After 16 days of a widespread hunger strike by approximately 1,500 death row prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison, the Iranian regime’s judiciary and officials from the Prisons Organization were forced to negotiate with the prisoners’ representatives. They offered promises to halt executions, return six prisoners from solitary confinement, and review the cases of those sentenced to death.
According to published reports, on Tuesday, July 28, a delegation consisting of officials from the Iranian regime’s Prisons Organization and administrators of Ghezel Hesar Prison—including the director general of Tehran Province’s prisons, the head of Tehran Province’s Clemency and Pardons Commission, the warden of Ghezel Hesar Prison, and several prison security and administrative officials—met with representatives of the prisoners in Unit 2.
Hunger Strike By 1,500 Death Row Prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison Marks 15th Day
The meeting took place as the prisoners’ collective hunger strike, launched in protest against executions and the transfer of several death row inmates to solitary confinement, entered its 16th day, raising growing concerns about the physical condition of the hunger strikers.
According to the sources that published the report, prison officials announced during the meeting that executions in drug-related cases in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison would be suspended until amendments to the anti-narcotics law are finalized. They also promised that the six death row prisoners who had been transferred to solitary confinement for execution would be returned to the general wards.
Another commitment made during the meeting was to re-examine the cases of all death row prisoners in the unit. According to the officials, the cases will be reviewed by Clemency and Pardons Commissions through a process that could take up to six months.
Reports indicate that prison officials initially attempted to persuade the prisoners’ representatives to end the strike. However, the prisoners insisted on maintaining their unity and pursuing their demands, stating that only the actual implementation of the promises could serve as the basis for deciding whether to continue or end their protest.
The prisoners also warned that they would resume their hunger strike if executions restart or if the officials fail to fulfill their commitments.
This is the second time in the past year that the Iranian regime’s judiciary has been forced to back down and make concessions following an organized protest by death row prisoners at Ghezel Hesar Prison. However, past experience has led both the prisoners and human rights organizations to view the implementation of these promises with skepticism.
In recent weeks, the hunger strike by prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar has become one of the largest collective protests by death row prisoners in Iran, once again placing the expansion of executions and the condition of prisoners sentenced to death at the center of public attention and the focus of human rights organizations.
