🔗 Share this article

Over two dozen Olympic champions, mentors and additional world-class competitors have put their names to a statement calling for a end to the execution of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is sentenced to die in Iran.

Increasing Global Anger

Amid rising international outrage over the nation's increasing application of executions as a means of repression, the strongly worded statement denounces the Iranian regime's ruling to maintain the capital punishment of the athlete.

The athlete, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northern province, was taken into custody for being involved in national uprisings in the year 2019 and accused of supporting an opposition group. He has passed 60 months in prison, where he has been tortured and confined in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is designed to promote hope, togetherness, and fortitude,” the endorsers expressed. “The capital punishment of a titleholder for his political views is a blatant attack on these values and a caution to every athlete who ventures to express dissent.

Pattern of Executing Sports Figures

The letter pointed out that the boxer's case was part of a pattern and highlighted the country's past of putting to death sports champions for their beliefs, including a football captain, skipper of the football side, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, an athlete, a young Iranian competitor, was put to death.

Other supporters to the statement comprise a sailing champion, who led the first women's squad in a global yacht race and was the pioneering lady to receive a prestigious sailing award; the previous skipper of the national squad Craig Foster; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the 1978 World Cup.

Arrest and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was arrested in early 2020. The accusations against him entailed “spreading corruption on Earth through arson and destruction of public property”. His sentence has been annulled twice but on 4 October it was upheld on the third occasion. His court case was denounced as “highly unjust” by human rights activists and bodies.

Call to International Body

The appeal to halt the athlete's execution follows a previous statement to the United Nations official for human rights, backed by over 100 advocates and groups, demanding measures to prevent the competitor's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

Based on reports, there is an “execution crisis in the country, which has attained horrific levels”. In 2023, the government sentenced at least 853 people – a forty-eight percent increase on 2022. In the prior period, data showed nearly a thousand executions, marking the peak figure since the year 2015. In excess of eight hundred people have been put to death so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and protesters are targets, especially in the aftermath of the 2022's protests. Analysts say the Iranian authorities have used the capital punishment to stifle dissent, generate fear among the population and reinforce their control on rule.