Political prisoners across Iran have launched a coordinated hunger strike in 35 prisons as part of the 55th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign, a growing movement against the regime’s rampant use of capital punishment. Since its inception in January 2024, this initiative has gained momentum, with detainees staging weekly acts of resistance against the Iranian judiciary’s systematic execution of political prisoners and other detainees.

In a statement marking the latest week of the campaign, prisoners condemned the ruling establishment for its increasing reliance on repression and mass executions as a means to retain power amid growing domestic and international isolation. “Since February 2024, the regime has carried out approximately 1,021 executions by hanging alone, a grim testament to its dependence on fear and bloodshed to maintain control,” the statement declared.

This latest escalation has drawn renewed international scrutiny to Iran’s judiciary, particularly following two politically motivated death sentences. Kurdish political prisoner Pezhman Soltani, arrested during the 2023 anti-regime protests, has been sentenced to death on allegations of killing a paramilitary Basij officer. Similarly, Pakhshan Azizi, another political prisoner, faces imminent execution after Iran’s Supreme Court rejected her appeal for a retrial.

The campaign has denounced these rulings as arbitrary and devoid of due process. “These executions are not about justice; they are deliberate tactics to instill fear, silence dissent, and preempt uprisings,” the statement read.

International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato, have strongly condemned the death sentence against Azizi, warning that her execution would represent a dangerous escalation of the Iranian regime’s use of capital punishment as a tool of oppression.

As the campaign gains traction, authorities have intensified restrictions on political prisoners participating in the movement. In Evin Prison, inmates protesting recent execution orders against fellow prisoners Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani have reportedly been denied visitation rights as a punitive measure.

The campaign also underscores how executions are employed as instruments of social control rather than legal punishment. “Every execution is a cost the Iranian people are forced to pay to sustain this regime,” campaigners stated. “The judiciary does not dispense justice; it serves as an arm of repression, disguising political persecution as law enforcement.”

Despite the regime’s aggressive efforts to quash the movement, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign continues to grow, both within prisons and among activists abroad. This week’s hunger strike marks the third coordinated strike since the start of the campaign’s second year, signaling the detainees’ unwavering commitment to resisting state violence.

Political prisoners and human rights advocates have urged the Iranian public and international organizations to take immediate action to prevent further executions. “This time, we must not mourn another life lost to state-sanctioned murder,” the campaign’s statement warned. “We must act before it happens. This is a test for all of us.”

As Iran’s execution machine continues at full speed, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign remains one of the most significant organized resistance efforts within the country’s prisons. Whether it can sustain its momentum against increasing state repression remains an open question.

🚨 55th Week of “No to Execution Tuesdays” – Hunger Strike in 35 Iranian Prisons

On Feb 11, prisoners in 35 prisons across Iran launched a hunger strike against the regime’s executions.

📢 In their statement, they warned:
“Since Feb 2024, at least 1,021 people have been… pic.twitter.com/hBQjiRjhs0

— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) February 11, 2025

The 55th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” hunger strike includes prisoners 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