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More than 20 Olympic medallists, coaches and other world-class competitors have signed a appeal demanding a stop to the death penalty of a boxing titleholder and trainer, who is facing execution in Iran.

Growing Global Anger

Amidst increasing global condemnation over the country's expanding employment of executions as a tool of suppression, the strongly worded letter denounces the authorities's ruling to confirm the execution order of the athlete.

The athlete, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was taken into custody for participating in nationwide protests in 2019 and charged of backing an resistance movement. He has spent five years in detention, where he has been abused and kept in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is designed to promote hope, unity, and courage,” the endorsers stated. “The capital punishment of a champion for his beliefs is a blatant attack on these values and a warning to any competitor who ventures to voice opinions.

Record of Putting to Death Sports Figures

The appeal noted that the athlete's circumstances was part of a pattern and underscored Iran’s past of putting to death competitors for their convictions, such as a football captain, skipper of the national football team, and Fourouzan Abdi, skipper of the female volleyball side. In the year 2020, an athlete, a 27-year-old Iranian competitor, was also executed.

Further signatories to the letter consist of Tracy Edwards, who skippered the first women's squad in a global yacht race and was the pioneering lady to be awarded a prestigious sailing award; the former leader of the soccer side a sports advocate; and Bahram Mavaddat, who was in the country's selection for the global tournament.

Arrest and Flawed Legal Process

The athlete was detained in March 2020. The charges against him comprised “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and ruin of public property”. His sentence has been overturned on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the third occasion. His legal proceedings was denounced as “highly unjust” by rights defenders and groups.

Urging to UN

The urging to halt the boxer's execution follows a 2023 statement to the global human rights chief for rights, signed by over 100 advocates and organizations, urging action to avert the sports figure's death.

Death Penalty Surge

According to findings, there is an “capital punishment escalation in the nation, which has attained horrific levels”. In 2023, authorities put to death at least eight hundred fifty-three people – a 48% surge on 2022. Last year, statistics showed nearly a thousand deaths, marking the peak figure since 2015. More than eight hundred people have been executed so far in 2025.

Activists and opponents are focus, particularly in the wake of the 2022's demonstrations. Analysts say the government have used the executions to quell dissent, create fear among the public and tighten their control on power.