Athletes Urge UN, Sports Bodies to Intervene in Case of Iranian Boxer Facing Execution
A group of 24 athletes, including nine Olympians, signed a letter calling for intervention to stop the planned execution of Iranian boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.
nbcnews.comA coalition of 24 athletes signed a letter on June 5, 2026, calling on the United Nations, international sports federations, and governments to intervene to prevent the execution of Iranian boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani. Sani, 31, a boxing champion and coach, is on death row after his arrest by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in March 2020.
He was detained for participating in November 2019 protests that followed a sharp increase in gas prices and was later charged with “corruption on earth,” a capital offense under Iranian law.
The letter is headlined by Martina Navratilova, former World No. 1 women’s tennis player, and Sharron Davies MBE, an Olympic medalist swimmer from the United Kingdom. ” The letter also highlights recent executions.
It notes that Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old national wrestling champion, and Sasan Azadvar Joonaghan, a 21-year-old karate champion, were executed in March 2026. The letter states that since mid-March 2026 Iran has executed dozens of political dissidents after unfair trials and coerced confessions, with several victims arrested during the January 2026 uprising.
It further cites earlier cases, including the execution of Habib Khabiri, captain of Iran’s national football team, for affiliation with the PMOI; the execution of Forouzan Abdi, captain of Iran’s national women’s volleyball team, during the 1988 massacre alongside 30,000 political prisoners; and the 2020 execution of wrestling champion Navid Afkari after he took part in peaceful protests in 2018.
The letter contains 24 signatures, including five from Iranian athletes and nine from Olympians. S. champion and three-time world champion in traditional karate; Craig Foster AM, former captain of Australia’s national football team; and Nikolai Terteryan, a Danish boxer and European Games gold medalist.
The same day the letter was reported, the Organization of Iranian American Communities posted on social media calling for Iran to be expelled from FIFA and other international athletic bodies.
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