In the 58th consecutive week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign, imprisoned activists in Iran have issued a renewed call for “serious and urgent measures by the world’s awakened consciences to stop the killing machine.” Their plea highlights the alarming escalation of executions carried out by the Iranian regime.
A Growing Movement
On Tuesday, March 4, prisoners participating in the campaign released a statement announcing that detainees in Miandoab prison have joined the movement and initiated a hunger strike. This expansion brings the total number of prisons involved in the campaign to 38, demonstrating the widespread resistance among Iran’s incarcerated population.
According to the statement, “the tyrannical regime in Iran has executed 85 people in just two weeks in February.” The statement further detailed that in the past week alone, at least 53 people—including 24 Kurds and Baluchis—were executed. One individual was brutally hanged in public in Esfarayen, underscoring the regime’s intent to instill fear through public executions.
Executions as a Tool of Suppression
The campaign strongly condemned these executions, particularly as they occur on the eve of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, turning a time of celebration into a period of mourning for hundreds of Iranian families.
“These brutal executions show that this medieval government has no goal other than to create terror in society,” the statement asserted. “The regime seeks to extend its rule through repression, torture, and executions, using fear as a means to maintain its grip on power.”
National and International Solidarity
The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign emphasized that in response to the government’s escalating violence against defenseless citizens, many individuals inside Iran and across the world have joined the movement in solidarity. This includes prisoners in multiple detention centers who are standing against state-sponsored killings by participating in hunger strikes and other forms of protest.
Expanding Participation
The hunger strike and campaign have now reached prisoners across various provinces in Iran, including:
Tehran & Alborz Provinces: Evin Prison (women’s ward, wards 4 and 8), Ghezel Hesar Prison (units 3 and 4), Karaj Central Prison, Greater Tehran Prison.
Isfahan Province: Arak Prison, Asadabad Prison, Dastgerd Prison.
Khuzestan Province: Sheiban Prison, Sepidar Prison, Ramhormoz Prison.
Fars Province: Nezam Prison in Shiraz, Adelabad Prison (men’s and women’s wards).
Khorasan & Kerman Provinces: Bam Prison, Kahnuj Prison, Mashhad Prison.
Northern & Western Provinces: 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, Talesh Prison.
Other Regions: Borazjan Prison, Gonbad-e Kavus Prison, Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah, Joveyn Prison, Chobindar Prison in Qazvin.
A Call to Action
The prisoners’ statement reiterated their urgent plea for global intervention to halt the Iranian regime’s systematic executions. They called on international human rights organizations, activists, and governments to take immediate and decisive action against this escalating crisis.
As the resistance grows within Iran’s prisons, the world is once again faced with a stark reminder of the regime’s brutality—and the unwavering courage of those who stand against it.
