On Tuesday, November 26, the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign marked its 44th week with a hunger strike by prisoners across 25 detention centers throughout Iran. This initiative, led by political prisoners, continues to spotlight the growing concerns over Iran’s use of the death penalty.
This week’s campaign coincides with a significant milestone in international human rights advocacy. The United Nations has issued its 71st resolution condemning Iran’s systematic human rights violations, particularly focusing on its extensive use of executions as a tool of repression.
Despite this international pressure, Iranian authorities carried out another execution on Sunday, November 24, targeting a woman ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This latest execution brings the total number of women executed under the current administration of Massoud Pezeshkian to 17.
Furthermore, during the same week, Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Urmia sentenced two participants in the 2022 nationwide protests to death. Mehran Hassan-Zadeh from Oshnavieh and Hamid Abdollah-Zadeh from Urmia were handed capital sentences, heightening fears of a growing crackdown on dissent.
The campaign has garnered international support, including a declaration from 580 French mayors expressing solidarity with the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign.
Political prisoners issued the following statement on the occasion of the 44th week of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign:
Simultaneous with the 71st condemnation of the Iranian government by the United Nations for human rights violations, the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign entered its 44th week, spanning 25 prisons across Iran.
“Mass Execution Sentences: The Iranian Regime’s Strategy to Instill Fear”
As Iranian society grapples with severe and worsening economic hardships, the government has reached a deadlock in addressing these crises. Fearful of widespread public protests, the regime sees increasing executions as its only solution. Reports indicate that executions are being carried out daily in various prisons. According to recent news, at least 25 individuals were executed in just the past week.
Last month alone, the regime executed over 140 people, leaving hundreds of families grieving. These sentences serve no deterrent purpose; rather, they are politically motivated and aimed solely at spreading fear and oppression within society.
In a recent oppressive act, the authoritarian Iranian government issued death sentences for two Kurdish political prisoners in Urmia Central Prison. Mehran Hassanzadeh, arrested during the 2022 protests, and Hamid Abdollahzadeh were both sentenced to death. This coincides with the Iranian regime’s 71st condemnation by the UN General Assembly for gross human rights violations.
We recall that during the peak of the 2022 protests, two years ago, an audio file from a meeting of key officials was leaked. In this file, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei explicitly instructed the judiciary to execute at least 70–80 detained protesters. He further directed security and judicial authorities to present these executions as “qisas” (retribution) cases to the media whenever possible.
The issuance of death sentences for Mehran Hassanzadeh and six defendants in the “Ekbatan Case” aligns with the regime’s strategy to suppress or prevent the resurgence of public protests by a population pushed to the brink.
Additionally, reports previously highlighted the transfer of four Arab political prisoners sentenced to death in Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz, to solitary confinement. For nearly 40 days, there has been no information about their condition. These prisoners—Adnan Ghobeyshavi, Ali Mojaddam, Moein Ghanfari, and Mohammadreza Moghaddam—are at severe risk of execution.
The “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign condemns all executions, the unjust judicial processes, and the blatant violation of human rights in Iran. It issues a serious warning about the rise in executions and calls on all global entities, including political, human rights, civil, and labor activists, to intensify efforts to save the lives of those sentenced to death in Iran. The campaign emphasizes collective solidarity and unity in stopping the regime’s killing machine.
On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, members of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign will engage in a hunger strike for the 44th consecutive week across 25 prisons to protest against execution sentences in Iran.
Prisons with Hunger-Striking Prisoners:
- Evin Prison (Women’s Ward, Wards 4 & 8)
- Qezel Hesar Prison (Units 3 & 4)
- Karaj Central Prison
- Greater Tehran Central Prison
- Arak Prison
- Khorramabad Prison
- Asadabad Prison, Isfahan
- Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz
- Nezam Prison, Shiraz
- Bam Prison
- Kahnooj Prison
- Mashhad Prison
- Qaemshahr Prison
- Rasht Prison (Men’s and Women’s Wards)
- Ardabil Prison
- Tabriz Prison
- Urmia Prison
- Salmas Prison
- Khoy Prison
- Naqadeh Prison
- Saqqez Prison
- Baneh Prison
- Marivan Prison
- Kamiyaran Prison
#NoToExecutionTuesdays
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
