The “Tuesdays Against Death Penalty” Campaign has continued for 49 weeks. This statement refers to the shocking tragedy that is happening in Iran, and we, by publishing this statement, call on the international community to put maximum pressure on the Iranian regime:
“Silence in the face of such tragedies is a form of complicity with it.”
The 49th week of the “Tuesdays No to Executions” campaign continued in 28 different prisons.
In the days when the voices of people and activists against the death penalty have become louder than ever, executions and repressions have not only not decreased, but the authoritarian government has intensified them. In the last few days, the judiciary has approved the amputation of body parts (arms and legs) for people accused of theft and war crimes, in order to normalize their brutal crimes and spread fear and oppression in society with these repressive methods. Many of these suspected thieves are victims of structural corruption, class discrimination, theft, and astronomical embezzlement by the rulers and government affiliates.
The misogynist government that rules Iran, continuing its repression, has sentenced a number of female prisoners in Qarchak prison to the medieval punishment of “stoning” on charges of illicit relations, which in the most optimistic case may be commuted to death by stoning instead of death by fire. We believe that silence in the face of such tragedies is considered complicity, and we must stand against this cruelty and barbarism.
At least 41 people were executed in the first ten days of January, and 23 in just three days, in a government that witnesses widespread executions in various prisons every day. And a large number of those sentenced to death in various prisons have been transferred to solitary confinement to serve their sentences.
Political prisoner Mujahid Korkor, who has been in prison for more than two years, has had his death sentence, previously overturned by the court, upheld for a second time by the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court, and his life is in grave danger.
Recently, the authoritarian government of the Supreme Leader has been pressuring and threatening to arrest independent and honorable lawyers who try to take on the cases of political prisoners and those sentenced to death. This action, which we have witnessed many times in recent years, has resulted in the imprisonment of some lawyers simply for defending their clients. These honorable and independent lawyers must be defended.
Over the past few days, we have seen widespread support for this campaign from activists inside and outside the country. We sincerely appreciate everyone and believe that opposing the death penalty should mean opposing any kind of execution and supporting any person sentenced to death.
The “No to Death Penalty Tuesdays” campaign, while condemning the government’s repressive and inhumane measures, which are a gross violation of human rights, calls on all activists in this field to take action against repression and executions in Iran.
We also call on the Iranian people and prisoners to support and join this campaign to end the death penalty in Iran. With solidarity and united action, we can eradicate the root of executions and build a country free of violence and executions. We do not forget that the perpetrators of these executions, killings and repressions are the greatest criminals against humanity who must be held accountable for their shameful actions in a people’s court. Undoubtedly, the perpetrators of many of these crimes are the oppressive rulers who have seized power and government for their own benefit and are opposed to any form of freedom and equality.
Members of the “Tuesdays No to Executions” campaign will go on hunger strike in 28 prisons on Tuesday, January 1st, 2024, in the 49th week.