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Over twenty Olympic champions, mentors and further international athletes have endorsed a letter calling for a stop to the death penalty of a champion boxer and coach, who is sentenced to die in Iran.

Escalating Worldwide Condemnation

Amidst rising worldwide anger over Iran’s escalating use of capital punishment as a instrument of oppression, the powerfully expressed statement condemns the Iranian regime's verdict to confirm the execution order of the athlete.

The athlete, 30, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was arrested for taking part in national uprisings in two thousand nineteen and indicted of backing an resistance movement. He has passed five years in prison, where he has been mistreated and confined in isolation.

“Athletics is designed to inspire hope, unity, and courage,” the endorsers wrote. “The capital punishment of a titleholder for his political views is a direct assault on these values and a warning to every athlete who attempts to voice opinions.

Pattern of Executing Sports Figures

The appeal noted that Vafaei Sani’s situation was not an isolated one and underscored the country's past of executing competitors for their beliefs, such as Habib Khabiri, leader of the national football team, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the women's volleyball squad. In 2020, a wrestling champion, a 27-year Iranian sports titleholder, faced the death penalty.

Additional endorsers to the letter consist of a yachting pioneer, who led the pioneering women's squad in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to earn a esteemed sailing award; the ex- skipper of the national squad Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the national team for the international competition.

Apprehension and Unfair Trial

The boxer was taken into custody in early 2020. The allegations against him included “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and damage of state assets”. His ruling has been reversed on two occasions but on 4 October it was upheld on the latest review. His court case was denounced as “deeply biased” by advocates and groups.

Call to International Body

The urging to halt the athlete's execution comes after a previous statement to the UN high commissioner for human rights, backed by in excess of 100 rights specialists and entities, demanding intervention to prevent the sports figure's death.

Capital Punishment Escalation

As per findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has achieved horrific proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, officials put to death at least 853 people – a nearly half increase on 2022. The year before, data showed 972 capital punishments, marking the highest number since two thousand fifteen. In excess of eight hundred people have been put to death so far in the current year.

Political prisoners and protesters are victims, especially in the wake of the 2022's uprising. Experts say the Iranian authorities have employed the capital punishment to stifle dissent, instil anxiety among the citizenry and tighten their control on power.