Boxer on death row in Iran vows ‘not to bow before oppression’ after winning rights prize

TL;DR

Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, an Iranian boxing champion and political prisoner on death row, received the Magnitsky award for outstanding human rights activist.
From Vakilabad prison, Vafaei Sani stated he would 'never surrender' and dedicated the award to those paying the price for freedom in Iran.
He was arrested in 2020 for participating in democracy protests and has been sentenced to death three times, facing torture and solitary confinement.
His case is emblematic of the broader issue of executions in Iran, with at least 710 people executed since the beginning of 2026, including political prisoners and athletes.
International condemnation for Vafaei Sani's imprisonment and sentence is growing, with calls for his release and annulment of his death sentence.
Vafaei Sani expressed a desire for a free and democratic Iran with equality and freedom of belief, vowing to remain steadfast against oppression.

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