57th Week of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign in 37 Prisons Across Iran

A group of prisoners from Choubindar Prison in Qazvin joined this campaign last week. Consequently, this campaign will continue for the 57th week with a hunger strike by participating prisoners in 37 prisons across the country on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, in protest against the widespread executions in Iran.

In part of a statement issued on this day, the campaign wrote: ” on Sunday, February 23, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected the retrial requests of political prisoners Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani, who had previously been sentenced to death. These two prisoners now face the imminent threat of execution. This dire situation similarly applies to prisoners such as Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi in Evin Prison, Sharifeh Mohammadi in Lakan Prison in Rasht, and many others.

…The killing of prisoners does not occur solely through executions; unfortunately, in the past week, three prisoners in Urmia, Lajevardi Iranshahr, and Dehdasht prisons lost their lives due to a lack of medical care. This situation threatens the lives of many other prisoners as well. The death of sick prisoners due to the lack of timely medical attention is nothing short of ‘systematic murder.'”

Statement of the 57th Week of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign:

Continuation of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign in 37 Prisons Across the Country in Its 57th Week with the Participation of Choubindar Prison in Qazvin

The authoritarian regime led by the Supreme Leader has intensified executions following the completion of its official ceremonies in Bahman (the Iranian month from January 20 to February 18). In the first two days of Esfand (February 19-20, 2025), 17 prisoners were executed, including 10 who were hanged in Qezel-Hesar Prison.

The killing of prisoners does not occur solely through executions. Unfortunately, in the past week, three prisoners in Urmia, Lajevardi Iranshahr, and Dehdasht prisons lost their lives due to a lack of medical care. This situation threatens the lives of many other prisoners as well. The death of sick prisoners due to the lack of timely medical attention is nothing short of “systematic murder.”

With the increase in executions and the widespread suppression of prisoners, a group of inmates from Qazvin Prison announced that, in opposition to the unjust execution sentences of both political and non-political prisoners, they would join the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign by going on a hunger strike on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. They declared that they would continue this strike in solidarity with the campaign until the machinery of suppression and execution is halted.

According to published reports, on Sunday, February 23, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected the retrial requests of political prisoners Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani, who had previously been sentenced to death. These two prisoners now face the imminent threat of execution. This dire situation similarly applies to prisoners such as Pakhshan Azizi and Varisheh Moradi in Evin Prison, Sharifeh Mohammadi in Lakan Prison in Rasht, and many others.

Previously, the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign had predicted, with the appointment of Jafar Montazeri—former Attorney General—to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, that due to his record of strengthening security institutions’ control over the judiciary and further eroding judicial independence, there was a high likelihood of “channeling prisoners’ cases” within the Supreme Court and designating specific branches to approve baseless Revolutionary Court rulings. This appointment has fully exposed the body’s inefficiency in ensuring fair trials.

Members of this campaign, in defense of the “right to justice,” particularly for citizens who have been deprived of the “right to life,” demand the release of all justice seekers in detention, especially Ms. Nahid Shirpisheh—a justice-seeking teacher and mother of the late Pouya Bakhtiari, a protester killed in the November 2019 protests. Unfortunately, last week, under pressure from prison authorities and security institutions, she attempted suicide. Undoubtedly, the day will come when justice is served, and those responsible for these crimes will be held accountable.

This campaign unequivocally condemns all death sentences, regardless of the charges attributed to the condemned, and will spare no effort in preventing and abolishing the death penalty in Iran. Therefore, it calls on all human rights defenders, political, civil, and labor activists, and conscientious individuals in Iran and around the world to unite in the fight against executions in Iran and to be the voice of prisoners sentenced to death.

In the 57th week of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, prisoners in the following 37 prisons will go on a hunger strike:

1. Evin Prison (Women’s Ward, Wards 4 and 8)
2. Ghezel Hesar Prison (Units 3 and 4)
3. Karaj Central Prison
4. Greater Tehran Prison
5. Khorin Prison, Varamin
6. Arak Prison
7. Khorramabad Prison
8. Asadabad Isfahan Prison
9. Dastgerd Isfahan Prison
10. Sheiban Ahvaz Prison
11. Sepidar Ahvaz Prison
12. Shiraz Nezam Prison
13. Adelabad Shiraz Prison (Men’s and Women’s Wards)
14. Borazjan Prison
15. Ramhormoz Prison
16. Bam Prison
17. Kahnuj Prison
18. Tabas Prison
19. Joveyn Prison
20. Mashhad Prison
21. Gonbad-e Kavus Prison
22. Qaemshahr Prison
23. Rasht Prison (Men’s and Women’s Wards)
24. Roudsar Prison
25. Haviq Talesh Prison
26. Dieselabad Kermanshah Prison
27. Ardabil Prison
28. Tabriz Prison
29. Urmia Prison
30. Salmas Prison
31. Khoy Prison
32. Naqadeh Prison
33. Saqqez Prison
34. Baneh Prison
35. Marivan Prison
36. Kamyaran Prison
37. Choubindar Qazvin Prison