Death Sentence of Political Prisoner Mohammad-Javad Vafaee Sani Referred for Implementation
17-December-2025
Category: Prisoners
17 December 2025
News Group: Prisoners
Breathing in Confinement — The death sentence of political prisoner Mohammad-Javad Vafaee Sani, currently held in Mashhad Prison, has been referred to the Office for the Implementation of Sentences.
According to Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, following the rejection of Mohammad-Javad Vafaee Sani’s request for retrial by Iran’s Supreme Court, his case file has been sent to the authorities responsible for carrying out death sentences. At the same time, he has been transferred from Ward 3 to Ward 6 of Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad — a ward known for heightened security conditions and additional restrictions. Such a transfer is commonly regarded as a precursor to the execution of a death sentence.
Mohammad-Javad Vafaee Sani, 30 years old, a boxing coach and champion, was arrested by security forces during the November 2019 uprising. According to available information, he was subjected to severe physical and psychological torture during detention and placed under sustained pressure to extract forced confessions.
In January 2021, he was sentenced to death on charges including “arson and destruction of specific sites,” among them a government sanctions enforcement building, as well as “communication with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)”. Although the sentence was initially overturned by the Supreme Court, subsequent judicial proceedings resulted in him being sentenced to death for a third time by the Mashhad Revolutionary Court. This verdict was ultimately upheld by Branch Nine of the Supreme Court.
The handling of Mohammad-Javad Vafaee Sani’s case has been marked by serious violations of the principles of fair trial. Key breaches of his rights include denial of access to legal counsel during the investigation phase, deprivation of a public and independent trial, and a lack of judicial transparency. These violations constitute a clear breach of Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial.
In addition, Mohammad-Javad Vafaee Sani has been denied the right to regular contact with his family, free access to his chosen lawyer, and adequate medical care — deprivations that contravene minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners, including the Nelson Mandela Rules.
Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, while warning of the imminent danger of the unjust execution of Mohammad-Javad Vafaee Sani, calls on international human rights organisations, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and all relevant bodies to take urgent and effective action to halt the implementation of this sentence and to safeguard his right to life and to a fair trial.
Execution under such circumstances not only constitutes a blatant violation of the fundamental right to life, but also represents a clear example of the instrumental use of the death penalty to suppress political opposition.