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More than two dozen Olympic medallists, mentors and other global sports figures have put their names to a statement urging a end to the death penalty of a champion boxer and instructor, who is facing execution in the nation.

Increasing International Outrage

Amidst growing international outrage over the country's escalating use of executions as a means of repression, the powerfully expressed letter condemns the government's decision to confirm the capital punishment of the athlete.

The boxer, three decades old, from the city in north-east Iran, was detained for participating in nationwide protests in the year 2019 and accused of aiding an resistance movement. He has spent 60 months in detention, where he has been abused and held in solitary confinement.

“Athletics is designed to inspire optimism, togetherness, and courage,” the supporters stated. “The death penalty of a champion for his opinions is a clear violation on these principles and a warning to any competitor who attempts to express dissent.

Pattern of Killing Sports Figures

The appeal noted that the athlete's case was not unique and underscored the nation's history of executing competitors for their convictions, such as a national team leader, skipper of the soccer squad, and a women's sports leader, captain of the women's volleyball squad. In 2020, Navid Afkari, a 27-year national competitor, faced the death penalty.

Additional endorsers to the appeal consist of Tracy Edwards, who captained the first women's squad in a global yacht race and was the initial female to earn a prestigious nautical honor; the ex- leader of the soccer side a sports advocate; and a footballer, who was in the national team for the 1978 World Cup.

Detention and Unjust Proceedings

The athlete was detained in the spring of 2020. The accusations against him included “promoting decay on Earth through incendiarism and destruction of government belongings”. His sentence has been reversed on two occasions but on the fourth of October it was confirmed on the latest review. His trial was criticized as “grossly unfair” by rights defenders and organizations.

Call to UN

The call to prevent the athlete's death sentence comes after a earlier appeal to the global human rights chief for freedoms, backed by more than one hundred advocates and groups, demanding action to avert the competitor's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

Based on reports, there is an “death penalty surge in the country, which has attained alarming proportions”. In two thousand twenty-three, the government executed at least over 850 people – a 48% surge on 2022. Last year, records showed 972 capital punishments, constituting the maximum count since the year 2015. Over hundreds of people have been executed so far in the current year.

Dissidents and opponents are victims, particularly in the wake of the 2022 protests. Specialists say the government have utilized the capital punishment to quell protest, instil apprehension among the citizenry and tighten their control on rule.