On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, the 25th weekly hunger strike of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign took place in 11 prisons across Iran. Every Tuesday, prisoners join this hunger strike to demand the abolition of the death penalty and an end to executions in Iran.
The campaign initially began on January 28, 2024, in Ghezelhesar Prison, following a significant wave of executions of political prisoners there and in other prisons. Now in its 25th consecutive week, the campaign has recently expanded, with prisoners from Ardabil and Ghaemshahr prisons joining the cause.
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The text of the campaign statement is as follows:
“The 25th Hunger Strike in the ” No to Execution Tuesdays ” Campaign
The ” No to Execution Tuesdays ” campaign entered its 25th week with the joining of prisoners from Ardabil Prison and Qaemshahr Prison.
The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign continued this week amid recent executions carried out by the Islamic Republic’s judiciary on various charges. On Tuesday, July 17, prisoners in 11 facilities observed the 25th week of this hunger strike, aiming to confront the death penalty and draw domestic and international attention to this “inhumane” practice.
According to reliable sources, prisoners in Ardabil and Ghaemshahr prisons, though unnamed, joined the campaign in solidarity with fellow inmates. Their participation reflects the growing opposition to the death penalty in Iran and strengthens the collective call for its abolition.
As the campaign gains momentum, participants are urging all prisoners, political and non-political, across Iran to join in, aiming to make the demand to end executions a national cause.
To date, prisoners in 11 facilities across Iran have joined the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign. Participating prisons include Evin (Wards 4, 6, 8, and the Women’s Ward), Ghezel Hesar (Units 3 and 4), Karaj Central, Khorramabad, Tabriz, Ardabil, Ghaemshahr, Khoy, Naqadeh, Mashhad, and Saqqez prisons.
In last week’s statement, campaign participants condemned the Islamic Republic’s renewed use of the death penalty as a tool of repression. They urged both domestic and international communities to lend stronger support to their movement, underscoring the need for unified opposition to the death penalty in Iran.
With Ms. Mai Sato succeeding Mr. Javaid Rehman as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, there is hope for increased focus on the demands of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign. The campaign advocates for the “right to life” of Iranian citizens and opposes the authorities’ inhumane use of the death penalty.
This transition raises expectations that the voices of death row prisoners, their fellow inmates, and their families—who seek justice and urgent action from the United Nations and other international bodies—will gain priority on the global agenda. Efforts to confront and address human rights abuses by the Islamic Republic should be reinforced to protect and promote human rights in Iran.
