Citizens in multiple cities join coordinated protests demanding an end to state executions despite tight security controls

Nationwide Protests Defy Crackdown

In the 92nd consecutive week of the No to Execution Tuesdays campaign, citizens across Iran held coordinated demonstrations against state executions in dozens of cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, Rasht, Hamedan, Kermanshah, Urmia, Shiraz, and several others. Despite heavy security measures and ongoing intimidation, protesters gathered in public spaces to denounce what they describe as the regime’s “policy of death.”

Participants carried banners reading: “No to Execution,” “Abolish Death Sentences,” “Do Not Stay Silent Against Injustice,” and “Freedom for Political Prisoners.” Many named individuals currently facing imminent execution, including Ehsan Faridi, Zahra Shahbaz Tabari, Manouchehr Fallah, Peyman Farahavar, Yaqub Derakhshan, and Mohammadjavad Vafaee Sani.

Families and Mothers at the Forefront

A defining feature of No to Execution Tuesdays is the leading presence of mothers and families of political prisoners and those sentenced to death. Many of these women, known as Mothers of Justice, carried photos of their loved ones through city streets, symbolizing civic resilience in the face of state repression.

This week, they once again chanted “We support No to Execution Tuesdays,” a slogan that has come to represent solidarity and persistence across the movement. The presence of women—especially mothers and wives of prisoners—continues to highlight the human and moral dimension of this growing civil campaign. Families of Vahid Bani-Amarian and Pouya Ghobadi also joined the protests, expressing their support.

Broader Public Participation

On October 27, retired workers in Kermanshah gathered outside the local pension fund office to protest poor living conditions and inadequate medical benefits. Their rally, however, soon expanded beyond economic grievances. Chants such as “Iran Without Executions” and “Carrying Out Death Sentences Is Betrayal of the Quran” illustrated how opposition to the death penalty has become a unifying social demand.

Protesters also expressed anger over corruption and repression, chanting: “A teacher’s place is not in prison—free all imprisoned teachers!” and “They looted Iran and impoverished the people!” Similar demonstrations took place two days earlier in Rasht, further amplifying public opposition to executions and broader state injustice.

Families Rally Outside Parliament

On October 26, families of prisoners sentenced to death in Ghezel Hesar Prison gathered for the second time near Tehran’s Baharestan Square and the Parliament building. The protest was surrounded by a heavy police presence throughout.

Relatives carried signs demanding a halt to executions and calling for judicial reform. One striking scene featured a child holding a placard reading: “The execution of one person doesn’t end mistakes—it begins new suffering for innocent children.” Protesters repeatedly chanted “No to Execution” and “Stop Executions in Ghezel Hesar,” referring to the sharp increase in executions reported at the prison in recent weeks.

Growing Civil Movement

According to human rights organizations, Iran continues to record one of the highest execution rates in the world. In October 2025 alone, at least 284 prisoners were executed in facilities including Ghezel Hesar, Urmia, Zahedan, and Mashhad.

The No to Execution Tuesdays movement has become a grassroots campaign challenging this reality. Its participants emphasize that their goal extends beyond abolishing capital punishment—it also calls for judicial transparency, fair trials, and an end to politically motivated death sentences.

A Persistent National Outcry

The 92nd week of No to Execution Tuesdays once again revealed the growing national resistance to the regime’s use of executions as a political and social tool. Despite suppression and surveillance, the movement continues to channel a collective demand for justice, dignity, and the sanctity of life.

As executions increase, Iranians’ weekly protests have turned into a sustained national outcry—an affirmation of life over death and a demand for an end to the state’s machinery of repression.

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