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Over 20 Olympic champions, trainers and other world-class competitors have put their names to a appeal demanding a stop to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and instructor, who is facing execution in Iran.

Growing International Outrage

During growing global condemnation over Iran’s expanding employment of executions as a tool of suppression, the powerfully expressed statement censures the government's decision to confirm the execution order of the athlete.

Vafaei Sani, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for taking part in national uprisings in 2019 and charged of aiding an dissident organization. He has spent 60 months in prison, where he has been mistreated and held in isolation.

“Competition is intended to encourage faith, togetherness, and courage,” the endorsers expressed. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a direct assault on these values and a caution to any competitor who attempts to express dissent.

Record of Putting to Death Sports Figures

The appeal noted that the boxer's case was part of a pattern and emphasized the nation's history of executing competitors for their beliefs, including a football captain, skipper of the national football team, and a women's sports leader, skipper of the women's volleyball squad. In 2020, an athlete, a 27-year Iranian wrestling champion, was also executed.

Other signatories to the statement include a sailing champion, who skippered the inaugural all-female crew in a international sailing event and was the initial female to be awarded a prestigious sailing award; the previous leader of the Australian football team Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the 1978 World Cup.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

The athlete was arrested in early 2020. The charges against him included “promoting decay on Earth through arson and ruin of state assets”. His sentence has been overturned on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was maintained on the third attempt. His court case was criticized as “highly unjust” by advocates and groups.

Urging to UN

The appeal to prevent the boxer's death sentence is subsequent to a previous appeal to the United Nations official for rights, backed by more than 100 rights specialists and groups, calling for action to stop the sports figure's capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

Based on findings, there is an “death penalty surge in the nation, which has achieved shocking proportions”. In the year 2023, authorities put to death at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent increase on the previous year. The year before, statistics showed 972 executions, marking the maximum count since the year 2015. Over hundreds of people have been put to death so far in the current year.

Activists and dissidents are targets, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022's uprising. Specialists say the Iranian authorities have utilized the death penalty to suppress protest, create anxiety among the public and reinforce their grip on power.