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More than twenty Olympic medallists, mentors and other international athletes have signed a statement demanding a halt to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and trainer, who is facing execution in the country.

Growing International Outrage

Amidst rising worldwide anger over the country's escalating use of the death penalty as a instrument of suppression, the forcefully phrased appeal denounces the authorities's decision to confirm the execution order of the boxing champion.

Vafaei Sani, thirty, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was taken into custody for taking part in national uprisings in 2019 and accused of aiding an dissident organization. He has spent five years in prison, where he has been mistreated and held in isolation.

“Competition is meant to promote optimism, togetherness, and courage,” the supporters expressed. “The capital punishment of a winner for his political views is a direct assault on these values and a warning to any competitor who dares to voice opinions.

History of Killing Competitors

The statement noted that the boxer's circumstances was part of a pattern and highlighted Iran’s history of sentencing to death competitors for their views, for example a football captain, captain of the soccer squad, and a volleyball captain, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In the year 2020, Navid Afkari, a young Iranian competitor, faced the death penalty.

Further endorsers to the letter include a yachting pioneer, who captained the inaugural women's squad in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to be awarded a esteemed nautical honor; the ex- captain of the soccer side a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the national team for the global tournament.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

The boxer was detained in March 2020. The accusations against him entailed “spreading corruption on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of state assets”. His sentence has been overturned multiple times but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the latest review. His court case was condemned as “highly unjust” by human rights activists and bodies.

Urging to International Body

The appeal to stop Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment is subsequent to a 2023 statement to the global human rights chief for rights, backed by over 100 advocates and groups, calling for intervention to prevent the sports figure's execution.

Execution Crisis

As per data, there is an “execution crisis in the nation, which has attained alarming proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, officials sentenced at least 853 people – a nearly half increase on 2022. Last year, records showed nine hundred seventy-two capital punishments, constituting the maximum count since 2015. Over hundreds of people have been sentenced so far in the current year.

Political prisoners and dissidents are focus, notably in the wake of the 2022 uprising. Analysts say the Iranian authorities have employed the executions to suppress opposition, instil anxiety among the public and strengthen their control on power.