In the 40th week of the “No Execution Tuesdays” campaign, the addition of Kohnuj prison brings the total number of participating prisons to 24. These include Evin Prison (Women’s Ward, Wards 4 and 8), Qezel Hesar (Units 3 and 4), Central Karaj, Great Tehran, Khorramabad, Arak, Asadabad, Isfahan, Nizam Shiraz, Bam, Mashhad, Lakan Rasht, Qaimshahr, Ardabil, Tabriz, Urmia, Salmas, Khoy, Naqadeh, Saqqez, Baneh, Marivan, Kamyaran, Shiban, Ahvaz, and Kohnuj.
In a powerful statement issued for this milestone week, participating prisoners highlighted the dire situation under the current regime in Iran, noting, “In the medieval regime ruling Iran, we witness an increasing number of executions every day.” They reported that in the first week of Aban (the Persian calendar), 27 individuals were hanged in just three days—an average of seven executions per day. Since the start of the year, nearly 567 people have been executed, with 150 occurring in October alone.
Tragically, Jamshid Sharmahd was executed yesterday after four years of imprisonment. Throughout his detention, he was held in a security center, where authorities reportedly aimed to conceal the torture and human rights violations he endured.
The statement from the striking prisoners also addressed the recent confirmation of death sentences for four Baloch political prisoners: Eidou Shahbakhsh, Abdol Ghani Shahbakhsh, Abdol Rahim Qanbarzehi, and Soleiman Shahbakhsh. These individuals, who are also part of the “No Execution Tuesdays” campaign, have been incarcerated in the “security section” of Qezel Hesar prison under dire conditions for nearly 16 months, and their lives are at grave risk.
The prisoners emphasized that despite rampant repression and societal terror, resistance persists. Last week, coinciding with the “No Execution Tuesdays” campaign, families of prisoners sentenced to death gathered outside the Iranian parliament to protest against the regime’s execution policies.
Furthermore, the statement noted that the Criminal Court of Tehran sentenced five women political prisoners in Evin to a total of 27 months of additional imprisonment for protesting mass executions.
The striking prisoners called on human rights activists to amplify the voices of prisoners and the families of those sentenced to death, underscoring that collective solidarity is the only effective means to halt the ongoing executions.
This ongoing campaign highlights the urgent need for global attention and action against the execution practices in Iran, as advocates continue to push for justice and human rights for all.
