🔗 Share this article Elite Athletes Call on Iranian Authorities to Prevent Death Sentence of Boxing Star Over twenty Olympic champions, mentors and further international athletes have signed a statement urging a stop to the execution of a champion boxer and trainer, who is sentenced to die in the nation. Increasing International Outrage During growing global condemnation over the nation's increasing application of the death penalty as a tool of oppression, the powerfully expressed statement condemns the Iranian regime's decision to confirm the execution order of the athlete. Vafaei Sani, three decades old, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for participating in countrywide demonstrations in 2019 and charged of supporting an resistance movement. He has endured half a decade in incarceration, where he has been abused and held in seclusion. “Competition is designed to promote faith, unity, and bravery,” the supporters wrote. “The capital punishment of a winner for his opinions is a clear violation on these ideals and a warning to all sportspeople who ventures to speak out. Pattern of Killing Sports Figures The appeal pointed out that the boxer's case was not an isolated one and underscored the nation's past of executing sports champions for their views, such as a national team leader, skipper of the national football team, and a volleyball captain, skipper of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a young national competitor, faced the death penalty. Additional endorsers to the letter consist of a yachting pioneer, who captained the inaugural all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to be awarded a prestigious sailing award; the ex- leader of the soccer side an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the Iranian squad for the global tournament. Detention and Flawed Legal Process The athlete was detained in early 2020. The charges against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of state assets”. His ruling has been overturned twice but on October 4 it was upheld on the latest review. His court case was condemned as “highly unjust” by rights defenders and groups. Call to UN The urging to stop the boxer's capital punishment is subsequent to a earlier statement to the UN high commissioner for human rights, backed by over one hundred human rights experts and entities, urging action to avert the athlete’s death. Execution Crisis As per findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has achieved alarming levels”. In 2023, authorities put to death at least 853 people – a 48% rise on 2022. In the prior period, statistics showed 972 capital punishments, marking the highest number since 2015. Over eight hundred people have been sentenced so far in the current year. Political prisoners and dissidents are targets, especially in the wake of the 2022's demonstrations. Experts say the Iranian authorities have employed the executions to quell dissent, create anxiety among the population and tighten their grip on rule.