Today is the last day of 2024, a year in which the number of executions under the rule of the cleric regime in Iran approached a thousand, setting a record.
On Tuesday, December 31, 2024, the final day of the year, prisoners in 28 prisons across Iran continued the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign by observing hunger strikes.
In a statement issued on this day, the prisoners wrote:
“The misogynistic regime ruling Iran, in its continued suppression, has sentenced several women prisoners in Qarchak Prison to the medieval punishment of stoning on charges of ‘illicit relationships.’ In the most optimistic scenario, their sentences might be commuted to execution instead of death by stoning. We believe that silence in the face of such atrocities amounts to complicity and that we must stand against this barbarism and savagery.”
The statement also highlighted the horrifying statistics of executions in recent days: “in the first ten days of the Iranian month of Dey (December 21-30), at least 41 individuals were executed, with 23 of them executed in just three days. Many death row prisoners have been transferred to solitary confinement in various prisons in preparation for their executions.”
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The full text of the statement is as follows:
Continuation of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign in the 49th Week with Solidarity from 28 Prisons;
“Silence in the Face of Such Atrocities Is a Form of Complicity”
In recent days, as the voices of people and activists protesting executions grow louder than ever, executions and repression not only persist but have intensified. The regime’s judiciary has recently approved the numbing of limbs (hands and feet) for theft and rebellion, normalizing such inhumane crimes to spread fear and silence within society. Many of these theft convicts are victims of systemic corruption, class discrimination, and massive embezzlement by the regime and its affiliates.
The misogynistic regime ruling Iran, in its continued suppression, has sentenced several women prisoners in Qarchak Prison to the medieval punishment of stoning on charges of “illicit relationships.” In the most optimistic scenario, their sentences might be commuted to execution instead of death by stoning. We believe that silence in the face of such atrocities amounts to complicity and that we must stand against this barbarism and savagery.
In a regime where we witness widespread daily executions in various prisons, at least 41 individuals were executed in the first ten days of the Iranian month of Dey (December 21-30), with 23 of them executed in just three days. Many death row prisoners have been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions.
Political prisoner Mojahed Kurkur, who has been imprisoned for more than two years, has had his death sentence reinstated by the Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz despite its earlier annulment by the Supreme Court. His life is now in grave danger.
Additionally, the despotic regime of the Supreme Leader has recently intensified its pressure on and threats against honorable lawyers who defend political prisoners and death-row convicts. This recurring act has led to the imprisonment of several lawyers in recent years simply for defending their clients. These noble and courageous lawyers must be defended.
In recent days, this campaign has received widespread support from activists inside and outside the country. We sincerely thank everyone for their solidarity and reiterate that opposing executions means opposing all forms of execution and supporting every individual sentenced to death.
The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign condemns the regime’s oppressive and inhumane actions, which are blatant violations of human rights, and calls on all activists in this field to act against repression and executions in Iran.
We also call on the people of Iran and prisoners to support this campaign and join the effort to end executions in Iran. With solidarity and collective action, we can eradicate executions and build a society free of violence and death sentences. We will not forget that the perpetrators and enablers of these executions, massacres, and repressions are the greatest criminals against humanity, who must be held accountable for their heinous acts in a people’s court. Undoubtedly, the root cause of these atrocities lies with the oppressive rulers who have monopolized power and governance for their own benefit, relentlessly opposing freedom and equality in all its forms.
The members of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign will go on hunger strike on Tuesday, Tuesday, December 31, 2024, in the 49th week of the campaign in the following 28 prisons:
- Evin Prison (Women’s Ward, Wards 4 and 8),
- Qezel Hesar Prison (Units 3 and 4),
- Central Prison of Karaj,
- Greater Tehran Prison,
- Khorin Varamin Prison,
- Arak Prison,
- Khorramabad Prison,
- Asadabad Isfahan Prison,
- Dastgerd Isfahan Prison,
- Sheiban Ahvaz Prison,
- Shiraz Nezam Prison,
- Bam Prison,
- Kahnuj Prison,
- Tabas Prison,
- Mashhad Prison,
- Qaemshahr Prison,
- Rasht Prison (Men’s and Women’s Wards),
- Rudsar Prison,
- Ardabil Prison,
- Tabriz Prison,
- Urmia Prison,
- Salmas Prison,
- Khoy Prison,
- Naqadeh Prison,
- Saqqez Prison,
- Baneh Prison,
- Marivan Prison,
- Kamyaran Prison.
#NoToExecutionsTuesdays Tuesday
Tuesday, December 31, 2024