Three-minute read
The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign in Iran, a powerful movement initiated by political prisoners, has now entered its 32nd week, gaining momentum both domestically and internationally. This campaign represents a growing wave of resistance against the Iranian regime’s increasing use of the death penalty and the oppressive conditions imposed on those in detention. The movement, characterized by weekly hunger strikes, symbolizes defiance against tyranny and a call for justice and human rights in Iran.
The Campaign’s Expansion and Statements of Defiance
On Tuesday, September 3, inmates from 21 different prisons across Iran, including Evin, Ghezel Hesar, Central Karaj, Greater Tehran, Khorramabad, Shiraz, Mashhad, Rasht, Qaem Shahr, Tabriz, Ardabil, Urmia, Salmas, Khoy, Naqadeh, Saqqez, Baneh, Mariwan, and Kamyaran, participated in a collective hunger strike. Notably, two more prisons, Asadabad in Isfahan and Bam in Kerman, joined the campaign this week.
In their statement, the striking prisoners condemned the Iranian regime’s “inhuman sentences and executions,” calling for the abolition of the death penalty and the end of what they described as a “barbaric state of affairs.” They highlighted the brutal killings of two prisoners, Mohammad Mirmosavi and Komeyl Abolhassani, who were tortured to death by security forces, as egregious violations of the “right to life” of Iranian citizens. The prisoners appealed to the freedom-loving people of Iran and all detainees to support and join the “No to Executions” campaign, emphasizing the urgent need for collective action against executions and state violence.
Growing ‘No to Executions Tuesdays’ Campaign in #Iran Gains Nationwide and International Recognitionhttps://t.co/CyGxNY46lJ
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 29, 2024
The statement also drew attention to recent acts of state violence, including the public execution of a prisoner in Sabzevar and the issuance of a death sentence for a political prisoner named Abbas Touranji in Bam, Kerman Province. Abbas Touranji, who was sentenced to death behind closed doors for allegedly killing a security officer, is now in imminent danger. The prisoners condemned these actions as further evidence of the regime’s commitment to using executions as a tool of suppression and intimidation.
Global Solidarity
The campaign has gained considerable international attention, drawing support from human rights advocates worldwide. Recently, 68 human rights groups and organizations, both Iranian and international, expressed solidarity with the “No to Executions Tuesdays” movement, calling for global support to end the use of the death penalty in Iran and to protect human rights in the country. Among these supporters is Elisabetta Zamparutti, a former member of the Italian Parliament and the co-founder of the human rights organization ‘Hands Off Cain,’ who has pledged to join the hunger strike every Tuesday in support of the campaign.
Despite the severe repression faced by the political prisoners involved in the campaign, they remain resolute in their defiance. “With all the pressures and repressions imposed by the religious dictatorship on this campaign and Iranian society, the prisoners continue to stand up against oppression and executions,” they declared. This unwavering commitment underscores the resilience and determination of these individuals, who refuse to be silenced by the regime’s oppressive tactics.
Iran: Mullahs' Judiciary Admits Arrest of Amir Hossein Moradi and Ali Younesi, Sharif University of Technology Elite Studentshttps://t.co/dUtccjIrnI pic.twitter.com/25UmMy7TCX
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 18, 2020
A Personal Testimony of Resistance: Amir-Hossein Moradi
One of the voices amplifying the campaign’s call for justice is Amir-Hossein Moradi, a political prisoner detained in Evin Prison. In a poignant letter from prison, Moradi, an elite student from Sharif University of Technology, articulated the profound sense of injustice felt by himself and his fellow political prisoners. He wrote:
“Even one day of my detention, and that of my dearest friend and other political prisoners, is illegal because we have committed no crime. Our only fault is our desire for freedom. However, in light of the scattered news and rumors, I want to make it clear that I have not and will not request a pardon or leave. Because I firmly believe that due to the crimes that I have witnessed over these years, it is ultimately this state that must pledge for mercy from the people of Iran.”
“The perpetrators and those who ordered these crimes must answer for their actions, the least of which is taking away our youth,” Moradi continued. “As far as we are concerned, we neither forgive nor forget.”