🔗 Share this article Sports Champions Urge on Iran to Halt Death Sentence of Boxing Star In excess of 20 Olympic medal winners, coaches and other world-class competitors have put their names to a letter calling for a end to the death penalty of a boxing champion and instructor, who is facing execution in the nation. Growing International Outrage Amid rising worldwide anger over Iran’s increasing application of capital punishment as a instrument of suppression, the forcefully phrased letter denounces the government's verdict to uphold the capital punishment of the boxing champion. The boxer, thirty, from Mashhad in the northern province, was arrested for being involved in national uprisings in two thousand nineteen and charged of supporting an dissident organization. He has passed half a decade in prison, where he has been abused and kept in isolation. “Athletics is intended to encourage faith, togetherness, and bravery,” the signatories expressed. “The capital punishment of a winner for his opinions is a blatant attack on these principles and a warning to all sportspeople who attempts to voice opinions. Record of Killing Sports Figures The statement pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s situation was part of a pattern and emphasized Iran’s history of putting to death sports champions for their beliefs, such as a football captain, skipper of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, leader of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old national sports titleholder, was also executed. Further supporters to the letter include a yachting pioneer, who captained the first female-only team in a international sailing event and was the first woman to earn a esteemed nautical honor; the former skipper of the Australian football team a sports advocate; and a sports figure, who was in the country's selection for the 1978 World Cup. Arrest and Flawed Legal Process Vafaei Sani was detained in early 2020. The allegations against him included “spreading corruption on Earth through arson and ruin of public property”. His ruling has been annulled twice but on 4 October it was confirmed on the latest review. His court case was condemned as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and groups. Appeal to United Nations The appeal to prevent the athlete's death sentence comes after a 2023 letter to the United Nations official for rights, endorsed by over 100 advocates and entities, calling for measures to stop the athlete’s capital punishment. Capital Punishment Escalation Based on findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has attained horrific proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, authorities sentenced at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% rise on 2022. The year before, statistics showed nine hundred seventy-two deaths, representing the maximum count since the year 2015. Over 800 people have been sentenced so far in the current year. Dissidents and protesters are victims, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022's demonstrations. Experts say the regime have employed the executions to stifle opposition, instil anxiety among the citizenry and reinforce their control on rule.