December 16, 2025 — Mashhad, Iran
Iranian authorities have upheld the death sentence of *30-year-old boxing champion and coach Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani for the final time, transferring his case to the Implementation of Sentences Office at Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, sharply increasing the risk of imminent execution.
On December 15, 2025, Vafaei was informed by prison officials that the Iranian Supreme Court had rejected his request for a retrial. On the same day, his mother was unexpectedly allowed an in-person visit after months of limited contact, a move human rights advocates interpret as a warning that his sentence could be carried out at any moment. Authorities also told the family by phone that his case file had been forwarded for execution.
🚨 Urgent: Iran has upheld the death sentence for boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani for a final time. His case has been transferred to the Implementation of Sentences Office in Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison, sharply increasing the risk of imminent execution.
Yesterday, his… pic.twitter.com/ElixTqGHv6— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) December 16, 2025
Vafaei, a national silver medalist and well-known coach from Mashhad, was first arrested in early 2020 amid a harsh nationwide crackdown on dissent following mass protests. He has been held in Vakilabad Prison ever since, where he and his supporters say he suffered severe torture and was denied medical leave.
The recent developments have alarmed international rights defenders, who note that granting a final visit shortly after confirming execution procedures is a common pattern in Iran before carrying out capital punishment. Reports also indicate that Vafaei was previously transferred to solitary confinement and that communication with the outside world was cut off—another sign that execution preparations may be underway.
The case has drawn global attention, with activists urging urgent diplomatic action. A recent social media post noted:
The @WBCBoxing 🥊 Joins the Global Call to Halt the Execution of Iran’s Boxing Champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani
WBC President @wbcmoro: “The execution of a boxer, of a champion, for expressing his ideas is a direct attack on the fundamental values of sport and human dignity” https://t.co/xzkkCgSp38 pic.twitter.com/B71AhiwZpJ
— M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) December 16, 2025
Human rights groups and international actors have called on the United Nations, the European Union, and other global institutions to intervene immediately to prevent what they describe as an unjust execution that would violate fundamental rights and due process.
Vafaei’s case highlights ongoing concerns about the use of capital punishment in Iran, especially against political prisoners and dissidents, and could set a troubling precedent if carried out without substantial international intervention.
