In a bold act of defiance, prisoners in 28 facilities across Iran have launched a hunger strike as part of the 49th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign. The initiative protests the regime’s escalating executions and brutal punishments, including amputations and stoning, used to instill fear and suppress dissent.
Campaign organizers condemn these acts as gross human rights violations and call for united action against state violence. “Silence in the face of such atrocities is a form of complicity,” they declared, urging global solidarity to challenge the regime’s oppressive policies.
The full translation of the campaign’s statement follows:
Continuation of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign in Its 49th Week, Supported by 28 Prisons
“Silence in the face of such atrocities is a form of complicity.”
As cries of justice and protests against executions grow louder across Iran, the regime has not only failed to reduce executions and oppression but has intensified them. Recently, the judiciary legalized the amputation of body parts (hands and feet) for theft and rebellion charges, normalizing such barbaric acts to instill fear and suppress society. Many of those accused of theft are victims of systemic corruption, class discrimination, and embezzlement by regime officials and their associates.
The misogynist regime has further escalated its brutality by sentencing several women in Qarchak Prison to the medieval punishment of stoning on charges of illicit relationships. In a “best-case scenario,” these sentences might be commuted to execution instead. We firmly believe that silence in the face of such atrocities equates to complicity and call for resistance against this barbarism.
#IranProtests: Rudsar Prison Joins 48th Week of Hunger Strike Against Executionshttps://t.co/sNPolDWBi3
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 24, 2024
Political Prisoner Faces Renewed Death Sentence
The Iranian regime continues its widespread executions, with at least 41 individuals executed in the first 10 days of December and 23 people executed over just three days. Many death row inmates have been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions.
Political prisoner Mojahed Kurkur, who has been imprisoned for over two years, faces an imminent threat to his life after the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court reinstated his death sentence, previously overturned by the Supreme Court. His situation highlights the escalating dangers faced by political detainees under the regime’s judiciary.
Crackdown on Independent Lawyers
The oppressive regime has ramped up its pressure on independent and principled lawyers who take on cases of political prisoners and death row inmates. These lawyers have faced threats, arrests, and imprisonment for simply defending their clients. We must defend these honorable and courageous lawyers against the regime’s persecution.
Growing Support for the “No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign
In recent days, this campaign has garnered significant support from activists within and outside Iran. We deeply appreciate this solidarity and reaffirm our stance that opposing executions means rejecting all forms of capital punishment and advocating for every condemned individual.
Be the Voice of All #Iran!
161 years of imprisonment have been handed down to 22 individuals in the #Khaneh_Isfahan case for protesting the execution of defendants by gathering outside #Isfahan prisonw same time ago.#amnesty #HumanRights #no_to_execution#FreePoliticalPrisoners pic.twitter.com/o0heC0uCxx
— Iran Human Rights Society (@iranhrs_en) December 31, 2024
Nationwide Hunger Strike Across 28 Prisons
On Tuesday, December 31, 2024, in its 49th week, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign will see participants in 28 prisons across Iran go on hunger strike, including:
- Evin Prison (Women’s Ward, Wards 4 and 8)
- Qezel Hesar Prison (Units 2 and 4)
- Karaj Central Prison
- Greater Tehran Prison
- Khorein Varamin Prison
- Arak Prison
- Khorramabad Prison
- Esfahan Asadabad Prison
- Esfahan Dastgerd Prison
- Sheiban Prison, Ahvaz
- Shiraz Military Prison
- Bam Prison
- Kahnuj Prison
- Tabas Prison
- Mashhad Prison
- Qaemshahr Prison
- Rasht Prison (Men’s and Women’s Wards)
- Rudsar Prison
- Ardabil Prison
- Tabriz Prison
- Urmia Prison
- Salmas Prison
- Khoy Prison
- Naghadeh Prison
- Saqqez Prison
- Baneh Prison
- Marivan Prison
- Kamyaran Prison
Former #German MP Leo Dautzenberg highlights the #Iranian regime's sentencing of activists from the "No to Execution" movement and @Mojahedineng affiliates to death. pic.twitter.com/exAEhtf1bS
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 25, 2024
We urge all activists to join this campaign and call upon the Iranian people and prisoners to support efforts to halt executions in Iran. Through solidarity and collective action, we can uproot the death penalty and build a nation free of violence and executions.
Let us not forget: those who order and carry out these executions and suppressions are the greatest criminals against humanity and must be held accountable before a people’s court. These atrocities are perpetuated by tyrannical rulers who exploit power for personal gain and oppose any form of freedom and equality.
“No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign
Tuesday, December 31, 2024