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More than 20 Olympic medal winners, coaches and other world-class competitors have signed a statement demanding a stop to the death penalty of a champion boxer and trainer, who is on death row in Iran.

Increasing Global Anger

Amid rising international outrage over the country's increasing application of executions as a means of oppression, the powerfully expressed letter censures the authorities's decision to confirm the execution order of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

Vafaei Sani, three decades old, from the city in the northern province, was taken into custody for being involved in national uprisings in 2019 and charged of backing an dissident organization. He has passed 60 months in detention, where he has been abused and held in isolation.

“Competition is meant to encourage faith, solidarity, and fortitude,” the signatories wrote. “The death penalty of a champion for his political views is a clear violation on these principles and a caution to every athlete who attempts to voice opinions.

History of Executing Athletes

The statement noted that the athlete's situation was not unique and highlighted the nation's record of executing sports champions for their convictions, such as a football captain, skipper of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the female volleyball side. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old Iranian competitor, faced the death penalty.

Further supporters to the appeal include a yachting pioneer, who captained the pioneering all-female crew in a international sailing event and was the pioneering lady to receive a prestigious nautical honor; the ex- captain of the national squad an athlete; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the 1978 World Cup.

Arrest and Unjust Proceedings

Vafaei Sani was detained in early 2020. The accusations against him comprised “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and ruin of public property”. His sentence has been reversed twice but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the third occasion. His court case was denounced as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and organizations.

Urging to UN

The appeal to halt the boxer's execution comes after a previous statement to the United Nations official for freedoms, backed by over a hundred rights specialists and groups, calling for measures to prevent the athlete’s death.

Death Penalty Surge

As per data, there is an “execution crisis in the nation, which has achieved shocking proportions”. In 2023, officials executed at least over 850 people – a nearly half increase on 2022. The year before, records showed nearly a thousand executions, constituting the peak figure since 2015. Over 800 people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Dissidents and opponents are targets, notably in the wake of the the year 2022 protests. Analysts say the Iranian authorities have used the capital punishment to suppress dissent, instil anxiety among the public and tighten their control on authority.