In a powerful new statement from inside Iranian prisons, participants in the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign have condemned what they describe as a coordinated campaign of repression and execution by the Iranian regime, fueled by the ongoing wartime environment.
Now in its seventy-fourth consecutive week, the campaign declared: “War and execution are two sides of the same coin—the coin of state-led massacre and suppression.” The statement, issued under extreme restrictions due to widespread internet shutdowns, warned of an escalation in executions and highlighted that prisoners’ lives are increasingly at risk.
Despite censorship and information blackouts, recent developments appear to have validated these concerns, with activists citing reports of increased death penalty cases and sudden prisoner transfers.
Le pouvoir judiciaire iranien annonce l’exécution de neuf prisonniers https://t.co/CjJvojvlSq pic.twitter.com/gZb0dKDXj0
— Iran Focus (@Iran_Focus) June 12, 2025
The prisoners expressed grave concern for those held in detention, particularly death row inmates and political detainees in Evin Prison and other notorious facilities. “We strongly condemn the sudden and coercive transfers of defenseless prisoners under oppressive security measures,” the statement reads.
In light of the ongoing military tensions—referring to the recent Iran-Israel conflict—the group fears that prisoners could be used as pawns or silenced permanently. They called on the Iranian public to take action: “We urge the honorable people of Iran to demand the release of prisoners by any means possible, especially by assembling in front of prisons to show support and prevent further isolation of those behind bars.”
As a sign of growing resistance, the statement announced that in the seventy-fourth week of the campaign, prisoners in 47 prisons across the country will begin a coordinated hunger strike on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. This mass strike spans provinces from Tehran and Isfahan to Kurdistan, Baluchistan, and East Azerbaijan, involving both male and female inmates.
Today the 74th week of #NoDeathPenaltyTuesdays campaign will be marked by hunger strikes in 47 prisons across Iran.
“War and executions are two sides of the coin of state violence and repression… Given the wartime situation, the lives of prisoners are in serious danger.”… pic.twitter.com/pSNPyiVJCx— IRAN HRM (@IranHrm) June 24, 2025
Among the participating prisons are:
- Evin Prison, Tehran
- Ghezel Hesar, Karaj
- Sepidar and Sheiban, Ahvaz
- Zahedan Prison, Sistan-Baluchistan
- Adelabad, Military, and Firouzabad, Shiraz
- Sanandaj, Mahabad, Saqqez, and other Kurdish-majority regions
- Major facilities in Mashhad, Tabriz, Urmia, Arak, Rasht, Kermanshah, and beyond.
🚨 74th week of #NoToExecutionTuesdays:
Prisoners in 47 Iranian prisons on hunger strike.
Evin Prison attacked.
140 executions since May 22.
“The lives of prisoners are in serious danger.”
Demand action. Stand outside the prisons.#StopExecutionsInIran #Evin #Iran pic.twitter.com/5sLZbZYrUC— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) June 24, 2025
This unprecedented scale of participation underscores the depth of opposition within Iran’s prisons and reflects rising solidarity among prisoners in the face of expanding state violence.
The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign has become a rare yet persistent act of organized defiance within Iran’s carceral system, rallying against both capital punishment and the broader machinery of state oppression. As the international community watches Iran’s wartime maneuvers, the voices of its imprisoned dissenters are growing louder, even behind bars.