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In excess of twenty Olympic medallists, coaches and further global sports figures have put their names to a appeal urging a end to the execution of a boxing champion and coach, who is sentenced to die in the country.

Escalating Global Anger

Amidst increasing worldwide anger over the country's increasing application of capital punishment as a instrument of suppression, the strongly worded appeal condemns the authorities's verdict to maintain the death sentence of the boxing champion.

The boxer, 30, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was arrested for participating in countrywide demonstrations in the year 2019 and accused of aiding an dissident organization. He has spent 60 months in detention, where he has been abused and held in isolation.

“Athletics is intended to inspire optimism, togetherness, and courage,” the supporters stated. “The execution of a titleholder for his opinions is a clear violation on these ideals and a caution to all sportspeople who dares to express dissent.

History of Executing Sports Figures

The appeal noted that the boxer's circumstances was not an isolated one and emphasized the country's record of sentencing to death competitors for their beliefs, such as a football captain, captain of the soccer squad, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a young Iranian wrestling champion, was put to death.

Additional endorsers to the letter comprise a sailing champion, who skippered the pioneering female-only team in a global yacht race and was the pioneering lady to earn a prestigious nautical honor; the previous captain of the national squad Craig Foster; and a sports figure, who was in the national team for the 1978 World Cup.

Arrest and Unfair Trial

The athlete was detained in early 2020. The charges against him included “spreading corruption on Earth through incendiarism and damage of government belongings”. His sentence has been reversed twice but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the latest review. His court case was condemned as “highly unjust” by rights defenders and groups.

Appeal to United Nations

The urging to prevent the boxer's execution is subsequent to a earlier letter to the global human rights chief for freedoms, signed by over a hundred advocates and entities, urging measures to avert the sports figure's capital punishment.

Death Penalty Surge

According to findings, there is an “death penalty surge in Iran, which has attained shocking proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, officials executed at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% rise on the previous year. The year before, records showed 972 capital punishments, representing the maximum count since the year 2015. Over hundreds of people have been executed so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and dissidents are victims, especially in the aftermath of the 2022 protests. Analysts say the regime have used the executions to quell opposition, create apprehension among the citizenry and reinforce their control on authority.