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Defying The Execution Machine: 1,500 Death Row Inmates Stage Historic Hunger Strike At Iran’s Ghezel Hesar Prison
On Sunday, July 19, 2026, a massive and courageous act of defiance inside one of Iran’s most notorious dungeons reached a critical milestone. A sweeping hunger strike and sit-in by 1,500 death-row prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj entered its seventh day. The strike represents a direct challenge to the clerical regime’s survival strategy of state-sanctioned murder.
Following the massive nationwide uprisings of December 2025 to January 2026 that brought the regime to its knees, and the subsequent death of Ali Khamenei in a February airstrike, newly installed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has heavily relied on the gallows to maintain their fragile grip on power.
However, the unprecedented resistance inside Ghezel Hesar proves that even in the shadow of the executioner’s noose, the Iranian people’s spirit remains unbroken.
32 Former Senior Officials Endorse a Democratic Republic in Iran
June 17, 2026 — As Americans who have served the national interests of the United States, we stand united in solidarity with the millions of Iranians who seek an end to the nightmare of repression, economic deprivation, and lies imposed by morally corrupt clerics since the 1979 revolution.
This regime has one priority, which is to survive in power, no matter the cost in lives and economic sacrifices by the Iranian people. Decades of prolific executions at home with no due process and destabilizing meddling in other countries have left no doubt that Iran under the fascist clerics can never follow a path of benign governance and trusted cooperation with other countries.
Americans are united in their opposition to Iran’s unrelenting terrorism, executions, hostage takings, cyber-attacks, threats of assassination, and support of armed militias inside and outside their sovereign territory. Iran’s longstanding nuclear enrichment program is an unacceptable threat and must end; as our political leaders irrespective of party have vowed for years, Iran must not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
Iran: Families of Prisoners Rally Outside Ghezel Hesar Prison to Protest Death Sentences
As the hunger strike and sit-in by approximately 1,500 death row prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison continue, more than 500 families of prisoners gathered outside the prison, calling for an immediate halt to executions.
For more than a week, the prisoners have maintained their protest against the implementation of death sentences, demanding an end to executions.
Holding placards bearing slogans such as, “Prison and execution are not the future Iran’s youth deserve,” the protesting prisoners expressed their support for the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign and declared that they would continue their protest until their demands are met.
On the seventh day of the strike, more than 500 relatives of the prisoners assembled outside Ghezel Hesar Prison, calling for the cancellation of death sentences. According to reports, security personnel stationed at the prison attempted to prevent the gathering from taking place in an effort to stop the families’ protest. Despite these efforts, the demonstrators remained at the site and continued chanting protest slogans.
Iran: Protesters Sentenced to Jail and Flogging; Prison Term Upheld on Appeal
Fariba Hosseini, a 37-year-old dentist based in Shiraz, has been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz to nine years and nine months in prison, along with supplementary punishments.
In a separate case, Maryam Deris, a master’s student in English language at the University of Saveh who resides in Kazerun, has had her prison sentence and supplementary penalties upheld by the Fars Province Court of Appeals.
According to a ruling issued on July 7 and recently served on Fariba Hosseini, she was sentenced to six years in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion to commit a crime against national security through cooperation with calls issued by groups opposed to the state,” 30 months in prison for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and 15 months in prison for “propaganda against the state.”
The court also imposed supplementary punishments, including a two-year ban on leaving the country, the revocation of her passport, and a prohibition on online activities.
Enforced Disappearances in Iran: A Systematic Tool of Repression from the 1988 Massacre to the 2026 Protests
The practice of enforced disappearance has been a defining feature of the Iranian regime’s repression since the years following the 1979 revolution. Rather than isolated incidents, these disappearances reveal a consistent strategy aimed at silencing political dissent, intimidating society, and shielding perpetrators from accountability. According to reports released for the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the history of this crime in Iran stretches from the 1988 massacre of political prisoners to the nationwide protests that erupted in late 2025 and continued into 2026. Throughout this period, victims have been secretly detained, executed, or disappeared while authorities systematically concealed their fate and whereabouts.
