“No Execution Tuesdays” Campaign: A Growing Movement Against State Violence in Iran

On December 17, the “No Execution Tuesdays” campaign issued a statement marking the forty-seventh week of a hunger strike involving prisoners in 27 prisons across Iran. The statement revealed that at least 40 people were executed in the country over the past few days, highlighting the alarming scale of state violence.

Concerns Over Political Prisoners Facing Execution

The campaign’s imprisoned members expressed grave concern over the possible confirmation of death sentences for two political prisoners: Mohammad Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh and Saman Mohammadi Khayareh. Shayesteh, sentenced to death for “espionage” following a highly opaque trial, was recently transferred to Ghezel Hesar prison, raising fears that his execution may be imminent. Mohammadi Khayareh, who has been incarcerated for 15 years, was transferred to solitary confinement, further intensifying fears about the execution of his sentence.

Rising Execution Numbers and Systemic Hypocrisy

According to the campaign’s statement, at least 40 individuals were executed in Iran last week, with several executions carried out for drug-related charges. Activists within the campaign condemned the hypocrisy of these actions, pointing to the discovery of a drug distribution warehouse linked to the Iranian regime following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Despite this large-scale operation, ordinary citizens continue to face execution for possessing small quantities of narcotics.

Regional Disparities: Sistan and Baluchistan

The province of Sistan and Baluchistan remains disproportionately affected by executions, with at least 10 individuals from the region executed last week alone. This province has long faced systemic discrimination, economic deprivation, and heightened repression, making it a focal point of the regime’s punitive policies.

Expansion of the “No Execution Tuesdays” Campaign

The statement also reported on the growing solidarity among prisoners opposing the death penalty. Inmates from Tabas Prison in South Khorasan and Khurin Prison in Varamin County announced their participation in the “No Execution Tuesdays” campaign through letters, pledging to go on hunger strike every Tuesday. With this addition, the campaign now spans 27 prisons across the country, including:

• Evin Prison
• Ghezel Hesar Prison
• Central Karaj Prison
• Fashafouyeh Prison
• Arak Prison
• Khorramabad Prison
• Asadabad Prison (Isfahan)
• Dastgerd Prison (Isfahan)
• Shiban Prison (Ahvaz)
• Nizam Prison (Shiraz)
• Bam Prison
• Kohnuj Prison
• Mashhad Prison
• Qaem Shahr Prison
• Rasht Prison
• Ardabil Prison
• Tabriz Prison
• Urmia Prison
• Salmas Prison
• Khoy Prison
• Naqadeh Prison
• Saqez Prison
• Baneh Prison
• Marivan Prison
• Kamiyaran Prison
• Tabas Prison
• Khurin Prison (Varamin)

Origins and Objectives of the Campaign

The “No Execution Tuesdays” campaign was initiated last year by a group of political prisoners with the goal of abolishing executions and ending state violence. Over time, it has garnered increasing support, expanding its reach across multiple prisons and drawing attention to the Iranian regime’s reliance on executions as a tool of repression.

Through coordinated hunger strikes and public statements, the campaign seeks to challenge the normalization of state violence and demand accountability for systemic injustices. Its persistence highlights the resilience of those opposing human rights abuses, even under the dire conditions of incarceration.