On Human Rights Day, Iran Human Rights Monitor announced that 3,000 global leaders, including former presidents, ministers, ambassadors, UN officials, Nobel laureates, and human rights organizations, have endorsed the call to end executions in Iran. This coincides with the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign, initiated by political prisoners in 26 Iranian prisons.
The statement underscores concerns that Iranian authorities use executions as a political tool to instill fear and suppress uprisings. Signatories also support opposition leader Maryam Rajavi’s steadfast commitment to abolishing the death penalty, as outlined in her Ten-Point Plan for Iran’s future. Rajavi reaffirmed this call at the International Jurists’ Conference on August 24, 2024, in Paris.
According to Amnesty International, Iran accounted for 74% of global executions in 2023, with 342 reported since the new president assumed office. October 2023 alone witnessed 152 executions, including 10 women. Among the executed were political dissidents like Reza Rasaei, detained during the November 2022 uprising in Shahriar, Tehran province.
A March 2024 report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran (FFMI) highlighted summary trials leading to death sentences, with Iranian authorities expediting executions under political directives. The FFMI’s findings classify these violations as crimes against humanity, encompassing murder, imprisonment, torture, and sexual violence.
Professor Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, reiterated these concerns in his July 2024 report, describing the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners as genocide. Rehman noted evidence of mass killings and torture against members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), conducted with genocidal intent. The global community’s prolonged inaction has emboldened Iran’s regime to continue its oppressive practices.
Since early 2024, political prisoners across 20 Iranian prisons have participated in weekly hunger strikes as part of the “No to Executions” campaign. The movement has gained traction internationally, with over 1,500 prominent figures from 78 countries joining the call. Supporters include over 450 parliament members, former leaders, Nobel laureates, ambassadors, and human rights experts.
Maryam Rajavi’s leadership remains central to this campaign, with her vision for a future Iran anchored in justice and human rights. The “No to Execution” movement reflects growing global solidarity against Iran’s use of executions and the urgent need to halt these human rights violations.
