On March 18, 2025, the last Tuesday of the Iranian year 1403, prisoners across 38 facilities in Iran will mark the 60th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays”  campaign with a collective hunger strike. This powerful act of resistance underscores a growing movement against the Iranian regime’s widespread use of capital punishment, which has reached alarming heights over the past year.

The campaign’s latest statement paints a stark picture of the human rights crisis unfolding within Iran’s borders. According to the group, the ruling religious dictatorship executed 1,148 prisoners between March 21, 2024, and March 20, 2025—a grim tally that sets yet another shameful record for the regime. In the month of Esfand alone (since February 19), at least 116 individuals were put to death. These figures reflect a relentless wave of executions that has left Iran’s prisons teeming with inmates who may face the gallows in the coming year.

The campaign’s statement coincides with the approach of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, and the national celebration of Chaharshanbe Suri, known as the Fire Feast. In a poetic nod to the festival’s symbolism, the prisoners express hope that the resistance against tyranny and executions will “blaze as brightly as the festival’s fire,” illuminating a path toward ending the violence and oppression that have long plagued the nation.

A Year of Brutality and Resistance

The past year has been marked by both unrelenting repression and remarkable resilience. Among the campaign’s highlighted cases is that of Haidar Mohammadi (Hasanvand), a citizen tortured to death by security forces on March 13, 2025, while detained at the Nahavand police intelligence facility. In another blow to justice, the Supreme Court recently rejected a judicial review request for Hatem Özdemir, a political prisoner sentenced to death in Urmia Central Prison. This decision leaves Özdemir at imminent risk of execution, spotlighting the regime’s refusal to relent in its use of capital punishment against dissidents.

Despite such setbacks, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign has endured, entering its second Nowruz with unwavering determination. What began as a protest within prison walls has grown into a nationwide movement, supported by a broad coalition of political parties, civil organizations, labor unions, human rights groups, and individuals from all walks of life—workers, teachers, nurses, retirees, artists, and grieving families alike. The campaign credits this solidarity for its ability to persist under immense pressure.

The Scale of the Crisis

The hunger strike on March 18 will span 38 prisons, from Evin Prison’s women’s ward to Qezel-Hesar, Tabriz Central Prison, and beyond. The campaign warns that these facilities are overcrowded with prisoners facing potential execution, describing a trail of atrocities stretching across the country—from Sheiban to Vakilabad, Adelabad to Zahedan. In Lakan Prison alone, 14 of approximately 130 female inmates have been sentenced to death, with execution orders already issued for two. This is just one example of the dire situation unfolding in dozens of similar facilities.

The prisoners’ statement is both a plea and a rallying cry, urging all who seek freedom and justice to join their cause. “We are taking even the smallest steps to save thousands of death row prisoners,” they declare, emphasizing the urgency of collective action to halt the regime’s execution spree.

A Call to the World

As the campaign enters its 60th week, it stands as a testament to the power of resistance in the face of oppression. The hunger strike on March 18, 2025, will see prisoners in facilities like Karaj Central Prison, Sheiban Ahvaz Prison, and Urmia Prison unite in a shared refusal to accept the status quo. Their message is clear: the fight against executions must grow stronger in the coming year, 1404.

The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign has not only exposed the scale of Iran’s execution crisis but also galvanized support both within the country and across the globe. As the prisoners prepare to mark this milestone with empty stomachs and resolute spirits, they extend gratitude to their supporters and a challenge to the world: to stand with them in rejecting a system that thrives on death and repression.
In their words, the fire of resistance burns on—fueled by hope, defiance, and an unyielding demand for justice.