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More than two dozen Olympic medallists, trainers and additional world-class competitors have signed a letter calling for a end to the death penalty of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is on death row in the country.

Increasing Worldwide Condemnation

Amid rising international outrage over the nation's escalating use of executions as a means of repression, the strongly worded appeal condemns the government's verdict to confirm the death sentence of the athlete.

The athlete, three decades old, from Mashhad in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for taking part in countrywide demonstrations in 2019 and accused of aiding an opposition group. He has spent half a decade in prison, where he has been abused and confined in seclusion.

“Competition is intended to inspire hope, togetherness, and bravery,” the endorsers stated. “The execution of a winner for his beliefs is a clear violation on these ideals and a warning to any competitor who attempts to voice opinions.

Record of Executing Competitors

The statement said that the athlete's situation was not unique and underscored the nation's past of sentencing to death sports champions for their convictions, including a football captain, captain of the soccer squad, and a volleyball captain, skipper of the national women’s volleyball team. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a young Iranian wrestling champion, faced the death penalty.

Additional endorsers to the statement comprise Tracy Edwards, who led the inaugural women's squad in a round-the-world competition and was the initial female to receive a prestigious nautical honor; the ex- skipper of the national squad a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the national team for the 1978 World Cup.

Detention and Flawed Legal Process

The athlete was arrested in the spring of 2020. The accusations against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through fire-setting and destruction of government belongings”. His ruling has been annulled on two occasions but on 4 October it was maintained on the third occasion. His court case was condemned as “highly unjust” by human rights activists and organizations.

Urging to International Body

The urging to halt the athlete's death sentence comes after a previous appeal to the United Nations official for rights, signed by over 100 advocates and entities, urging measures to prevent the sports figure's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

According to data, there is an “capital punishment escalation in Iran, which has reached shocking dimensions”. In the year 2023, authorities executed at least over 850 people – a nearly half increase on 2022. Last year, data showed nearly a thousand executions, representing the highest number since the year 2015. More than 800 people have been executed so far in 2025.

Political prisoners and protesters are victims, particularly in the wake of the the year 2022 demonstrations. Specialists say the Iranian authorities have used the capital punishment to stifle dissent, instil apprehension among the citizenry and reinforce their grip on power.