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More than 20 Olympic medal winners, trainers and other international athletes have signed a statement calling for a halt to the execution of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is on death row in the nation.

Growing Global Anger

During rising worldwide anger over the country's increasing application of the death penalty as a tool of suppression, the strongly worded letter condemns the government's ruling to uphold the capital punishment of the athlete.

The athlete, 30, from Mashhad in the northern province, was arrested for taking part in national uprisings in the year 2019 and charged of aiding an resistance movement. He has passed five years in incarceration, where he has been tortured and kept in solitary confinement.

“Competition is designed to encourage faith, togetherness, and fortitude,” the supporters expressed. “The death penalty of a winner for his opinions is a blatant attack on these ideals and a warning to all sportspeople who attempts to voice opinions.

History of Executing Athletes

The appeal pointed out that the boxer's circumstances was part of a pattern and highlighted the country's past of sentencing to death sports champions for their beliefs, for example a football captain, skipper of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the women's volleyball squad. In the year 2020, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old Iranian wrestling champion, was put to death.

Additional supporters to the letter comprise Tracy Edwards, who skippered the first all-female crew in a international sailing event and was the first woman to earn a esteemed sailing award; the ex- captain of the Australian football team an athlete; and a sports figure, who was in the Iranian squad for the international competition.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

Vafaei Sani was detained in the spring of 2020. The charges against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of government belongings”. His sentence has been annulled multiple times but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the latest review. His court case was condemned as “grossly unfair” by human rights activists and organizations.

Urging to UN

The appeal to stop the athlete's death sentence comes after a earlier appeal to the United Nations official for human rights, backed by more than a hundred rights specialists and organizations, urging action to prevent the competitor's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

Based on findings, there is an “death penalty surge in the country, which has reached horrific dimensions”. In 2023, the government put to death at least 853 people – a forty-eight percent increase on 2022. In the prior period, records showed nine hundred seventy-two executions, representing the maximum count since two thousand fifteen. Over hundreds of people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Activists and dissidents are focus, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 protests. Analysts say the regime have utilized the capital punishment to quell protest, create fear among the population and reinforce their control on power.