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More than 20 Olympic medallists, mentors and additional international athletes have signed a statement demanding a end to the death penalty of a champion boxer and coach, who is facing execution in the nation.

Growing International Outrage

Amid increasing international outrage over the country's escalating use of the death penalty as a instrument of repression, the strongly worded statement censures the Iranian regime's ruling to maintain the execution order of the athlete.

The boxer, three decades old, from the city in the northern province, was taken into custody for being involved in nationwide protests in two thousand nineteen and charged of supporting an opposition group. He has spent half a decade in detention, where he has been tortured and held in isolation.

“Sport is meant to encourage hope, solidarity, and courage,” the signatories stated. “The death penalty of a champion for his beliefs is a direct assault on these principles and a caution to all sportspeople who attempts to express dissent.

Pattern of Putting to Death Competitors

The appeal noted that Vafaei Sani’s situation was not an isolated one and highlighted the country's past of putting to death competitors for their convictions, including a national team leader, leader of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, skipper of the female volleyball side. In 2020, an athlete, a young national sports titleholder, was also executed.

Additional supporters to the statement include Tracy Edwards, who skippered the pioneering female-only team in a global yacht race and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a esteemed yachting trophy; the ex- captain of the soccer side Craig Foster; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Arrest and Unfair Trial

Vafaei Sani was arrested in early 2020. The accusations against him comprised “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and ruin of public property”. His sentence has been overturned multiple times but on 4 October it was confirmed on the third occasion. His court case was criticized as “highly unjust” by advocates and organizations.

Urging to UN

The urging to stop the athlete's capital punishment comes after a earlier statement to the UN high commissioner for rights, backed by more than one hundred advocates and entities, urging intervention to prevent the sports figure's death.

Death Penalty Surge

Based on findings, there is an “death penalty surge in the country, which has attained alarming proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, officials put to death at least 853 people – a forty-eight percent increase on the previous year. In the prior period, data showed nearly a thousand deaths, marking the highest number since two thousand fifteen. In excess of 800 people have been executed so far in the current year.

Political prisoners and opponents are targets, notably in the wake of the 2022's demonstrations. Specialists say the government have used the capital punishment to suppress dissent, generate fear among the public and tighten their control on rule.