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Over twenty Olympic medallists, coaches and other international athletes have endorsed a appeal demanding a stop to the execution of a champion boxer and instructor, who is facing execution in the country.

Increasing International Outrage

Amidst increasing worldwide anger over the nation's increasing application of the death penalty as a tool of suppression, the powerfully expressed appeal denounces the authorities's ruling to maintain the death sentence of the boxing champion.

The boxer, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was arrested for taking part in national uprisings in 2019 and accused of supporting an dissident organization. He has passed 60 months in incarceration, where he has been tortured and kept in isolation.

“Sport is designed to promote optimism, unity, and fortitude,” the supporters wrote. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a direct assault on these ideals and a warning to every athlete who attempts to express dissent.

Record of Putting to Death Sports Figures

The statement said that the boxer's situation was part of a pattern and underscored the nation's record of putting to death athletes for their convictions, including a football captain, captain of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, Navid Afkari, a 27-year Iranian sports titleholder, faced the death penalty.

Other supporters to the appeal include Tracy Edwards, who captained the pioneering female-only team in a international sailing event and was the initial female to receive a esteemed nautical honor; the previous leader of the Australian football team Craig Foster; and a footballer, who was in the national team for the global tournament.

Apprehension and Unfair Trial

The athlete was taken into custody in March 2020. The accusations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and destruction of state assets”. His verdict has been annulled twice but on 4 October it was confirmed on the third occasion. His legal proceedings was criticized as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and organizations.

Call to International Body

The appeal to halt Vafaei Sani’s execution follows a earlier statement to the UN high commissioner for freedoms, backed by more than a hundred advocates and groups, urging action to stop the competitor's capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

As per reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has attained alarming proportions”. In 2023, the government sentenced at least over 850 people – a nearly half rise on 2022. In the prior period, data showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, marking the maximum count since 2015. In excess of 800 people have been executed so far in 2025.

Activists and protesters are targets, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 protests. Experts say the government have used the death penalty to stifle opposition, generate apprehension among the population and strengthen their grip on rule.