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More than 20 Olympic champions, mentors and other international athletes have put their names to a appeal calling for a stop to the capital punishment of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is facing execution in Iran.

Increasing International Outrage

Amidst rising worldwide anger over the country's expanding employment of capital punishment as a means of repression, the strongly worded statement censures the Iranian regime's decision to confirm the death sentence of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

Vafaei Sani, three decades old, from the city in the northeastern region, was detained for participating in countrywide demonstrations in 2019 and indicted of supporting an dissident organization. He has passed half a decade in prison, where he has been mistreated and held in isolation.

“Athletics is designed to promote faith, solidarity, and fortitude,” the signatories stated. “The death penalty of a titleholder for his beliefs is a clear violation on these ideals and a admonition to all sportspeople who ventures to voice opinions.

Pattern of Executing Athletes

The appeal pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s circumstances was part of a pattern and emphasized the country's past of sentencing to death sports champions for their views, for example a football captain, captain of the national football team, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the female volleyball side. In 2020, Navid Afkari, a young national competitor, was put to death.

Additional endorsers to the letter consist of a sailing champion, who skippered the inaugural women's squad in a round-the-world competition and was the initial female to earn a renowned yachting trophy; the previous captain of the national squad a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the Iranian squad for the 1978 World Cup.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

The athlete was detained in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him comprised “spreading corruption on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of public property”. His ruling has been overturned twice but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the latest review. His legal proceedings was denounced as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and bodies.

Urging to United Nations

The appeal to stop the boxer's capital punishment comes after a earlier statement to the global human rights chief for freedoms, signed by in excess of one hundred advocates and organizations, urging action to stop the athlete’s execution.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to data, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has achieved horrific levels”. In two thousand twenty-three, the government put to death at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent rise on 2022. In the prior period, data showed nine hundred seventy-two executions, marking the highest number since the year 2015. More than eight hundred people have been put to death so far in the current year.

Political prisoners and opponents are focus, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022's protests. Analysts say the government have utilized the death penalty to stifle opposition, instil fear among the citizenry and reinforce their control on power.