Iran witnessed a fresh wave of protests today, April 22, 2025, spanning from Tehran to the provinces, as citizens from a range of social sectors voiced outrage over economic hardship, injustice, and repression.
In Tehran, families of political prisoners condemned the regime’s continued use of the death penalty during a protest outside Evin Prison. Marking the 65th consecutive week of the “No to Execution Tuesdays“ campaign, demonstrators held placards reading “No to execution” and called for the cancellation of death sentences imposed on five supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The prisoners—Akbar Daneshvarkar, Mohammad Taghavi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghanbari, and Vahid Bani-Amrian—have reportedly been denied phone access and are under pressure to accept transfer to the notorious Qezel Hesar Prison.
The protest came amid growing concern among international human rights advocates, including the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Iran, about the regime’s escalating use of execution as a tool of suppression. According to human rights groups, around 60 political prisoners in Iran currently face death sentences.
🚨 On Apr 22, families of Iran's death row political prisoners held their 10th protest since 2024 outside Evin Prison—amid the 65th week of the No To Execution Tuesdays campaign. They denounced death sentences & brutal new restrictions on five @Mojahedineng supporters set to be… pic.twitter.com/QWw9C9erSn
— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) April 22, 2025
Meanwhile, in the western city of Kermanshah, retired public sector workers rallied against poverty and state corruption. Chanting slogans such as “We stand until the end against executions” and “Union against poverty and corruption,” they drew attention not only to their collapsing livelihoods but also to the broader climate of repression.
In Qazvin, northern Iran, applicants in the government’s long-delayed National Housing Plan protested outside the Housing and Urban Development Office, demanding fulfillment of state promises. In Tabriz, northwest Iran, welfare organization employees demonstrated over low wages and unmanageable workloads.
April 22—Qazvin, northern Iran
Protest rally by National Housing Plan applicants outside the Housing and Urban Development Office, demanding action on delays and unmet promises for affordable housing.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/zQyG9WOuIK— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 22, 2025
Southeast of the country, in the impoverished Naseri village of Khash, residents rallied at the local water authority to protest 12 years of failed water infrastructure. Separately, in Harsin, authorities from the municipality demolished street vendor stalls, sparking outrage over state harassment of the poor.
Public anger over basic services boiled over even inside the regime’s own parliament. MP Ebrahim Rezaei warned of public backlash over repeated power and water outages, questioning how a region supplying Iran’s gas and nuclear energy could be deprived of electricity. “God help us in the summer heat,” he said, accusing the government of nepotism and mismanagement.
Today’s widespread protests once again highlight Iran’s volatile internal climate. As citizens from all walks of life take to the streets, the regime appears increasingly unable to contain the social discontent brewing across the country.