85+ Executions in 20 Days; IHRNGO Urges International Solidarity With “No Death Penalty Tuesdays“ Movement
Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); August 20, 2024: At least 85 people were executed in the last 20 days in Iran. As execution numbers continue to rise, the weekly mass hunger strikes by political prisoners against the death penalty which have been ongoing for 30 weeks and continue to spread to different prisons. Various forms of civil protests against the death penalty have also continued throughout Iran.
Expressing its support for “No Death Penalty Tuesdays,” Iran Human Rights urges mass support for the campaign to stop the Islamic Republic’s killing machine.
IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “A sustained campaign and public mass movement against the death penalty is the only way to stop the Islamic Republic’s execution machine and abolish this inhumane punishment. Now, prisoners who are witnesses to their fellow inmates’ executions, are leading this movement from behind bars.” He added: “The Islamic Republic is the world’s largest executioner per capita, and the 30 weeks of anti-death penalty strikes have put Iran in the frontline of the struggle against the death penalty! We call on the public and abolitionist organisations around the world to support the brave activists by showing solidarity to the “No Death Penalty Tuesday” strikes.”
According to data collected by IHRNGO researchers, the Islamic Republic has executed at least 85 people including a “Woman, Life, Freedom” protester and 8 Afghan nationals in August in Ghezlhesar, Karaj, Yasuj, Minab, Zahedan, Mashhad, Gorgan, Kerman, Bam, Rafsanjan, Arak, Sabzevar, Zahedan, Tabriz, Isfahan, Khorramabad, Bushehr, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Qazvin, Bandarabbas, Zanjan and Khaf prisons.
The ”No Death Penalty Tuesdays” movement was started by Ghezelhesar political prisoners. The first hunger strike took place on 30 January 2024 in what became known as “Black Tuesdays” after prison officials cracked down on protests against the execution of political prisoners at the prison. 30 weeks later, the strikes now take place in 18 Iranian prisons including Ghezelhesar, Evin, Karaj Penitentiary, Shiraz, Khoy, Tabriz, Khorramabad, Lakan, Naghdeh, Marivan, Ardabil, Salmas, Baneh, Ghaemshahr, Saqqez and Mashhad prisons on a weekly basis.
In a statement issued to mark the 30th week of strikes, the political prisoners called on the public inside and outside Iran to stand against the death penalty and support the “No Death Penalty Tuesdays” campaign in any way they can.
As well as the Tuesday strikes, another wave of anti-death penalty protests took place after the execution of Kurdish protester Reza Rasayi in Kermanshah Central Prison on 6 August. On the same day, the women political prisoners in Evin Prison joined the weekly strikes by gathering in the prison yard and chanting against Reza Rasayi’s execution. They called for the abolition of the death penalty and for the death sentences against political prisoners to be overturned. Prison guards violently attacked the women’s gathering, injuring Narges Mohammadi, Nasrin Javadi, Sarvenaz Ahmadi, Samaneh Asghari, Varshieh Moradi and Reyhaneh Ansarinejad.
On 19 August, 43 human rights activists and human rights and women’s rights organisation heads signed a joint statement in solidarity with the women political prisoners in Tehran’s Evin Prison whose protest against the execution of protester Reza Rasaei was brutally repressed.
Furthermore, the women prisoners in Rasht Central Prison have joined the anti-death penalty campaign.
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