In an open letter dated December 5, Saeed Masouri, a political prisoner in Iran, has called on students to actively participate in the growing campaign against the Iranian authorities’ escalating use of executions. Masouri’s appeal coincides with the observance of Iran’s “Student Day” on December 6, a day historically linked to student activism.
“It may not be an exaggeration to say that today in our country, Iran, countless individuals are directly killed and deprived of life, while countless others are indirectly subjected to this killing and deprivation—not with atomic bombs, but with execution ropes and hangings,” Masouri wrote in his letter.
Executions as a Tool for Control
Masouri argues that the Iranian regime is using executions not to prevent crime, as officially claimed, but as a means of instilling fear and suppressing dissent. He described the practice as “massacres carried out under the guise of legality,” emphasizing that institutionalized executions facilitate arbitrary and mass killings.
“When executions and hangings become legally sanctioned, they pave the way for arbitrary and mass killings,” Masouri wrote. “This is especially true under a regime with a medieval and criminal nature, far more dangerous than the atomic bomb.”
He likened the necessity of countering this “execution bomb” to historical opposition against the atomic bomb, framing it as an urgent and critical fight.
Masouri also warned that the regime is using the death penalty as a mechanism to consolidate power following setbacks in regional conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. “These waves of executions are meant to intimidate the exasperated public and ensure the regime’s survival,” he explained.
Call to Action for Students and Educators
In his letter, Masouri specifically appealed to students, professors, and teachers to lead the campaign to abolish the death penalty in Iran.
“Students, professors, and teachers—among the most enlightened social groups—are expected to lead the way in supporting the abolition of the death penalty and the ‘No to Execution’ campaign as one of the most urgent human responsibilities in their homeland,” he wrote, urging them to use “words, writings, actions, and banners” to support the cause.
