Athletes Unite Against Iran’s Execution Plans

A group of athletes, including notable Olympians, has come together to call attention to Iran’s history of human rights abuses, particularly concerning the impending execution of boxing champion Mohammad Javad Fafai Sani.

Sani, who is also a coach and a political prisoner, faces an imminent death sentence from Iran’s leadership. His arrest came in March 2020, following his involvement in protests in the U.S. in late 2019 triggered by steep gasoline price increases. The Iranian judiciary charged him with “earthly corruption,” a crime carrying the death penalty in the country.

Prominent figures like tennis star Martina Navratilova and gold medal swimmer Sharon Davis are urging global sports organizations and governments to step in to avert Sani’s execution.

“Currently, 31-year-old boxing champion and coach Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani remains on death row,” reads the letter.

The letter implores the United Nations and related sports bodies to take immediate action to protect Iranian dissidents, particularly athletes. It emphasizes that the international community cannot remain passive while Iran represses its advocates. “We stand with the victims and demand justice,” it asserts.

Furthermore, the letter raises awareness of prior executions of notable Iranian athletes, such as 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, whose execution in March ignited widespread outrage.

Since mid-March, Iran has executed a number of political dissenters during what many see as one of the most severe crackdowns in three decades. Many of these individuals were executed after facing unjust trials or coerced confessions. The regime appears fearful of new uprisings, opting to suppress dissent under the guise of war. Victims included those arrested during the January 2026 protests, like Mohammadi and karate champion Sasan Azadvar Junahan.

Tragically, there are many more victims, including Habib Havili, the former captain of Iran’s national soccer team, who was executed for his ties to political opposition. The captain of the Iranian women’s volleyball team also met a similar fate alongside numerous political prisoners in a brutal mass execution in 1988. Notably, wrestling champion Navid Afkari was executed in 2020 after participating in peaceful protests two years earlier.

As reported, the letter has garnered signatures from 24 athletes, encompassing five Iranians and nine Olympians. Among the signatories are:

• Martina Navratilova — Former world No. 1 female tennis player (Czech Republic/USA)
• Solmaz Abuari — 16-time American Traditional Karate Champion (USA)
• Sharon Davis MBE — Olympic swimming medalist (UK)
• Craig Foster AM — Former captain of Australia’s national soccer team
• Alberto Frati — Boxer, former international champion (Italy)
• Nikolai Tertelian — European Games gold medalist in boxing (Denmark)
• Muslim Eskandar Filabi — Asian Games wrestling gold medalist (Iran)
• Tracy Edwards MBE — Pioneering yacht captain (UK)
• Baharam Mavadat — Former Iranian national soccer goalkeeper
• Carilyn Johnson — Ultrarunner, four-time member of Team USA
• Mohammad Ghorbani — Olympian and world champion wrestler (Iran)
• Inga Thompson — Olympic cyclist and U.S. champion
• Monica Aksamit — Olympic bronze medalist in fencing
• Manusur Arastopur — Gold medalist in the World Boat Masters Regatta (Iran)
• Chris Cook — Olympic swimmer and Commonwealth Games gold medalist
• Eli Bremer — Olympic athlete in modern pentathlon (USA)
• Ali Giaei — Former national champion and martial arts team member (Canada)
• Vladislav Heraskevich — Olympic skeleton racer (Ukraine)
• Shea McAleese — Former member of New Zealand’s national hockey team
• Asghar Adibi — Former Iranian national soccer player
• Elham Asem — BJJ competitor and referee (Norway)
• Golpal Palvarde — TeamGym European Championship silver medalist (Sweden)
• Amin Karimi — Kickboxer with a strong competitive record (Germany)
• James Field — Two-time Pan American champion in karate (USA)