By Our Correspondent
An Iranian boxer sentenced to death has vowed not to surrender to oppression after receiving an international human rights award in recognition of his opposition to the Iranian government.
Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, a boxing champion and coach currently detained in Iran, received the Magnitsky Award for Outstanding Human Rights Activist at a ceremony in London on Thursday.
The 31-year-old, who has been sentenced to death three times, dedicated the award to political prisoners and other Iranians facing persecution for demanding freedom and democratic reforms.
In a written message from Vakilabad Prison in north-eastern Iran, Vafaei Sani said he accepted the honour on behalf of those who had been imprisoned, tortured or sentenced to death for seeking a free Iran.
He said the Iranian authorities had demanded that political prisoners express remorse, make televised confessions and surrender, but insisted that he and his fellow activists would not yield.
“Our answer is clear: We will never surrender; we will never submit to humiliation,” he declared.
Vafaei Sani was arrested in 2020 over his alleged involvement in nationwide pro-democracy protests held in 2019. He was also accused of supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), an opposition group.
He was convicted of “corruption on Earth” and sentenced to death for the third time in September 2024, following what Amnesty International described as a grossly unfair trial.
Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence on October 4, 2025. Since his arrest, he has reportedly been subjected to torture and prolonged periods of solitary confinement.
His continued detention has attracted international condemnation, with prominent athletes, human rights organisations and legal experts calling for his immediate release and the cancellation of his death sentence.
The Magnitsky Awards, named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in police custody after exposing government corruption, were established in 2015 to recognise individuals working to promote human rights and expose abuses.
Sir William Browder, head of the Magnitsky Justice Foundation and chairman of the awards committee, said Vafaei Sani’s case reflected the challenges confronting Iranians who oppose the government.
He noted that the boxer was still alive, adding that international attention could make it more difficult for authorities to execute him without scrutiny.
According to the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights, at least 710 people have been executed in Iran since the beginning of 2026, including 79 political and religious prisoners.
In an October report, the organisation documented at least 106 death sentences against people detained during January protests, with 35 of those sentenced already executed.
It also reported that five people linked to the protests had been executed at Vakilabad Prison, where Vafaei Sani is being held, while 15 others remain on death row.
The award comes amid growing concerns over the safety of Iranian athletes facing execution. Zohreh Abdollahkhani, founder of Human Rights for Sport, said seven athletes, including Vafaei Sani, were currently at risk of execution.
Among those executed were mountaineer Ali-Sina Mostafavi, who was hanged on October 14 following anti-government protests, and taekwondo athlete Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, who was killed earlier in the month. Mixed martial arts fighter Gholamreza Khani Shakarab was also executed in May.
Abdollahkhani said Vafaei Sani’s recognition had generated support across different political groups, including people who did not necessarily share his political views but wanted his case to receive international attention.
She described the growing solidarity against executions as encouraging.
In his award acceptance message, Vafaei Sani outlined his vision of a democratic Iran where citizens could freely elect their leaders, men and women enjoyed equal rights, and discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or belief was eliminated.
He also called for an end to the imprisonment and execution of people for their political beliefs.
Reaffirming his determination to continue resisting oppression, the boxer said he would remain committed to the struggle for freedom until the people of Iran achieved their aspirations.
“I will not bow before oppression until the people of Iran are free,” he declared.
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