Political and non-political prisoners in 34 prisons of the Iranian regime expressed hope on Tuesday, January 28, during the 53rd “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, that in the second year of this campaign, their voices would “connect from behind the thick walls of prison to the voices of Iran’s women, men, and youth and contribute to defending human rights and dismantling the gallows.”
In the statement from prisoners in 34 prisons, it was noted that in the past year, more than 1,000 prisoners were executed. Between December 21 and January 19, the number of executions exceeded 110.
They wrote: “On the anniversary of this campaign, we are on strike while on Sunday, January 26, two political prisoners and campaign members, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hasani, who have been sentenced to execution, were violently abducted from Evin Prison and transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison.”
The statement referred to the remarks of the lawyers representing these two political prisoners on Monday, January 27, saying that “a request for a retrial has been filed in their case.” It added: “However, according to information received by the campaign, these two political prisoners are currently held in the cells of the security ward 3 in Ghezel Hesar Prison, which is designated for prisoners awaiting execution, and they are under the threat of imminent execution.”
The statement discussed the first hunger strike by political prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj, on Tuesday, January 29, 2024. It added: “Initially, some political prisoners from wards 4 and 8 of Evin Prison, followed by the women’s ward in Evin Prison, Karaj Central Prison, Lakan Prison in Rasht, and subsequently, in the following weeks, other prisons also joined the ‘No to Execution Tuesdays’ campaign.”
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According to the prisoners who signed the statement, the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign began “when the wave of executions became so widespread and pervasive that it was unprecedented anywhere in the world.”
The political prisoners added: “At the onset of the wave of executions, a plea letter was published by ordinary prisoners under death sentences, seeking help and support from all prisoners and the people of Iran to save their lives and the many others sentenced to death.”
The statement added: “The launch of the ‘No to Execution Tuesdays’ campaign coincided with the seventh day after the execution of the late Mohammad Ghobadlou and Farhad Salimi, political and ideological prisoners in Ghezel Hesar.”
The signatories of the statement noted that “the initial members of the campaign protested the executions by going on a hunger strike” and “chose Tuesdays for their strike because death row prisoners are generally transferred to solitary confinement on Mondays and executed at dawn on Wednesdays.”
They emphasized: “This protest movement, which has now spread to most prisons in the country, has, thanks to the efforts of our compatriots inside and outside Iran, transcended prison walls and crossed geographical boundaries.” They wrote: “Numerous human rights organizations, activists, international bodies, and even political movements have expressed their support for it. Many media outlets and news agencies, in a responsible act towards human rights, publish and disseminate the campaign’s statements and reports every week.”
The statement also mentioned the support of the campaign by Javaid Rehman, the former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, and noted that Mai Sato, the current UN Special Rapporteur, has described the campaign as an unwavering commitment to justice and human rights that has shone brightly in the face of the regime’s oppressive actions.
Another part of the statement read: “Under the rule of the religious dictatorship in Iran, executions have reached unimaginable proportions and have become a tool to intimidate the people, effectively holding the public hostage.”
The signatories of the statement stressed: “In Iran, the death sentence is not a legal punishment but has become a political tool for oppression and vengeance against the people of Iran.” They wrote: “This reality doubles our responsibility to confront repression, torture, and executions, and we hope to fulfill this duty.”
They concluded their statement by writing: According to Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person,” and according to Article 5, “No one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.” Furthermore, execution is “an irreversible and irreparable punishment.”
According to this statement, in the 53rd week of this campaign, prisoners in 34 prisons are on hunger strike.
