On Saturday, 4 October 2025, the Supreme Court of the ruling regime in Iran upheld for the third time the death sentence of Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, a political prisoner, boxing coach, and supporter of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The Ninth Branch of the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict, despite having twice previously overturned it due to serious legal flaws.
Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, born in 1996, is a former boxing champion from Mashhad and one of those arrested during the November 2019 nationwide protests. He was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Mashhad in March 2020 and transferred to Vakilabad Prison. Because of his political activities and support for the PMOI, he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture during 65 days of interrogation. He was later sentenced to death by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court on charges of “corruption on earth through arson and destruction of public property.”
A Case Marked by Three Death Sentences
The Supreme Court initially overturned his death sentence and referred the case to a parallel branch for retrial. However, the Revolutionary Court reissued the same verdict without presenting any new evidence. The second sentence was also overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2024. Despite this, in September 2024, Branch 3 of the Mashhad Revolutionary Court issued a death sentence for the third time. In the third appeal stage, the Supreme Court has now upheld this verdict.
Serious Violations of Due Process and Security Pressures
From the outset, Vafaei Sani’s case has been marred by gross violations of fair trial standards. He was denied access to his chosen lawyer during interrogations, and his trial was held behind closed doors. The case file lacks clear technical evidence proving his involvement in the alleged incidents. Human rights observers emphasize that issuing three death sentences for the same case highlights the security agencies’ pressure on the judiciary to enforce a predetermined outcome.
Human Rights Concerns and Prison Conditions
Vafaei Sani has been held in Vakilabad Prison, Mashhad, for the past five years and deprived of basic rights accorded to political prisoners. Contrary to the law on the separation of prisoners by category, he is held alongside inmates convicted of violent crimes. He suffers from a severe tendon injury in his knee, but despite medical recommendations for physiotherapy, the prison prosecutor and judge have denied him transfer to outside medical facilities. His request to use the prison’s sports facilities for rehabilitation has also been rejected.
Imminent Risk of Execution
The Supreme Court’s third confirmation of the death sentence signals that his case is nearing the implementation stage. Human rights groups warn of an imminent risk of execution and call for urgent action to halt this process. This case once again demonstrates how the regime’s judiciary uses the death penalty as a tool to suppress political dissent.