The most notorious example remains the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners during the summer of 1988. Victims were executed extrajudicially, buried in secret mass graves, and their families were never informed of the burial locations.
For decades, authorities have continued to deny information regarding the victims’ fate while destroying suspected mass grave sites and intimidating survivors and relatives seeking the truth. This has transformed the original crime into an ongoing enforced disappearance under international law.
Italian MP Naike Gruppioni: Democracies Must Stand with the Iranian People
Opening the international conference “Iran: Beyond War—Human Rights and the Power of the People as the Solution” at the Italian Parliament on July 16, Italian MP Naike Gruppioni called on democratic governments to place the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and human rights at the center of international attention.
Addressing parliamentarians, diplomats, civil society representatives, and members of the Iranian community, Gruppioni argued that defending freedom is not merely a political choice but a moral and institutional responsibility shared by all democracies.
Gruppioni opened her remarks by thanking Deputy Speaker Fabio Rampelli for hosting the conference in the Italian Parliament and conveyed greetings on behalf of Galeazzo Bignami, leader of the Brothers of Italy parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies, who was unable to attend.
She said the conference was intended to draw the international community’s attention to the importance of protecting human rights, freedom, and human dignity in Iran.
According to Gruppioni, discussions about the future of a nation carry obligations that extend beyond politics.
Italian Senator Marco Scurria: Iran’s Future Must Be Built on Freedom, Not Deals with the Regime
At the international conference “Iran: Beyond War—Human Rights and the Power of the People as the Solution,” held in the Italian Parliament on July 16, Italian Senator Marco Scurria delivered a forceful appeal for greater international support for the Iranian people while warning against placing confidence in negotiations with the Iranian regime.
Addressing an audience that included Maryam Rajavi, lawmakers, international dignitaries, and members of the Iranian diaspora, Scurria argued that the discussion surrounding Iran should move beyond geopolitics and instead focus on the aspirations of the Iranian people for freedom and democracy.
Opening his remarks, Scurria thanked Deputy Speaker Fabio Rampelli for hosting the conference and praised Italian MP Naike Gruppioni for her continued efforts to keep the issue of Iran on the agenda of the Italian Parliament.
He noted that much of the world’s attention has recently focused on regional tensions, the Strait of Hormuz, and the economic consequences of instability in the Middle East. However, he argued that one essential issue receives far too little attention.
Rudy Giuliani: The Iranian People Already Have a Democratic Alternative
Addressing the international conference “Iran: Beyond War—Human Rights and the Power of the People as the Solution” at the Italian Parliament, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani argued that the central question facing policymakers is no longer whether change will come to Iran, but what should replace the current regime.
Speaking before Maryam Rajavi, Italian lawmakers, and international political figures, Giuliani maintained that the international community already has an answer: supporting the Iranian people and their organized democratic opposition rather than repeating policies of accommodation toward the ruling establishment.
Giuliani said that political transitions often generate uncertainty, with fears that one dictatorship may simply be replaced by another. Iran, however, presents a different situation because, in his view, a democratic alternative has spent decades preparing not only to challenge the regime but also to govern after it.
He argued that the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the PMOI/MEK have devoted nearly five decades to developing both a strategy for democratic change and a framework for political transition.
