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Over twenty Olympic medallists, coaches and other international athletes have put their names to a statement calling for a end to the execution of a boxing titleholder and instructor, who is on death row in Iran.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid growing international outrage over Iran’s increasing application of capital punishment as a instrument of oppression, the strongly worded statement censures the government's decision to uphold the capital punishment of the athlete.

Vafaei Sani, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was detained for participating in national uprisings in 2019 and charged of supporting an dissident organization. He has spent 60 months in prison, where he has been tortured and kept in solitary confinement.

“Competition is meant to promote optimism, unity, and bravery,” the signatories expressed. “The execution of a winner for his opinions is a direct assault on these principles and a warning to every athlete who dares to speak out.

Pattern of Executing Competitors

The letter noted that the boxer's circumstances was not an isolated one and highlighted Iran’s history of executing competitors for their views, such as Habib Khabiri, leader of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, skipper of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a young Iranian competitor, was put to death.

Additional endorsers to the appeal include a sailing champion, who led the inaugural all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a renowned sailing award; the former captain of the soccer side a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the 1978 World Cup.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was taken into custody in March 2020. The accusations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of state assets”. His sentence has been annulled twice but on 4 October it was confirmed on the latest review. His legal proceedings was condemned as “highly unjust” by rights defenders and organizations.

Appeal to UN

The call to prevent Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment is subsequent to a earlier appeal to the UN high commissioner for human rights, endorsed by more than a hundred advocates and organizations, calling for measures to prevent the athlete’s death.

Execution Crisis

Based on reports, there is an “death penalty surge in Iran, which has achieved horrific dimensions”. In 2023, authorities sentenced at least over 850 people – a nearly half rise on 2022. The year before, records showed 972 deaths, marking the highest number since the year 2015. In excess of eight hundred people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Activists and protesters are focus, notably in the aftermath of the the year 2022 uprising. Experts say the Iranian authorities have utilized the executions to suppress dissent, create apprehension among the public and reinforce their grip on rule.