In a powerful display of defiance against the Iranian regime’s escalating use of capital punishment, political prisoners and other detainees across Iran are marking the 68th consecutive week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign. This sustained protest, involving hunger strikes in 41 prisons nationwide, underscores the unyielding spirit of resistance even as the clerical regime intensifies its wave of executions to suppress dissent.
The campaign, which first emerged in January 2024, has become a significant symbol of the struggle against the regime’s brutal policies. Each Tuesday, participants engage in acts of defiance, primarily through hunger strikes, to voice their condemnation of the systematic executions that have become a hallmark of the ruling theocracy.
Regime resorts to heightened executions amidst crises
The backdrop to this courageous prisoner-led movement is a horrifying surge in state-sanctioned killings. According to recently published reports cited in a statement from the campaign, the regime’s courts have continued to issue and implement death sentences without pause. “Since the beginning of the month of Ordibehesht [beginning on April 21, 2025] until now, more than 96 prisoners, including one woman, have been executed,” the statement revealed. This translates to an average of “at least four people hanged daily.”
This grim statistic lays bare the regime’s increasing reliance on executions as a tool of terror and intimidation. The statement poignantly notes, “In a situation where the government is incapable of resolving its internal and external crises, the pace of executions has increased.” This acceleration is widely seen by observers as a desperate attempt by the beleaguered regime to project strength and quell growing discontent among a populace yearning for change.
Prisoners’ courageous stand for life
Despite the constant threat and dire conditions within the regime’s notorious prisons, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign participants remain steadfast. Their weekly hunger strikes, now spanning 41 detention centers from Evin and Ghezel Hesar to facilities in provincial cities, represent a significant organized resistance from within the very walls meant to silence them.
The campaign’s statement powerfully articulates the urgency of their struggle: “Confronting executions in this situation is an urgent and undeniable necessity. In every corner of this land, the banner of struggle against execution must be raised and the voice of protest must be loud. This criminal government must not be allowed to take the lives of citizens so easily.”
The prisoners’ determination serves as an inspiration to those fighting for freedom both inside and outside Iran, demonstrating that the spirit of resistance cannot be extinguished by repression.
Regime continues to target dissidents
The wave of executions is accompanied by the continuous issuance of new death sentences against political activists and ordinary citizens alike, often after grossly unfair trials. The recent death sentences handed down to Amin (Peiman) Farahavar Gisavandani, a poet from Gilan, and Ehsan Faridi, a student from Tabriz University, both on charges of “Moharebeh” (enmity against God) and “Baghi” (armed rebellion), exemplify this judicial terror. Critically, these “inhumane sentences were issued without the prisoners having access to their chosen lawyer,” the statement warns, further highlighting the regime’s contempt for due process.
These cases underscore the perilous environment for anyone daring to voice dissent and reinforce the critical importance of campaigns like “No to Executions Tuesdays.”
Solidarity and the path forward
In their 68th weekly statement, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign also paid tribute to “Barzan Mohammadi, a former political prisoner and supporter of this campaign who unfortunately died in a tragic accident,” extending condolences to his family and fellow activists. This commemoration underscores the deep bonds of solidarity among those resisting the regime and the sacrifices made along the way.
The campaign’s persistence is a call to the international community to amplify the voices of these brave prisoners and to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its human rights atrocities. As the prisoners themselves assert, “Freedom is the right of a nation that has paid a heavy price for decades to achieve freedom, equality, and democracy.” Their weekly defiance is a testament to this enduring aspiration.
The prisoners participating in the 68th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” hunger strike are from: Evin Prison, Ghezel Hesar Prison, 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, 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, and Miandoab Prison.Bam Prison, Kahnuj Prison, Tabas Prison, Mashhad Prison, Gonbad-e Kavus Prison, Qaemshahr Prison, Lakan Prison in Rasht, Rudsar Prison, Haviq Prison in Talesh, Azbaram Prison in Lahijan, Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah, Ardabil Prison, Tabriz Prison, Urmia Prison, Salmas Prison, Khoy Prison, Naqadeh Prison, Miandoab Prison, Saqqez Prison, Baneh Prison, Marivan Prison, Sanandaj Prison, and Kamyaran Prison.