Young activists in cities across Iran carried out a series of actions supporting the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, calling for an immediate halt to executions and honoring political prisoners who have been executed by the Iranian regime.
The actions took place in Tehran, Karaj, Rasht, Ahvaz, Mashhad, Babolsar, Yazd, Amol, Sanandaj, Varamin, and Fuman. Participants displayed banners and placards, conducted photo actions, and placed wreaths and flowers in memory of executed political prisoners.
The nationwide activities were part of continuing protests against the Iranian regime’s expanding use of the death penalty and its execution of political prisoners and protesters.
“No to execution” actions across Iran
In Rasht, activists placed a wreath featuring a photograph of executed PMOI member Babak Alipour, accompanied by a message remembering him and declaring that his memory remains alive.
Other actions in the city highlighted individual cases of prisoners facing execution. Placards called for the cancellation of the death sentence against 22-year-old student Ehsan Faridi and demanded the freedom of Issa Chari.
The slogans reflected the broader message of the campaign: opposition to executions and solidarity with prisoners facing the death penalty.
In Karaj, activists carried out a photo action with the slogan:
“From Qezel Hesar to across the country: No to execution.”
The reference to Qezel Hesar Prison is particularly significant given the large number of political prisoners held there and the prison’s association with executions carried out by the Iranian regime.
In Ahvaz, activists called for the immediate cancellation of the death sentence against Masoud Jamei. Another action demanded the cancellation of the execution sentence against Ali-Reza Mardasi.
Young activists honor executed prisoners
The actions also sought to keep the memory of executed political prisoners alive.
In Babolsar, activists displayed a message addressed to the Iranian regime:
“Addressing the dragon of our time: The blood of our martyrs guarantees our inevitable victory.”
In Mashhad, activists displayed the slogan:
“The first word, the last word: Overthrow, overthrow.”
The message linked opposition to executions with the broader demand for political change in Iran.
In Yazd, activists directly challenged the regime’s justification for capital punishment, stating:
“Execution is not the implementation of justice, but a lever for the survival of the fascist rule. Rise up against executions.”
Actions in Amol and Sanandaj
In Amol, activists called for the immediate cancellation of death sentences imposed on young Iranians. One of their messages declared:
“We will dismantle the gallows and raise the flag of freedom, patience, and resistance.”
Another action in Amol commemorated executed political prisoner Mehdi Delavar, stating that a flame had been kindled in the hearts of Iranians in his memory.
Similar sentiments were expressed in Sanandaj, where activists displayed a message remembering Mehdi Delavar:
“Dear and courageous Mehdi, in your memory there is a flame within our hearts.”
These actions reflect an effort by activists to prevent the regime’s executions from erasing the memory of those who have been killed and to turn remembrance into a continuing political demand against the death penalty.
Varamin: Demands for the remains of executed prisoners
In Varamin, several actions focused on the fate of the bodies of executed political prisoners.
Activists demanded information about the whereabouts of the remains of Mehdi Khanki, Behrouz Ehsani, and Ali-Akbar Daneshvarkar.
Placards asked:
“Where is the body of executed prisoner Mehdi Khanki?”
Other messages similarly asked where the remains of Behrouz Ehsani and Ali-Akbar Daneshvarkar were being held.
Another placard demanded that the families of executed prisoners be informed about the location of the bodies of those executed and buried without graves.
The issue is especially sensitive for families of executed political prisoners, who have frequently faced uncertainty and restrictions surrounding the burial and return of their loved ones’ remains.
“From the blood of our comrades, thousands of storms arise”
In Fuman, activists conducted photo actions and installed placards bearing the slogan:
“From the red blood of our comrades arise thousands of storms.”
The slogan encapsulated a recurring theme throughout the day’s actions: that executions intended to intimidate society instead become a source of anger, remembrance, and continued resistance.
The geographical spread of the activities—from Tehran and Karaj to Rasht, Ahvaz, Mashhad, Yazd, Amol, Sanandaj, Varamin, Babolsar, and Fuman—demonstrated the campaign’s continued presence in different parts of Iran.
Growing opposition to the death penalty
The “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign has developed into a sustained prison-based and nationwide movement against capital punishment in Iran. Political prisoners have used weekly hunger strikes and statements to protest executions, while supporters outside prisons have carried the campaign’s message into cities across the country.
The September 8 actions combined opposition to the death penalty with demands for freedom for prisoners facing execution and remembrance of those already executed.
The slogans displayed by activists repeatedly connected the abolition of executions with the broader struggle against repression and authoritarian rule. By publicly displaying the names and photographs of executed prisoners, activists also sought to challenge the Iranian regime’s attempt to use executions as an instrument of fear.
The latest actions therefore carried two interconnected messages: an immediate demand to halt executions and a broader rejection of the repression underpinning the regime’s rule.