{"id":70288,"date":"2025-02-11T16:19:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T15:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=70288"},"modified":"2025-02-12T09:30:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T08:30:27","slug":"nationwide-hunger-strike-marks-55th-week-of-no-to-executions-tuesdays-campaign-in-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/human-rights\/2025\/02\/nationwide-hunger-strike-marks-55th-week-of-no-to-executions-tuesdays-campaign-in-iran\/70288\/","title":{"rendered":"Nationwide Hunger Strike Marks 55th Week of \u201cNo to Executions Tuesdays\u201d Campaign in Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\" — No to Execution Tuesdays campaign in Iran \u2013 55th week<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Political prisoners across Iran have launched a coordinated hunger strike in 35 prisons as part of the 55th week<\/a> of the \u201c No to Executions Tuesdays<\/a>\u201d campaign, a growing movement against the regime\u2019s 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\u2019s systematic execution of political prisoners and other detainees.<\/p>\n
In a statement<\/a> 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. \u201cSince 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,\u201d the statement declared.<\/p>\n
This latest escalation has drawn renewed international scrutiny to Iran\u2019s 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\u2019s Supreme Court rejected her appeal for a retrial.<\/p>\n
The campaign has denounced these rulings as arbitrary and devoid of due process. \u201cThese executions are not about justice; they are deliberate tactics to instill fear, silence dissent, and preempt uprisings,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s use of capital punishment as a tool of oppression.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The campaign also underscores how executions are employed as instruments of social control rather than legal punishment. \u201cEvery execution is a cost the Iranian people are forced to pay to sustain this regime,\u201d campaigners stated. \u201cThe judiciary does not dispense justice; it serves as an arm of repression, disguising political persecution as law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the regime\u2019s aggressive efforts to quash the movement, the \u201cNo to Executions Tuesdays\u201d campaign continues to grow, both within prisons and among activists abroad. This week\u2019s hunger strike marks the third coordinated strike since the start of the campaign\u2019s second year, signaling the detainees\u2019 unwavering commitment to resisting state violence.<\/p>\n
Political prisoners and human rights advocates have urged the Iranian public and international organizations to take immediate action to prevent further executions. \u201cThis time, we must not mourn another life lost to state-sanctioned murder,\u201d the campaign\u2019s statement warned. \u201cWe must act before it happens. This is a test for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Iran\u2019s execution machine continues at full speed, the \u201cNo to Executions Tuesdays\u201d campaign remains one of the most significant organized resistance efforts within the country\u2019s prisons. Whether it can sustain its momentum against increasing state repression remains an open question.<\/p>\n
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\ud83d\udea8 55th Week of \u201cNo to Execution Tuesdays\u201d \u2013 Hunger Strike in 35 Iranian Prisons<\/p>\n
On Feb 11, prisoners in 35 prisons across Iran launched a hunger strike against the regime\u2019s executions.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udce2 In their statement, they warned:
\n\u201cSince Feb 2024, at least 1,021 people have been\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/hBQjiRjhs0<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) February 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n