Olympians Call on Iran to Stop Death Sentence of Boxing Star

Over 20 Olympic medallists, coaches and other world-class competitors have signed a statement demanding a end to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and coach, who is on death row in Iran.

Growing Global Anger

Amid rising international outrage over the nation's escalating use of executions as a tool of suppression, the strongly worded appeal denounces the Iranian regime's verdict to uphold the death sentence of the athlete.

The athlete, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was detained for participating in countrywide demonstrations in two thousand nineteen and accused of supporting an resistance movement. He has endured 60 months in prison, where he has been tortured and kept in seclusion.

“Sport is designed to promote faith, unity, and bravery,” the supporters stated. “The execution of a winner for his opinions is a blatant attack on these values and a caution to any competitor who dares to voice opinions.

Record of Killing Athletes

The letter noted that the boxer's circumstances was part of a pattern and underscored Iran’s past of sentencing to death athletes for their beliefs, such as a national team leader, captain of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the women's volleyball squad. In 2020, an athlete, a 27-year-old national competitor, was also executed.

Further endorsers to the appeal comprise a yachting pioneer, who skippered the inaugural female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to receive a esteemed yachting trophy; 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 detained in March 2020. The accusations against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and damage of state assets”. His ruling has been annulled twice but on 4 October it was upheld on the third attempt. His trial was denounced as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and bodies.

Call to United Nations

The urging to prevent Vafaei Sani’s execution comes after a earlier letter to the UN high commissioner for human rights, backed by over 100 rights specialists and groups, demanding action to prevent the sports figure's execution.

Execution Crisis

Based on findings, there is an “execution crisis in Iran, which has achieved alarming proportions”. In the year 2023, officials executed at least 853 people – a forty-eight percent surge on the previous year. In the prior period, statistics showed nine hundred seventy-two deaths, constituting the highest number since two thousand fifteen. Over hundreds of people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Dissidents and opponents are victims, especially in the aftermath of the the year 2022 uprising. Analysts say the Iranian authorities have used the death penalty to suppress protest, create apprehension among the population and reinforce their grip on power.