🔗 Share this article

Over two dozen Olympic medal winners, mentors and other international athletes have put their names to a letter urging a end to the death penalty of a champion boxer and instructor, who is on death row in the country.

Growing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid growing worldwide anger over the nation's escalating use of the death penalty as a instrument of repression, the forcefully phrased appeal denounces the authorities's verdict to uphold the execution order of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

The athlete, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was detained for being involved in countrywide demonstrations in 2019 and charged of supporting an opposition group. He has spent half a decade in prison, where he has been tortured and held in isolation.

“Sport is designed to encourage hope, togetherness, and courage,” the supporters stated. “The execution of a champion for his opinions is a direct assault on these principles and a warning to any competitor who attempts to speak out.

Record of Executing Competitors

The statement said that the athlete's situation was not unique and emphasized the nation's history of executing athletes for their views, for example a national team leader, leader of the football side, and a volleyball captain, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year Iranian wrestling champion, faced the death penalty.

Further signatories to the appeal include a sailing champion, who captained the inaugural all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to be awarded a esteemed yachting trophy; the former captain of the soccer side a sports advocate; and a sports figure, who was in the national team for the global tournament.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was detained in early 2020. The accusations against him entailed “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and ruin of state assets”. His sentence has been overturned multiple times but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the third occasion. His trial was criticized as “highly unjust” by human rights activists and groups.

Appeal to United Nations

The appeal to halt the athlete's capital punishment is subsequent to a previous letter to the global human rights chief for rights, signed by in excess of one hundred advocates and entities, urging intervention to avert the athlete’s capital punishment.

Execution Crisis

As per reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has reached horrific levels”. In the year 2023, authorities executed at least over 850 people – a nearly half surge on 2022. In the prior period, data showed nearly a thousand executions, representing the highest number since 2015. In excess of 800 people have been executed so far in the current year.

Activists and protesters are targets, especially in the aftermath of the the year 2022 protests. Experts say the Iranian authorities have utilized the capital punishment to suppress protest, create fear among the public and tighten their grip on power.