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Nationwide Hunger Strike Marks 55th Week of “No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign in Iran

Iran Freedom
No to Execution Tuesdays campaign in Iran – 55th week

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.

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

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