and entities, demanding action to prevent the sports figure's death.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has attained shocking dimensions”. In two thousand twenty-three, the government sentenced at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% increase on 2022. The year before, records showed 972 deaths, representing the maximum count since the year 2015. More than eight hundred people have been put to death so far in the current year.

Political prisoners and protesters are victims, particularly in the aftermath of the the year 2022 uprising. Analysts say the regime have used the executions to suppress protest, generate fear among the population and reinforce their hold on rule.