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In excess of two dozen Olympic champions, coaches and additional international athletes have put their names to a letter calling for a halt to the capital punishment of a boxing titleholder and instructor, who is facing execution in Iran.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid growing global condemnation over the nation's escalating use of capital punishment as a tool of oppression, the strongly worded statement condemns the Iranian regime's verdict to uphold the capital punishment of the athlete.

The athlete, three decades old, from Mashhad in the northeastern region, was detained for being involved in countrywide demonstrations in 2019 and indicted of aiding an opposition group. He has spent five years in detention, where he has been abused and kept in seclusion.

“Athletics is designed to inspire optimism, solidarity, and fortitude,” the endorsers stated. “The execution of a winner for his political views is a blatant attack on these principles and a caution to all sportspeople who dares to speak out.

Pattern of Executing Sports Figures

The appeal said that the athlete's situation was not an isolated one and highlighted the nation's record of putting to death athletes for their beliefs, including a national team leader, leader of the football side, and a women's sports leader, captain of the female volleyball side. In 2020, an athlete, a 27-year national wrestling champion, was put to death.

Further signatories to the appeal comprise Tracy Edwards, who led the first female-only team in a round-the-world competition and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a prestigious nautical honor; the previous leader of the national squad an athlete; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the 1978 World Cup.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

The boxer was arrested in the spring of 2020. The accusations against him entailed “promoting decay on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of government belongings”. His verdict has been reversed multiple times but on the fourth of October it was upheld on the third occasion. His court case was condemned as “deeply biased” by human rights activists and bodies.

Call to UN

The urging to halt the boxer's death sentence follows a previous appeal to the global human rights chief for human rights, backed by over one hundred human rights experts and organizations, urging intervention to avert the sports figure's execution.

Execution Crisis

As per findings, there is an “execution crisis in the nation, which has achieved shocking levels”. In 2023, officials put to death at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a nearly half rise on the previous year. In the prior period, records showed 972 capital punishments, representing the maximum count since the year 2015. Over 800 people have been sentenced so far in 2025.

Activists and dissidents are victims, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022's protests. Experts say the Iranian authorities have utilized the death penalty to quell protest, create fear among the public and tighten their grip on rule.