48th Week of “No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign Expands to 28 Prisons

Date: December 24, 2024
Location: 28 Prisons Across Iran

As the world prepares to welcome the New Year, political prisoners in Iran marked the 48th week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign by intensifying their resistance. Hunger strikes were reported in 28 prisons across the country, with the prison in Rudsar, Gilan Province, newly joining the campaign. This week’s actions come as a grim reminder of the ongoing execution spree by the ruling regime, with 953 executions recorded so far in 2024.

A Dark Year for Iran: Alarming Execution Statistics

According to reports, the regime has executed at least 953 people in 2024, including 33 women and 8 political prisoners. Disturbingly, 96 Kurdish and 101 Baluchi citizens were among those executed.

Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj has emerged as the epicenter of executions, accounting for 158 executions—approximately 17% of all executions nationwide.

Unity in Resistance: Rudsar Prison Joins the Movement

This week, prisoners in Rudsar Prison announced their participation in the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign. Their letter declared their commitment to hunger strikes as a form of protest against the regime’s execution machinery, which operates without pause—even during national holidays.

Global Call to Action: Halt the Execution Machine

The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign continues to expose the regime’s systemic violence and amplify the voices of the voiceless. Members of the campaign reiterated:
“The regime uses executions to suppress public dissent, and every execution in Iran is political. We call on all humanitarian organizations and human rights advocates, both inside and outside Iran, to take serious action to stop these executions. The key to victory lies in solidarity and collective action. We must stand united to end this systematic killing.”

Participating Prisons in the 48th Week of the Campaign

Prisoners across 28 facilities are participating in this week’s hunger strike, including:

• Evin Prison (Women’s Ward, Wards 4 & 8)
• Qezel Hesar Prison (Units 3 & 4)
• Central Prison of Karaj
• Greater Tehran Penitentiary
• Khurin Prison (Varamin)
• Prisons in Arak, Khorramabad, Isfahan, Bam, and Mashhad
• Rudsar Prison (Gilan Province)
• And other facilities in Shiraz, Ahvaz, Ardabil, Tabriz, Urmia, and Kurdistan regions (Saqqez, Baneh, Marivan, Kamyaran, etc.).

The prisoners’ message included a New Year’s greeting:
“On the eve of the New Year, we celebrate the birth of Christ, the herald of peace and freedom. We wish for a world free of oppression, executions, and violence, especially for the Iranian people suffering under the tyranny of the regime.”

As the campaign enters its 48th week, it underscores the resilience of political prisoners and the urgent need for international action to halt Iran’s execution spree. The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign has successfully placed prisons like Qezel Hesar on international sanctions lists, showcasing the impact of collective resistance.