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In excess of twenty Olympic medal winners, trainers and further international athletes have put their names to a statement calling for a end to the capital punishment of a champion boxer and coach, who is on death row in the country.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amidst growing global condemnation over the nation's escalating use of the death penalty as a tool of suppression, the strongly worded letter condemns the government's decision to uphold the capital punishment of the athlete.

The boxer, three decades old, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was detained for being involved in national uprisings in 2019 and accused of backing an opposition group. He has passed 60 months in incarceration, where he has been tortured and held in seclusion.

“Sport is intended to promote optimism, togetherness, and courage,” the supporters wrote. “The death penalty of a champion for his beliefs is a clear violation on these ideals and a caution to any competitor who attempts to express dissent.

Record of Putting to Death Sports Figures

The appeal noted that Vafaei Sani’s case was not unique and underscored Iran’s record of executing athletes for their beliefs, including a national team leader, skipper of the national football team, and a volleyball captain, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old national sports titleholder, was also executed.

Further signatories to the appeal consist of Tracy Edwards, who captained the pioneering female-only team in a global yacht race and was the first woman to earn a prestigious sailing award; the ex- captain of the Australian football team a sports advocate; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Apprehension and Flawed Legal Process

The boxer was arrested in early 2020. The accusations against him entailed “spreading corruption on Earth through fire-setting and damage of state assets”. His sentence has been overturned multiple times but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the third attempt. His court case was denounced as “highly unjust” by rights defenders and groups.

Urging to United Nations

The urging to prevent Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment comes after a earlier statement to the UN high commissioner for rights, endorsed by over 100 advocates and entities, calling for intervention to stop the competitor's capital punishment.

Execution Crisis

Based on data, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the country, which has achieved shocking dimensions”. In the year 2023, the government put to death at least over 850 people – a nearly half increase on 2022. Last year, statistics showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, representing the peak figure since two thousand fifteen. In excess of 800 people have been executed so far in the current year.

Dissidents and dissidents are victims, notably in the aftermath of the 2022 demonstrations. Experts say the government have used the capital punishment to stifle opposition, create fear among the citizenry and strengthen their grip on authority.