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Over 20 Olympic champions, trainers and further global sports figures have signed a statement calling for a halt to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and coach, who is facing execution in Iran.

Increasing Global Anger

Amid growing worldwide anger over Iran’s increasing application of executions as a means of repression, the strongly worded appeal denounces the Iranian regime's decision to maintain the execution order of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

The boxer, thirty, from the city in the northeastern region, was arrested for being involved in national uprisings in 2019 and indicted of aiding an resistance movement. He has spent five years in incarceration, where he has been mistreated and held in seclusion.

“Competition is meant to inspire hope, togetherness, and courage,” the endorsers stated. “The death penalty of a titleholder for his political views is a clear violation on these values and a warning to all sportspeople who dares to speak out.

Pattern of Putting to Death Competitors

The appeal pointed out that the athlete's circumstances was not unique and highlighted the nation's history of executing athletes for their convictions, such as a football captain, skipper of the national football team, and a women's sports leader, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a young national wrestling champion, was also executed.

Further signatories to the statement include a sailing champion, who captained the first female-only team in a international sailing event and was the first woman to be awarded a esteemed sailing award; the previous skipper of the national squad Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Detention and Flawed Legal Process

The athlete was detained in the spring of 2020. The allegations against him included “spreading corruption on Earth through fire-setting and ruin of state assets”. His sentence has been overturned multiple times but on 4 October it was upheld on the third attempt. His legal proceedings was denounced as “deeply biased” by advocates and organizations.

Appeal to United Nations

The call to halt the boxer's capital punishment is subsequent to a 2023 letter to the UN high commissioner for freedoms, endorsed by more than 100 rights specialists and organizations, urging measures to avert the competitor's capital punishment.

Execution Crisis

According to reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has attained horrific dimensions”. In the year 2023, authorities executed at least over 850 people – a nearly half rise on the previous year. In the prior period, statistics showed 972 capital punishments, constituting the peak figure since two thousand fifteen. Over eight hundred people have been executed so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and protesters are victims, notably in the aftermath of the 2022's protests. Experts say the Iranian authorities have utilized the death penalty to quell dissent, instil apprehension among the population and strengthen their hold on power.