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More than two dozen Olympic medallists, trainers and other global sports figures have put their names to a statement demanding a end to the capital punishment of a champion boxer and coach, who is on death row in the nation.

Escalating Global Anger

During increasing global condemnation over the country's escalating use of executions as a instrument of suppression, the strongly worded statement censures the government's decision to uphold the capital punishment of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.

The boxer, thirty, from the city in the northern province, was arrested for being involved in nationwide protests in 2019 and charged of aiding an opposition group. He has spent five years in incarceration, where he has been tortured and kept in seclusion.

“Athletics is intended to inspire optimism, togetherness, and bravery,” the endorsers wrote. “The death penalty of a champion for his political views is a clear violation on these principles and a caution to any competitor who attempts to speak out.

Record of Putting to Death Athletes

The appeal said that Vafaei Sani’s circumstances was part of a pattern and underscored the nation's history of executing athletes for their convictions, for example Habib Khabiri, captain of the football side, and a women's sports leader, leader of the female volleyball side. In the year 2020, an athlete, a 27-year national wrestling champion, was put to death.

Further supporters to the letter include a yachting pioneer, who led the first female-only team in a global yacht race and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a esteemed nautical honor; the former leader of the Australian football team a sports advocate; and a footballer, who was in the national team for the global tournament.

Apprehension and Unfair Trial

The athlete was detained in early 2020. The allegations against him comprised “spreading corruption on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of public property”. His verdict has been annulled multiple times but on 4 October it was upheld on the latest review. His trial was criticized as “highly unjust” by advocates and groups.

Urging to International Body

The appeal to halt Vafaei Sani’s capital punishment is subsequent to a 2023 letter to the global human rights chief for rights, signed by more than a hundred human rights experts and organizations, demanding action to stop the competitor's death.

Death Penalty Surge

According to reports, there is an “death penalty surge in the country, which has achieved horrific dimensions”. In 2023, the government put to death at least 853 people – a forty-eight percent rise on the previous year. The year before, records showed nearly a thousand deaths, constituting the maximum count since 2015. Over 800 people have been sentenced so far in the current year.

Dissidents and dissidents are focus, especially in the wake of the the year 2022 protests. Experts say the government have utilized the executions to quell dissent, instil apprehension among the population and strengthen their grip on power.