In an escalating show of coordinated defiance, Iran’s “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign marked its 84th consecutive week, expanding to encompass political prisoners in 51 prisons who undertook hunger strikes to protest the regime’s unabated use of capital punishment.
Simultaneously, citizens and families of the condemned poured into the streets of dozens of cities across the country, turning the weekly protest into a powerful, nationwide movement against the clerical regime’s primary tool of suppression.
The expansion of the prison-based campaign, with inmates from Langarud Prison in Qom joining this week, comes as the regime accelerates its killing machine. According to the campaign’s latest statement, an alarming 704 executions have been carried out since the beginning of the current Persian Calendar year (beginning in March 2025), with 39 people, including two women, sent to the gallows in the last week.
The statement highlights that these executions are a calculated political strategy. “The widespread and brutal executions… are not only a clear violation of fundamental human rights but also indicate the bloody suppression of the people and the government’s attempt to maintain power by instilling fear and silencing the voice of freedom and justice,” the campaign declared.
In a further display of cruelty, the statement pointed to the regime’s treatment of the families of executed political prisoners Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani. Nearly 40 days after their executions, the regime continues to refuse to disclose their burial locations. The campaign condemned this act, describing it as “enforced disappearance and torture of the families,” which is part of a “continuous pattern of violating human rights and the rights of grieving families in Iran.”
The resistance spills onto the streets
As prisoners held their hunger strikes, a powerful echo of their protest resounded in cities across Iran. On Tuesday, September 2, coordinated demonstrations took place in Tehran, Tabriz, Hamedan, Shahr-e Kord, Zanjan, Isfahan, and many other urban centers.
September 2
Families of death row political prisoner Pouya Ghobadi rally to call for an end to executions on the 84th week of the "No to Executions Tuesdays" campaign.pic.twitter.com/7LrzRibwyE— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 2, 2025
Protesters, led by the families of prisoners on death row, held placards with slogans such as “Political Prisoner Must Be Freed” and “Immediate Abolition of the Death Penalty.” Their chants sent a clear message to the authorities, with crowds shouting, “This is the final message, if you execute, there will be an uprising!” The families of Pouya Ghobadi and Vahid Baniamerian were among those demanding a halt to the state-sanctioned killings.
The central role of prisoners’ families has been a driving force in transforming this campaign into a national cause. In a particularly moving display of resolve, the mother of political prisoner Shahrokh Daneshvarkar participated in the protests. She attended while still mourning the passing of her husband, Vali Daneshvarkar, who was himself a dedicated supporter of the campaign before his recent passing. Her presence, holding a picture of her imprisoned son amidst her personal grief, symbolized the unwavering spirit of a populace that refuses to be broken by the regime’s brutality.
“This campaign sincerely extends its condolences to the respected family of Mr. Vali Daneshvarkar-father of political prisoner Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, and one of the steadfast supporters of the campaign who played an active role in gatherings-for his passing, and to all t the supporters and members of the campaign,” the statement of the campaign reads in part.
September 2—Iran
In tandem with the 84th week of the "No to Executions Tuesdays" campaign, the mother of death row political prisoner Shahrokh Daneshvarkar, who is still mourning the passing of her husband, returns to the street to call for an end to executions. pic.twitter.com/sJLQWV1YBM— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 2, 2025
A movement of hope against a desperate regime
After 84 consecutive weeks, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign has proven its resilience and organizational strength. The synchronized actions inside and outside prison walls demonstrate that the regime’s strategy of intimidation is failing. Instead of sowing fear, the escalating executions are fueling a determined and growing opposition.
This movement has become a symbol of the Iranian people’s enduring struggle for life and liberty. As the campaign’s statement affirmed, the sacrifices of those executed will not be in vain: “Their blood… continues to flow in the veins of the youth, and their path will be a beacon of hope for a future without execution and violence.”
Prisoners participating in the 84th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” hunger strike are from: Evin Prison, Ghezel Hesar Prison (Units 3 and 4), Karaj Central Prison, Karaj’s Fardis Prison, Greater Tehran Prison, Qarchak Prison, Khorin Prison in Varamin, Choubindar Prison in Qazvin, Ahar Prison, Arak Prison, Khorramabad Prison, Yasuj Prison, Asadabad Prison in Isfahan, Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz (men’s and women’s wards), Nezam Prison in Shiraz, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz (men’s and women’s wards), Firuzabad Prison in Fars, Dehdasht Prison, Zahedan Prison (women’s ward), Borazjan Prison, Ramhormoz Prison, Behbehan Prison, Bam Prison, Yazd Prison, Kahnuj Prison, Tabas Prison, Mashhad Prison, Gonbad-e Kavus Prison, Qaemshahr Prison, Rasht Prison (men’s and women’s wards), Rudsar Prison, Havigh Prison in Talesh, Azbaram Prison in Lahijan, Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah, Ardabil Prison, Tabriz Prison, Urmia Prison, Salmas Prison, Khoy Prison, Naqadeh Prison, Miandoab Prison, Mahabad Prison, Boukan Prison, Saqqez Prison, Baneh Prison, Marivan Prison, Sanandaj Prison, Kamyaran Prison, and Langarud Prison in Qom.