🔗 Share this article Sports Champions Urge on Iran to Prevent Death Sentence of Boxing Champion More than two dozen Olympic medallists, coaches and additional international athletes have signed a appeal urging a halt to the execution of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is on death row in the nation. Increasing Worldwide Condemnation During rising global condemnation over the nation's expanding employment of capital punishment as a instrument of repression, the forcefully phrased statement censures the Iranian regime's ruling to confirm the capital punishment of the athlete. Vafaei Sani, thirty, from the city in the northern province, was detained for being involved in nationwide protests in 2019 and charged of backing an resistance movement. He has endured five years in incarceration, where he has been abused and kept in isolation. “Sport is meant to encourage hope, togetherness, and courage,” the signatories stated. “The execution of a winner for his beliefs is a blatant attack on these ideals and a warning to every athlete who ventures to speak out. Pattern of Killing Athletes The appeal said that Vafaei Sani’s case was not unique and highlighted the nation's past of executing competitors for their views, for example Habib Khabiri, captain of the football side, and a volleyball captain, leader of the female volleyball side. In two thousand twenty, Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old national sports titleholder, was also executed. Other signatories to the appeal consist of a yachting pioneer, who captained the pioneering female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to earn a renowned nautical honor; the ex- captain of the national squad an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament. Arrest and Unfair Trial The athlete was detained in March 2020. The allegations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through incendiarism and ruin of state assets”. His verdict has been annulled on two occasions but on 4 October it was upheld on the third occasion. His legal proceedings was criticized as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and groups. Call to UN The urging to halt the boxer's death sentence is subsequent to a previous letter to the United Nations official for human rights, endorsed by more than 100 rights specialists and organizations, urging measures to prevent the competitor's capital punishment. Execution Crisis As per findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has reached shocking levels”. In two thousand twenty-three, the government sentenced at least 853 people – a 48% surge on 2022. The year before, data showed nine hundred seventy-two executions, marking the maximum count since two thousand fifteen. Over 800 people have been executed so far in 2025. Political prisoners and protesters are focus, especially in the wake of the 2022 uprising. Experts say the Iranian authorities have employed the capital punishment to stifle dissent, instil fear among the population and reinforce their control on rule.