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More than 20 Olympic medallists, mentors and additional international athletes have endorsed a letter demanding a halt to the execution of a boxing titleholder and coach, who is facing execution in the country.

Growing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid increasing worldwide anger over the nation's escalating use of executions as a tool of oppression, the strongly worded appeal condemns the government's verdict to uphold the death sentence of the athlete.

Vafaei Sani, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was arrested for participating in nationwide protests in the year 2019 and accused of supporting an resistance movement. He has spent 60 months in incarceration, where he has been mistreated and kept in seclusion.

“Athletics is intended to promote faith, solidarity, and fortitude,” the supporters wrote. “The capital punishment of a winner for his beliefs is a blatant attack on these principles and a warning to any competitor who ventures to express dissent.

Record of Putting to Death Athletes

The statement noted that the athlete's situation was not unique and emphasized the country's history of executing athletes for their beliefs, including a football captain, leader of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, skipper of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a young Iranian wrestling champion, was put to death.

Other supporters to the appeal comprise a sailing champion, who skippered the inaugural all-female crew in a global yacht race and was the first woman to be awarded a prestigious sailing award; the previous captain of the national squad Craig Foster; and a footballer, who was in the national team for the international competition.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

Vafaei Sani was detained in the spring of 2020. The charges against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through incendiarism and damage of public property”. His verdict has been overturned twice but on 4 October it was confirmed on the latest review. His legal proceedings was denounced as “grossly unfair” by advocates and groups.

Appeal to United Nations

The urging to halt Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment is subsequent to a 2023 statement to the UN high commissioner for freedoms, endorsed by over 100 rights specialists and groups, calling for action to prevent the athlete’s death.

Execution Crisis

As per findings, there is an “execution crisis in the country, which has attained shocking proportions”. In 2023, the government executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a forty-eight percent increase on the previous year. Last year, statistics showed 972 capital punishments, representing the maximum count since the year 2015. More than hundreds of people have been executed so far in 2025.

Dissidents and opponents are victims, notably in the aftermath of the 2022's uprising. Experts say the regime have used the capital punishment to quell dissent, instil fear among the citizenry and strengthen their hold on authority.