Revolutionary Court of Mashhad Insists on Death Sentence for Mohammad Javad Vafaee Sani Despite Supreme Court Arguments

The lawyer of Mohammad Javad Vafaee Sani, 'Iran's boxing champion,' reported the re-issuance of the death sentence for this political prisoner by the second branch of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad. Babak Paknia tweeted: 'The ruling of the second branch of the Revolutionary Court of Mashhad regarding Mohammad Javad Vafaee Sani was communicated to the lawyers on Monday, July 24, and this branch insisted on issuing the death sentence again despite the arguments of the Supreme Court.' He further emphasized: 'We will register an appeal within the legal timeframe.' Mohammad Javad Vafaee Sani, born in 1995, was arrested on February 7, 2020, in Mashhad and was accused of 'corruption on earth' through 'arson and destruction of specific places including the building of the government’s punishment organization,' an accusation that this political prisoner has denied. He has also been accused of 'participating in the protests of November 2019 and protesting the downing of the Ukrainian airplane and propaganda against the regime.' Following concerns over the potential execution of Mohammad Javad Vafaee Sani, dozens of human rights experts and NGOs called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in late July to prevent the execution of this boxing champion. These individuals, including 85 human rights defenders and international NGOs such as 'former UN officials' and 'Nobel laureates,' stated that Vafaee Sani had been tortured multiple times before receiving the death sentence for the charge of 'corruption on earth.' Recently, the UN Human Rights Office reported that the Islamic Republic has used Sharia law to prosecute protesters for crimes punishable by death, including 'waging war against God' or 'moharebeh' and 'corruption on earth.'