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Over two dozen Olympic medal winners, coaches and additional global sports figures have signed a statement urging a halt to the capital punishment of a champion boxer and instructor, who is on death row in Iran.

Increasing Global Anger

Amidst growing international outrage over the country's increasing application of capital punishment as a tool of suppression, the forcefully phrased statement censures the Iranian regime's ruling to confirm the capital punishment of the boxing champion.

The boxer, thirty, from the city in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for taking part in national uprisings in the year 2019 and indicted of backing an resistance movement. He has spent 60 months in prison, where he has been tortured and kept in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is intended to inspire optimism, solidarity, and bravery,” the signatories wrote. “The capital punishment of a titleholder for his beliefs is a direct assault on these principles and a admonition to every athlete who dares to express dissent.

Pattern of Executing Athletes

The appeal pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s case was part of a pattern and emphasized the country's past of putting to death sports champions for their views, such as Habib Khabiri, leader of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the female volleyball side. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a 27-year-old Iranian sports titleholder, was put to death.

Further signatories to the letter include a sailing champion, who captained the inaugural all-female crew in a international sailing event and was the first woman to be awarded a prestigious nautical honor; the former captain of the national squad an athlete; and a sports figure, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament.

Apprehension and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was arrested in early 2020. The accusations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and ruin of state assets”. His ruling has been annulled on two occasions but on October 4 it was upheld on the latest review. His trial was criticized as “highly unjust” by advocates and organizations.

Urging to UN

The appeal to prevent the boxer's capital punishment comes after a previous appeal to the UN high commissioner for human rights, signed by in excess of one hundred human rights experts and groups, urging measures to prevent the sports figure's capital punishment.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has achieved horrific proportions”. In the year 2023, the government put to death at least over 850 people – a 48% increase on the previous year. Last year, statistics showed nearly a thousand deaths, representing the peak figure since 2015. Over 800 people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Activists and opponents are victims, especially in the aftermath of the the year 2022 protests. Experts say the Iranian authorities have employed the capital punishment to suppress dissent, generate apprehension among the public and reinforce their control on power.