Prisoners in 40 prisons across Iran marked the 65th week of “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, by going on hunger strike to protest the regime’s widespread executions by the regime.
The striking prisoners, in their statement for the campaign, noted the joining of Behbahan Prison, the criminal execution of political prisoner Hamid Hosseinnejad Heydaranlou, and the issuance of a death sentence for political prisoner Pejman Soltani.
In their statement for this week’s “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign, they prisoners wrote, “Since the beginning of the current Persian year [starting March 20, 2025], at least 88 individuals – including five women, seven political prisoners, and two juvenile offenders – have been executed. This number has increased severalfold compared to last year, which can be seen as an indicator of the explosive situation in society.”
At the end of their statement for the 65th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign, they wrote: “This volume of killing prisoners and carrying out death sentences in Iran indicates the regime’s deep fear of uprisings and social protests. This is a serious warning to the international community and human rights organizations not to remain silent in the face of the criminal regime in Iran and to counter these inhumane executions with practical and effective actions.”
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At the same time, families of death row prisoners gathered in front of Evin prison in Tehran to protest death sentences and restrictions against political prisoners.
The full text of the statement for the 65th “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign is as follows:
Behbahan Prison Joins the “No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign in its 65th Week
The Criminal Execution of Political Prisoner Hamid Hosseinnejad Heydaranlou and the Issuance of a Death Sentence for Political Prisoner Pejman Soltani
Iran’s execution-prone and tyrannical regime intensifies its repression against the people whenever it faces a deadlock. The sharp end of this repression usually targets defenseless prisoners whose lives are taken through inhumane death sentences.
The criminal execution of Hamid Hosseinnejad Heydaranlou, a 40-year-old political prisoner and father of three, who was arrested in March 2023 and severely tortured, is considered one of the regime’s inhumane actions against the people of Iran. Under intense torture, he was forced to confess against himself and sign papers that interrogators had prepared beforehand.
Since the beginning of the current year [starting March 20, 2025], at least 88 individuals – including five women, seven political prisoners, and two juvenile offenders – have been executed. This number has increased severalfold compared to last year, which can be seen as an indicator of the explosive situation in society.
In recent days, Pejman Soltani, a political prisoner from Bukan who was arrested during the 2022 protests, has also been sentenced to death.
This volume of killing prisoners and carrying out death sentences in Iran indicates the regime’s deep fear of uprisings and social protests. This is a serious warning to the international community and human rights organizations not to remain silent in the face of the criminal regime in Iran and to counter these inhumane executions with practical and effective actions.
The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign informs the public that starting this week, a group of prisoners from Behbahan Prison have also joined this campaign in protest against death sentences and will go on hunger strike every Tuesday along with other participating prisoners.
The prisoners participating in the 65th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” hunger strike are from Evin Prison (women’s ward, wards 4 and 8), Ghezel Hesar Prison (units 3 and 4), Karaj Central Prison, Greater Tehran Prison, Arak Prison, Khorramabad Prison, Asadabad Prison in Isfahan, Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, Nezam Prison in Shiraz, Bam Prison, Kahnuj Prison, Mashhad Prison, Qaemshahr Prison, Lakan Prison in Rasht (men’s and women’s wards), Ardabil Prison, Tabriz Prison, Urmia Prison, Salmas Prison, Khoy Prison, Naqadeh Prison, Saqqez Prison, Baneh Prison, Marivan Prison, Kamyaran Prison, Tabas Prison, Khorin Prison in Varamin, Rudsar Prison in Gilan, Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz, Ramhormoz Prison, Talesh Prison, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz (men’s and women’s wards), Joveyn Prison, Borazjan Prison, Gonbad-e Kavus Prison, Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah, Chobindar Prison in Qazvin, Miandoab Prison, Zahedan Prison, Azbaram Prison in Lahijan, and Behbehan Prison.