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In support and solidarity with “No Death Penalty Tuesdays” abolitionist movement in Iran
Statement
Every six hours, one person was executed in Iranian prisons in the first 20 days of August. Execution numbers have been rising every year since 2021, with at least 834 people executed in 2023, and 395 executions recorded by Iran Human Rights as of 26th August 2024.
Drug-related executions remain the charges that account for more than half of the executions in Iran. Marginalised groups of society and ethnic minorities, in particular the Kurdish and Baluch, are overrepresented among those executed.
The Islamic Republic uses the death penalty as a tool of political repression and death sentences are issued after unfair trials without the minimal standards of due process.
After bearing witness to months of weekly group executions in Karaj and the execution of several political prisoners in January 2024, a group of brave political prisoners* in Ghezelhesar Prison in Karaj staged a protest which was violently suppressed. The diverse group of political prisoners from different backgrounds and beliefs thus began a weekly hunger strike on 30th January that became known as “Black Tuesdays” and “No Death Penalty Tuesdays.” They chose Tuesdays for that is the day death row inmates are typically transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for the gallows in Ghezelhesar Prison.
The weekly mass hunger strikes are now in their 31st week and the movement has spread to 17 other prisons across Iran. The participants remain resolute in their demands against the death penalty despite violent crackdowns.
We, the undersigned organisations, declare our solidarity and support for the “No Death Penalty Tuesdays” movement in Iranian prisons. We call for an immediate halt on all executions with a view to abolish the death penalty in Iran and urge the international community to support the growing abolition movement in Iran.
* The “No Death Penalty Tuesdays” hunger strikes were started by Ghezelhesar political prisoners Zartosht Ahmadi Ragheb, Loghman Aminpour, Meisam Dahbanzadeh, Jafar Ebrahimi, Sepehr Emam Jomeh, Ahmadreza Haeri, Reza Mohammad Hosseini, Saeed Masouri, Reza Salmanzadeh and Hamzeh Savari in alphabetical order.
Signatories:
- Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO)
- World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP)
- Impact Iran
- Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM)
- Defenders of Human Rights Center (Shirin Ebadi)
- Harm Reduction International
- World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
- Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
- Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN)
- International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
- Justice for Iran
- 6Rang (Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network)
- Kurdistan Human Rights Association-Geneva (KMMK-G)
- International Educational Development, Inc (IED)
- Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran
- Kurdistan Human Rights Network
- Haal Vsh
- Center for Human Rights in Iran
- Balochistan Human Right group
- Rasank
- Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
- United for Iran
- Kurdpa Human Rights Organization
- HANA Human Rights Organization
- Siamak Pourzand Foundation
- Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation
- Baloch Activists Campaign
- Association for the human rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran (Ahraz)
- Hengaw Organization for Human Rights
- Hands off Cain
- The Advocates for Human Rights, USA
- ARTICLE 19
- Justice Project Pakistan
- European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR)
- Odhikar, Bangladesh
- Cornell Center on the Death Penalty, USA
- PEN America
- German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP)
- The Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU)
- Death Penalty Focus, USA
- The Christian Union for Progress and Human Rights, DRC
- Capital Punishment Justice Project, Australia
- Amnesty International (Group 205), Dallas
- Human Rights Dallas
- Southern Methodist University Human Rights Program, USA
- Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), South Korea
- Witness to Innocence, USA
- Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği – İHD), Türkiye
- Redemption Pakistan
- ACAT, Ghana
- French Collective Free Mumia, France
- Function 8, Singapore
- Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat, Indonesia
- International Committee Against Execution (ICAE)
- Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)
- United Against Gender Apartheid
- Global Campaign to Stop Executions In Iran
- All Human Rights for All in Iran
- Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI)
- Iranian Citizens’ Initiative Saar (IRBIS)
- Parsi Law Collective
- NIKA, Network of Iranians for Liberty and Democracy
- Iranian’s Socio-Cultural Center of Quebec Simorgh
- Global Network to Free Political Prisoners in Iran
- Free Iran Switzerland
- Solidarity with the women’s revolution of Freedom Life Frankfurt Mainz and Wiesbaden
- Alliance for Freedom, Washington DC
- Iranian Medical Society for Human Rights and Democracy (Berlin MED)
Categories
Iran (Islamic Republic of)