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More than 20 Olympic medal winners, coaches and other global sports figures have signed a letter calling for a halt to the death penalty of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is on death row in the nation.

Growing Worldwide Condemnation

Amidst rising worldwide anger over Iran’s escalating use of executions as a means of repression, the powerfully expressed statement denounces the authorities's ruling to uphold the execution order of the boxing champion.

The athlete, 30, from the city in north-east Iran, was detained for taking part in nationwide protests in two thousand nineteen and indicted of backing an dissident organization. He has passed 60 months in prison, where he has been abused and confined in isolation.

“Competition is intended to promote hope, togetherness, and fortitude,” the endorsers wrote. “The death penalty of a titleholder for his political views is a clear violation on these values and a caution to every athlete who ventures to voice opinions.

Record of Killing Athletes

The appeal said that the boxer's case was not an isolated one and emphasized the nation's history of executing competitors for their convictions, for example Habib Khabiri, captain of the soccer squad, and a volleyball captain, captain of the women's volleyball squad. In the year 2020, an athlete, a young Iranian sports titleholder, was also executed.

Further endorsers to the letter consist of Tracy Edwards, who led the pioneering all-female crew in a global yacht race and was the initial female to earn a renowned yachting trophy; the ex- leader of the Australian football team Craig Foster; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the Iranian squad for the 1978 World Cup.

Apprehension and Unfair Trial

The boxer was taken into custody in March 2020. The accusations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and damage of state assets”. His sentence has been annulled multiple times but on 4 October it was confirmed on the latest review. His court case was denounced as “highly unjust” by advocates and bodies.

Call to International Body

The appeal to prevent Vafaei Sani’s death sentence comes after a previous statement to the global human rights chief for human rights, signed by in excess of 100 advocates and entities, calling for measures to stop the sports figure's capital punishment.

Execution Crisis

According to data, there is an “execution crisis in the country, which has reached horrific proportions”. In the year 2023, authorities put to death at least over 850 people – a 48% surge on the previous year. In the prior period, data showed nine hundred seventy-two executions, marking the highest number since the year 2015. In excess of hundreds of people have been executed so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and dissidents are focus, particularly in the aftermath of the the year 2022 demonstrations. Experts say the Iranian authorities have employed the capital punishment to quell dissent, instil fear among the public and tighten their hold on rule.