Political prisoners in 52 prisons across Iran went on hunger strike as part of the “No To Execution Tuesdays” campaign. This protest action is aimed at opposing the massive wave of executions, the issuance of new death sentences, and demanding the abolition of the death penalty.
This hunger strike comes at a time when shocking news has recently emerged from Iran’s prisons: the death of political prisoner Somayeh Rashidi in Qarchak Prison due to medical neglect, the execution of Bahman Choobi Asl on charges of espionage, the issuance of death sentences for Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi, and the confirmation of Peyman Farahavar’s death sentence. Alongside these, a United Nations report and the unprecedented figure of 871 executions in the past six months paint a horrific picture of widespread human rights violations in Iran.
The statement of the prisoners participating in the 88th week of the “No To Execution Tuesdays” campaign is as follows:
“The 88th week of the ‘No To Execution Tuesdays’ campaign in 52 prisons
This week we once again stand with deep sorrow and endless solidarity in memory of Somayeh Rashidi, a political prisoner who lost her life due to lack of medical care. Her tragic death is part of the policy of ‘slow-killing’ prisoners and a bitter warning about the condition of sick inmates in the country’s prisons—prisoners deprived of the most basic human rights. Members of the ‘No To Execution Tuesdays’ campaign express their heartfelt sympathy with her family and friends.
“At the same time, the execution of Bahman Choobi Asl on espionage charges in a vague process on September 29, the death sentences for two political prisoners, Hamed Validi and Nima Shahi, in the Karaj Revolutionary Court, and the confirmation of Peyman Farahavar’s death sentence by the Supreme Court, all indicate the continuation of a troubling trend of repression and violence against the people of Iran and prisoners. These unjust rulings are a blatant violation of human rights and a tool of repression that must be stopped immediately.
“In this regard, the position of Ms. Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, once again drew the world’s attention to the disastrous state of Iran’s prisons. The statistics—46 executions in the past week, 190 executions between August 23 and September 23, unprecedented in the past 35 years, and 871 executions in the past six months—paint a horrifying picture of the ruthless violation of human rights.
“The ‘No To Execution Tuesdays’ campaign, while condemning these crimes, once again demands the immediate halt of death sentences and an end to this inhumane process. Our voice is a cry of solidarity with all prisoners trapped in oppression and injustice. As before, while thanking all campaign supporters around the world, we emphasize that the execution machine can be stopped through solidarity and unity.
“Every protest against a death sentence is a step toward halting this cruel process. We call on all opponents of the death penalty to raise their voices against these inhumane rulings.”
On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, members of the “No To Execution Tuesdays” campaign, in its 88th week, went on hunger strike in 52 prisons across the country.
