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In excess of two dozen Olympic medallists, mentors and further international athletes have signed a appeal demanding a end to the death penalty of a champion boxer and coach, who is on death row in the nation.

Growing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid increasing international outrage over the country's increasing application of the death penalty as a instrument of repression, the strongly worded appeal condemns the authorities's ruling to maintain the death sentence of the athlete.

Vafaei Sani, thirty, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was detained for being involved in nationwide protests in 2019 and accused of backing an resistance movement. He has spent 60 months in prison, where he has been tortured and held in seclusion.

“Sport is intended to promote faith, solidarity, and fortitude,” the signatories stated. “The capital punishment of a champion for his political views is a direct assault on these principles and a warning to any competitor who attempts to express dissent.

Pattern of Executing Competitors

The statement pointed out that the athlete's circumstances was not an isolated one and emphasized the country's history of sentencing to death athletes 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, an athlete, a 27-year national competitor, faced the death penalty.

Other signatories to the letter include a sailing champion, who led the inaugural all-female crew in a global yacht race and was the initial female to be awarded a prestigious sailing award; the ex- skipper of the national squad Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Detention and Unfair Trial

The boxer was taken into custody in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of public property”. His ruling has been annulled twice but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the third attempt. His trial was criticized as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and bodies.

Appeal to UN

The urging to stop the boxer's death sentence comes after a 2023 letter to the global human rights chief for rights, endorsed by more than 100 advocates and groups, calling for intervention to stop the sports figure's death.

Death Penalty Surge

As per reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has attained alarming dimensions”. In the year 2023, the government put to death at least over 850 people – a 48% rise on 2022. Last year, data showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, marking the highest number since 2015. Over hundreds of people have been put to death so far in the current year.

Political prisoners and protesters are victims, notably in the aftermath of the 2022's demonstrations. Specialists say the Iranian authorities have employed the capital punishment to quell protest, create anxiety among the citizenry and reinforce their control on power.