On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Iran Human Rights Monitor hosted an online conference commemorating the 1st anniversary of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” hunger strikes in Iranian prisons. The event highlighted the rising execution rates in Iran and the resilience of political prisoners. It urged Western countries, especially European nations and institutions, to predicate their engagement with the Iranian regime on concrete human rights improvements, specifically demanding a halt to executions and the release of political prisoners.
Speakers included Herta Daubler-Gmelin, former German Minister of Justice; Ingrid Betancourt, former Colombian senator and presidential candidate; Tahar Boumedra, former Chief of the Human Rights Office of the UNAMI, and President of the NGO “Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran” (JVMI); and Elisabetta Zamparutti, member of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and member of the board of the Italian NGO “Hands Off Cain”
The conference began with discussions on how the high number of executions in Iran reflects the regime’s fear of growing opposition and public discontent. Distinguished speakers emphasized that these executions are not merely punitive, but rather a strategic tool for suppressing dissent and maintaining the theocracy’s grip on power. In 2024 alone, Iran has witnessed a staggering 993 recorded executions, with 650 occurring during the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian. This marks the highest execution rate in 30 years, including 32 women and 6 juveniles, underscoring a severe human rights crisis.
In her remarks, Mrs. Daubler-Gmelin renewed her support for the “No to Executions” campaigns and referred to the recent confirmation of the death sentences of two political prisoners for their affiliation with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), Iran’s principal democratic opposition group. She demanded, “Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani to be immediately freed and taken off death row.” She emphasized, “Along with other political prisoners, they have brought the No to Executions Tuesdays to life.”
Tahar Boumedra highlighted that the execution spree in Iran violates international laws and treaties to which Iran is a party. He stated, “The mass executions in Iran are a political tool, violating the ICCPR. These actions may amount to crimes against humanity. We must demand accountability for the officials responsible for these atrocities in international courts.”
According to Elisabetta Zamparutti “1,000 executions are the pillar of the regime’s survival strategy. Today, I join the ‘No to Executions Tuesdays’ hunger strike in solidarity with Iran’s death row prisoners.” She stated that “being in death row in Iran is the darkest place in the world.”
Ingrid Betancourt paid tribute to political prisoner Saeed Masouri, one of the longest-held political prisoners in Iran, for his open letter, which was shared through video footage during the conference. She asked, “What does the peak of executions last year indicate? It’s not just that executions are a political instrument—they are a strategic tool, the only means of controlling the people.” She added, “Through fear, abuse of power, crime, and corruption, the regime reveals it has nothing left. A regime that must kill and imprison its citizens in massive numbers is a failed regime.” She emphasized, “We have to stop that regime from existing. We cannot continue to think that we can force, deter, or negotiate with them. This is a moment where the world must face the truth. We are confronting an evil regime that has to be stopped.”
Speakers noted that over the past 45 years, approximately 120,000 individuals have been executed for political reasons. The 1988 massacre, during which 30,000 political prisoners—predominantly supporters of the PMOI/MEK—were killed in just a few months, was highlighted as a pivotal moment in the regime’s brutal history.
Initiated by death row prisoners at Qezel-Hesar Prison on January 30, 2024, the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign has rapidly expanded to include over 34 prisons across Iran. Participants engage in hunger strikes every Tuesday to protest their unfair treatment and the harsh realities of life on death row, symbolically choosing Tuesday as their day of action. Despite violent crackdowns on protests, the resilience of political prisoners has garnered public support and amplified calls for justice.
On Human Rights Day, December 10, 2024, a significant global response emerged, with over 3,000 former world leaders, members of parliaments, human rights experts, and NGOs issuing a joint declaration stating.
The conference concluded with a strong call for the international community, particularly European nations, to condition their engagement with Iran on tangible human rights improvements. Speakers urged that diplomatic relations should be tied to the cessation of executions and the release of political prisoners, leveraging influence to advocate for justice.
The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign serves as a critical reminder of the ongoing struggle against political repression in Iran. The conference highlighted the urgent need for collective action from the international community to support the voices of those fighting for justice and human rights within the country. As the situation in Iran continues to evolve, the commitment to ending executions remains a vital call to action for all human rights advocates and organizations globally.
