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Over two dozen Olympic medallists, trainers and additional international athletes have put their names to a appeal calling for a stop to the death penalty of a champion boxer and coach, who is facing execution in the nation.

Escalating Worldwide Condemnation

Amid growing international outrage over Iran’s escalating use of the death penalty as a tool of oppression, the powerfully expressed statement censures the authorities's verdict to uphold the execution order of the boxing champion.

The boxer, thirty, from the city in the northeastern region, was detained for taking part in nationwide protests in 2019 and accused of backing an dissident organization. He has endured five years in detention, where he has been tortured and confined in isolation.

“Athletics is intended to encourage faith, unity, and fortitude,” the signatories wrote. “The capital punishment of a champion for his political views is a clear violation on these values and a caution to any competitor who ventures to express dissent.

Pattern of Executing Athletes

The appeal pointed out that the boxer's case was not unique and emphasized the nation's history of executing athletes for their convictions, such as a football captain, leader of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, captain of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a 27-year Iranian competitor, was put to death.

Other endorsers to the statement include a sailing champion, who skippered the pioneering women's squad in a global yacht race and was the first woman to receive a renowned sailing award; the former leader of the soccer side a sports advocate; and a footballer, who was in the country's selection for the international competition.

Apprehension and Unfair Trial

The athlete was detained in the spring of 2020. The accusations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and destruction of government belongings”. His sentence has been overturned on two occasions but on October 4 it was confirmed on the third occasion. His legal proceedings was criticized as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and bodies.

Appeal to International Body

The appeal to halt the boxer's capital punishment is subsequent to a 2023 letter to the UN high commissioner for rights, endorsed by over a hundred advocates and groups, demanding intervention to prevent the sports figure's death.

Capital Punishment Escalation

According to data, there is an “death penalty surge in Iran, which has reached shocking levels”. In two thousand twenty-three, authorities sentenced at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent increase on the previous year. Last year, data showed nine hundred seventy-two capital punishments, representing the peak figure since the year 2015. More than hundreds of people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Dissidents and opponents are targets, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022's uprising. Analysts say the government have used the capital punishment to stifle opposition, generate fear among the citizenry and strengthen their grip on power.