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In excess of two dozen Olympic medallists, trainers and other world-class competitors have signed a appeal demanding a halt to the capital punishment of a boxing champion and trainer, who is sentenced to die in Iran.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid growing international outrage over the country's expanding employment of the death penalty as a means of repression, the powerfully expressed statement censures the government's decision to maintain the death sentence of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

Vafaei Sani, thirty, from Mashhad in the northern province, was detained for taking part in national uprisings in 2019 and indicted of supporting an dissident organization. He has passed half a decade in incarceration, where he has been mistreated and held in seclusion.

“Sport is intended to encourage faith, unity, and bravery,” the endorsers wrote. “The death penalty of a winner for his political views is a blatant attack on these ideals and a warning to all sportspeople who attempts to voice opinions.

Record of Putting to Death Sports Figures

The letter pointed out that Vafaei Sani’s situation was part of a pattern and underscored the country's history of sentencing to death sports champions for their views, including a national team leader, skipper of the football side, and a women's sports leader, leader of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year-old national competitor, was also executed.

Other supporters to the appeal consist of Tracy Edwards, who skippered the inaugural women's squad in a global yacht race and was the initial female to be awarded a renowned sailing award; the former captain of the soccer side a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Detention and Unfair Trial

The boxer was taken into custody in early 2020. The charges against him comprised “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and damage of state assets”. His verdict has been overturned twice but on the fourth of October it was maintained on the latest review. His trial was denounced as “deeply biased” by advocates and groups.

Call to International Body

The urging to halt the athlete's death sentence is subsequent to a previous appeal to the UN high commissioner for human rights, signed by in excess of 100 rights specialists and groups, calling for measures to stop the athlete’s death.

Capital Punishment Escalation

Based on reports, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has achieved horrific proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, the government sentenced at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent increase on 2022. Last year, statistics showed nearly a thousand capital punishments, representing the maximum count since two thousand fifteen. More than hundreds of people have been sentenced so far in the current year.

Dissidents and protesters are focus, particularly in the aftermath of the the year 2022 uprising. Experts say the regime have employed the death penalty to quell protest, create anxiety among the citizenry and tighten their grip on power.