Iranian boxer Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani has received a prestigious international human rights award while remaining on death row, declaring that he will not surrender to oppression despite years of imprisonment, alleged torture and repeated death sentences.
The 31-year-old athlete and political prisoner was honoured with the Magnitsky Award for Outstanding Human Rights Activist during a ceremony in London on Thursday night.
Vafaei Sani, who is being held at Vakilabad prison in north-eastern Iran, accepted the recognition through a written message in which he dedicated the award to people imprisoned or threatened with execution for demanding political freedom.
He described the honour as recognition of a wider struggle against repression, saying it belonged to those who had suffered for their desire to see a democratic Iran.
“I accept this award in the name of all those who, for the ‘crime’ of aspiring to a free Iran, have been imprisoned, tortured, threatened, or sentenced to death; in the name of my comrades in the resistance units and the generation that is paying the price of freedom with their lives,” he wrote.
The boxer also rejected demands for repentance and public confessions, insisting that he and others facing persecution would not abandon their position.
“The regime demands repentance, televised confessions and surrender from us. But our answer is clear: ‘We will never surrender; we will never submit to humiliation,'” he declared.
Three death sentences against Iranian boxing champion
Vafaei Sani’s case has attracted international attention because of the severity of the punishment imposed on him and concerns surrounding the fairness of his trial.
The Iranian boxing champion and coach was arrested in 2020 over his alleged participation in nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations held in 2019.
Authorities also accused him of supporting the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, known as the MEK, an opposition group that has long been opposed to the country’s ruling establishment.
He was convicted of “corruption on Earth”, a charge frequently associated with serious offences under Iran’s legal system, and sentenced to death for the third time in September 2024.
Amnesty International described the proceedings as a grossly unfair trial, raising concerns about the legal process that resulted in the death sentence.
Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the punishment on 4 October 2025, leaving the boxer facing the possibility of execution.
Since his arrest, Vafaei Sani has reportedly endured torture and prolonged periods in solitary confinement. His continued detention has prompted appeals from athletes, human rights campaigners, legal specialists and international organisations seeking his release and the cancellation of his death sentence.
The latest award has further drawn attention to his circumstances, with supporters hoping that international recognition will increase pressure on Iranian authorities.
Magnitsky award highlights threats facing political prisoners
The Magnitsky Award is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died in police custody after exposing alleged government corruption.
Established in 2015, the awards recognise individuals who have made significant contributions to human rights, including journalists, politicians and activists who have challenged abuses of power.
Vafaei Sani’s recognition was presented as a symbol of the risks faced by people who oppose repression in Iran.
Sir William Browder, head of the Magnitsky Justice Foundation and chairman of the awards committee, said the boxer’s case represented the plight of many Iranians facing execution because of their opposition to the authorities.
“Most important, Mohammad Javad is still alive,” Browder said.
“That is why this award matters. Every time the world pays attention, it becomes harder to kill him quietly.”
His remarks underlined the importance of sustained international attention, particularly as campaigners warn that political prisoners in Iran remain vulnerable to execution.
Hundreds executed in Iran amid growing human rights concerns
The award comes against the background of a growing number of executions in Iran this year.
According to the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights, at least 710 people had been executed in the country since the beginning of 2026, including 79 political and religious prisoners.
An October report by the organisation documented at least 106 death sentences against people detained during January’s protests. At least 35 of those individuals had already been executed, according to the report.
Conditions at Vakilabad prison have also raised particular concerns. Five people detained in connection with the protests have reportedly been executed there, while another 15 prisoners remain under death sentences.
The figures have intensified calls for international intervention and renewed scrutiny of Iran’s use of capital punishment against people accused of political opposition.
Iranian athletes increasingly face risk of execution
Vafaei Sani is among seven Iranian athletes identified as being at risk of execution, according to Human Rights for Sport, an organisation campaigning against human rights abuses involving sportspeople.
Zohreh Abdollahkhani, the organisation’s founder, described the situation as extremely serious and warned that the number of athletes facing execution had become a major concern.
“The situation is really dire … We have seven athletes at risk of execution now, including Vafaei Sani,” she said.
The fears have been reinforced by the recent executions of Iranian sports figures.
Ali-Sina Mostafavi, a mountaineer, was executed on 14 October after being detained in connection with anti-government protests.
His death followed the killing of Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, a taekwondo athlete, earlier in October. Mixed martial arts fighter Gholamreza Khani Shakarab was also hanged in May.
The cases have heightened anxiety among human rights campaigners, who argue that athletes and other public figures are particularly vulnerable because of their visibility and influence within Iranian society.
Abdollahkhani said Vafaei Sani’s award had generated widespread encouragement, including among people who might not necessarily share his political beliefs.
“Even people who don’t support his political view are supporting him to be heard,” she said.
“I find it very inspiring that different political groups are coming together to say no to execution.”
Boxer demands a democratic Iran
In his message accepting the award, Vafaei Sani also outlined the kind of country he hopes to see emerge from the current political situation.
He called for a democratic system in which citizens can freely choose their leaders and men and women enjoy equal rights.
His vision also included an end to discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or belief, as well as an end to imprisonment and execution for political opposition.
The boxer maintained that his commitment to the struggle would remain unchanged despite the threats against his life.
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“I remain steadfast in my pledge, and I will not bow before oppression until the people of Iran are free,” he said.
For supporters of the imprisoned athlete, the Magnitsky Award represents more than recognition of an individual. It has become another opportunity to draw international attention to the treatment of political prisoners and the growing concerns surrounding executions in Iran.
However, despite the international condemnation and public campaigns surrounding his case, Vafaei Sani remains imprisoned, with his death sentence still in force.
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