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Over twenty Olympic medallists, mentors and further international athletes have endorsed a letter demanding a end to the execution of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is facing execution in Iran.

Escalating International Outrage

Amid growing worldwide anger over the nation's escalating use of capital punishment as a means of oppression, the strongly worded letter censures the government's ruling to uphold the execution order of the athlete.

Vafaei Sani, 30, from the city in north-east Iran, was arrested for participating in national uprisings in 2019 and indicted of aiding an opposition group. He has endured 60 months in detention, where he has been tortured and confined in seclusion.

“Athletics is intended to promote optimism, unity, and fortitude,” the endorsers stated. “The execution of a winner for his opinions is a direct assault on these ideals and a caution to every athlete who attempts to speak out.

History of Killing Athletes

The statement pointed out that the boxer's circumstances was not an isolated one and underscored the nation's history of executing sports champions for their convictions, for example a national team leader, leader of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old national competitor, was also executed.

Other signatories to the appeal consist of a sailing champion, who captained the pioneering all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to receive a esteemed nautical honor; the previous leader of the Australian football team a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Detention and Flawed Legal Process

The boxer was arrested in March 2020. The charges against him comprised “causing deterioration on Earth through incendiarism and destruction of government belongings”. His ruling has been overturned twice but on 4 October it was confirmed on the third attempt. His trial was denounced as “highly unjust” by human rights activists and bodies.

Urging to International Body

The appeal to stop Vafaei Sani’s execution follows a 2023 letter to the UN high commissioner for human rights, backed by more than a hundred human rights experts and groups, calling for measures to stop the athlete’s capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

According to reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has attained alarming levels”. In the year 2023, officials sentenced at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% rise on the previous year. The year before, records showed 972 capital punishments, representing the highest number since 2015. More than hundreds of people have been executed so far in 2025.

Activists and dissidents are focus, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 protests. Analysts say the regime have utilized the death penalty to stifle dissent, instil anxiety among the population and reinforce their control on power.