On October 4, 2025, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Mohammad Javad Vafaei-Sani, a 30-year-old political prisoner and celebrated boxing champion from the city of Mashhad. The ruling places him at imminent risk of execution on the simple charge of affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The decision has ignited a wave of international condemnation from human rights organizations, political committees, and lawmakers who are demanding urgent action to save his life.
A Chorus of International Condemnation
The verdict was met with immediate and widespread denunciation. The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) issued a press release connecting the sentence to the regime’s broader strategy of using capital punishment to quell dissent. The committee noted the alarming rate of executions under regime president Masoud Pezeshkian, warning that the regime is using the death penalty as a “political tool to suppress dissent and crush the growing, pro-democracy protest and resistance movements.” The BCFIF called for concrete international measures, stating, “Condemnation is not enough, concrete action is needed to hold the regime accountable.”
In an urgent appeal to the United Nations, Antonio Stango, President of the Italian Federation for Human Rights, highlighted the politically motivated nature of the trial. “We believe that the trial of Javad Vafaei has been conducted with blatant political motivation, and we ask for an immediate action by the U.N. institutions to save his life, as well as those of the other political prisoners who are currently on death row in Iran,” Stango wrote.
Scores of people in Iran, including Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, are at risk of execution following grossly unfair trials and convictions on politically-motivated charges by Revolutionary Courts. Iran's authorities must halt all executions now! #نه_به_اعدام https://t.co/bBOgDIYUWW pic.twitter.com/3zgYbdJ98k
— Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) October 6, 2025
Amnesty International also voiced its alarm, placing Vafaei-Sani’s case within the context of the judiciary’s systemic failures. The organization stated, “Scores of people in Iran, including Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, are at risk of execution following grossly unfair trials and convictions on politically-motivated charges by Revolutionary Courts. Iran’s authorities must halt all executions now!”
The outrage was echoed by prominent political figures. James Joseph, Directory of the Duty Legacy, described the decision as “shocking and outrageous,” emphasizing that it “exemplifies the Islamic regime’s systematic violation of human rights against anyone who dares to oppose it—crushing dissent through executions, torture, and sham trials.”
Shocking and outrageous: Iran's Supreme Court has just upheld the death sentence for 30-year-old boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, solely for his support of the democratic opposition @Mojahedineng and participation in protests. This brutal decision by Branch 9… pic.twitter.com/atLprg16wT
— James Joseph (@James_JosephTDL) October 5, 2025
Former Members of the European Parliament also joined the call for action. Struan Stevenson demanded that the “UN must stop the execution of Javad Vafaei Sani,” identifying him as a supporter of the democratic opposition. Former MEP Dorien Rookmaker expressed her respect for the Iranian opposition and sorrow over the verdict, asking people to pray for the boxing champion. In France, former Senator Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam urged France and Europe to use their influence to make it clear to the regime that its executions must cease immediately.
A Travesty of Justice
Mohammad Javad Vafaei-Sani was arrested in Mashhad in March 2020 and subsequently subjected to severe physical and psychological torture. He was sentenced to death by the regime’s judiciary on September 18, 2024. His case is a clear example of the Iranian judiciary’s disregard for due process. His lawyer, Babak Paknia, publicly stated that the Supreme Court affirmed the sentence “despite numerous legal flaws.”
À l’avant-veille de la #Panthéonisation de #RobertBadinter (+journée internationale de la #peinedemort) la France et l’Europe doivent user de tte leur influence pour faire comprendre à l’Iran que ses pendaisons lui nuisent gravement et qu’elles doivent cesser immédiatement 🙏🙏 https://t.co/XXhGMHcfYy
— Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam (@senateurJGM) October 7, 2025
Most disturbingly, this was the third time Vafaei-Sani had been sentenced to death for the same charges. The Supreme Court had previously overturned the sentence twice due to significant legal errors and a lack of evidence. The judiciary’s persistence in reissuing the death sentence demonstrates the immense pressure from security forces to make an example of a supporter of the opposition.
The Iranian Resistance’s Urgent Call
The case of Mohammad Javad Vafaei-Sani is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic campaign by the Iranian regime to eliminate its opponents and terrorize the public into submission. The unified global response underscores the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for intervention. As the international community voices its outrage, the Iranian Resistance reiterates its long-standing appeal for decisive action to halt the regime’s execution machine.
In a statement released after the verdict, the NCRI declared: “The Iranian Resistance calls for the immediate intervention of the United Nations and relevant international bodies to save the life of Mohammad Javad Vafaei and other political prisoners sentenced to death.”