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Over two dozen Olympic medal winners, trainers and other world-class competitors have endorsed a statement demanding a stop to the capital punishment of a boxing titleholder and instructor, who is on death row in Iran.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amidst rising worldwide anger over the country's escalating use of the death penalty as a means of oppression, the forcefully phrased appeal denounces the Iranian regime's ruling to maintain the execution order of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

Vafaei Sani, three decades old, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for participating in national uprisings in the year 2019 and charged of supporting an opposition group. He has endured 60 months in prison, where he has been mistreated and held in isolation.

“Sport is intended to promote faith, solidarity, and courage,” the signatories stated. “The capital punishment of a titleholder for his beliefs is a blatant attack on these ideals and a caution to all sportspeople who attempts to speak out.

History of Killing Athletes

The appeal noted that Vafaei Sani’s case was not an isolated one and emphasized the country's record of sentencing to death competitors for their convictions, including a football captain, leader of the national football team, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the female volleyball side. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old Iranian sports titleholder, was also executed.

Other supporters to the appeal include a sailing champion, who captained the first female-only team in a international sailing event and was the initial female to earn a renowned nautical honor; the previous leader of the soccer side an athlete; and a footballer, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Apprehension and Unfair Trial

The boxer was detained in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and ruin of state assets”. His ruling has been reversed on two occasions but on 4 October it was upheld on the latest review. His court case was criticized as “grossly unfair” by advocates and organizations.

Appeal to International Body

The appeal to halt the athlete's capital punishment comes after a 2023 statement to the UN high commissioner for human rights, signed by over 100 advocates and groups, demanding action to stop the competitor's capital punishment.

Execution Crisis

Based on findings, there is an “death penalty surge in the country, which has reached horrific levels”. In the year 2023, officials executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a forty-eight percent surge on 2022. Last year, statistics showed 972 capital punishments, constituting the peak figure since two thousand fifteen. In excess of eight hundred people have been put to death so far in the current year.

Political prisoners and dissidents are victims, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022's demonstrations. Experts say the government have used the capital punishment to suppress opposition, generate anxiety among the public and reinforce their hold on rule.