The mass hunger strike by death row prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj entered its ninth day on Tuesday, July 21. With around 1,500 prisoners participating across eight prison wards, it has become one of the largest protest movements by death row inmates in recent years.
The strike began on July 13 after six death row prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement, a move the inmates viewed as a precursor to their executions. The protesters are demanding a halt to executions, particularly in drug-related cases, and the return of the transferred prisoners to the general prison wards.
Eighth Day of Hunger Strike by 1,500 Prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison
As the prisoners’ demands have gone unanswered, the protest has entered a new phase. Reports indicate that a number of prisoners have sewn their lips shut in protest and, in addition to their hunger strike, have begun a dry hunger strike. Informed sources have also reported a deterioration in the physical condition of several participants, including severe weakness, declining physical strength, and the need for medical care for some of them.
Meanwhile, videos released from inside Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison show that the prisoners continue to refuse prison food. According to the inmates, despite more than a week having passed since the strike began, neither prison officials nor judicial authorities have taken any action to address their situation or respond to their demands.
Coinciding with the ninth day of the strike, prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison issued a statement calling on the public, independent media, human rights organizations, and the broader public opinion to be their voice. In the statement, they said that in addition to the approximately 1,500 striking prisoners in Ghezel Hesar, more than 5,000 death row prisoners in prisons across Iran are also at risk of execution.
The statement reads:
“Today marks the eighth day of the dry hunger strike by 1,500 death row prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison and more than 5,000 death row prisoners in prisons across the country, for whom the noose and death are closer than their jugular vein. We desperately ask all independent media, human rights organizations, and the public to be the voice of those who have no voice.”
The prisoners have called on the people of Iran not to remain silent in the face of the wave of executions and to support death row inmates by chanting “No to Executions.”
The escalation of the protest to include sewn lips and a dry hunger strike has dramatically increased concerns about the prisoners’ health. Families of the prisoners and human rights activists have warned that the continuation of this situation could place the lives of a number of the strikers in serious danger.
The mass protest by prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison is considered one of the most unprecedented collective protests by death row inmates in recent years in terms of the number of participants, its duration, and the methods of protest, including sewing their lips shut and undertaking a dry hunger strike. However, as of the time of this report, there has been no indication that the authorities have addressed the prisoners’ demands, and the strikers have declared that they will continue their protest until executions are halted and their demands are met.