End Inaction: Iran Executes 2 Protesters Erfan Esfandiari & Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi
On July 13, 2026, Iran Human Rights Monitor issued a critical warning and an urgent call for international action, revealing the imminent risk of execution facing 12 protesters detained during the January 2026 (Dey 1404) uprisings in the case known as the “Alikhani Square of Isfahan.” These defendants were sentenced to death and in some cases, multiple death sentences, in three separate one-hour sessions, completely deprived of the right to choose independent counsel. The names and sentences of the 12 individuals are as follows:
- Alireza Sepahi, 24 (Four death sentences)
- Abolfazl Sepahi, 23 (Three death sentences)
- Ghaem Hosseini, 20 (Two death sentences)
- Gol-Mohammad Mohammadi, an Afghan citizen, 23 (One death sentence – Executed)
- Shervin Bagherian, 18 (Two death sentences)
- Erfan Esfandiari, 18 (One death sentence – Executed)
- Amirhossein Safari, 27 (One death sentence)
- Amirhossein Maleki, 19 (One death sentence)
- Ali Dashti, 19 (One death sentence)
- Abolfazl Ebrahimi, 18 (One death sentence)
- Alireza Raeisi, 21 (One death sentence)
- Amirhossein Ebrahimi Analoucheh, 19 (Two death sentences)
A Second Front: How Wartime Divisions Are Reshaping Iran’s Political Debate
TEHRAN — The war continues on the battlefield, but a review of editorials, opinion pieces and reports published in Iranian newspapers suggests that another struggle is unfolding at the same time: a struggle over where the line lies between legitimate criticism, political disagreement and the weakening of national cohesion in the midst of war.
An examination of 14 articles published in Jahan Sanat, Iran, Arman-e Melli, Towsee-ye Irani, Sazandegi, Jomhouri-e Eslami and Javan shows that although these publications represent markedly different political and editorial perspectives, they have all highlighted nearly the same concern: that internal divisions could become a factor undermining the government’s ability to manage the war.
What distinguishes this body of reporting from many political disputes of previous years is that the conflict is no longer defined simply as one between the government and its opponents. Many of the authors trace the source of tension to competition among factions that all present themselves as defenders of the Islamic Republic’s overarching policies, yet disagree over how those policies should be implemented, the role of the media, the limits of criticism and even how the war itself should be portrayed. This shift is evident in a series of warnings, official statements and editorials.
Gothenburg Rally Supports NCRI Provisional Government, Calls for a Democratic Republic in Iran
Gothenburg, Sweden — July 18, 2026 — Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) held a rally in Gothenburg, expressing support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) Provisional Government and calling for the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran. Participants chanted slogans demanding regime change and called for the closure of the Iranian regime’s embassy in Sweden, condemning it as a hub for terrorism and espionage.
Protesters rejected both the former monarchy and the current religious dictatorship, emphasizing that Iran’s future must be determined by a democratic alternative. They also voiced strong support for the MEK’s Resistance Units inside Iran, acknowledging their role in organizing protests and challenging the regime from within.
Iranian Resistance Supporters in Oslo Welcome UK Listing of IRGC as Terrorist Organization
Oslo, Norway – July 18, 2026 – Following the UK government’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, supporters of the Iranian Resistance (NCRI and PMOI) held a rally in Oslo to welcome the move.
Mr. Parviz Khazaei, representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in the Nordic countries, attended the rally.
Participants described the proscription of the IRGC as a significant and long-overdue step toward holding the Iranian regime accountable for its terrorism, domestic repression, and destabilizing activities across the region. They welcomed the decision as a major blow to the ruling clerical regime in Tehran and stressed the need for continued international action against the regime’s principal instrument of repression and terrorism.
Sydney Rally: PMOI Supporters Condemn Iran Executions, Call for Decisive International Action Against the Regime
Sydney, Australia – July 18, 2026 – Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) gathered in Sydney to condemn the Iranian regime’s execution of PMOI political prisoners and protesters arrested during the January 2026 uprising, while honoring the victims’ memory.
Demonstrators strongly denounced the executions, describing them as a blatant violation of human rights. They called for regime change in Iran and urged the Australian government to adopt a firm policy toward the ruling clerical regime and its ongoing human rights abuses.
The rally underscored growing international concern over the plight of political prisoners in Iran. Participants called for increased international pressure on the Iranian regime to halt executions and support the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, democracy, and human rights.