In support and solidarity with “No Death Penalty Tuesdays” abolitionist movement in Iran

Statement

By World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, on 28 August 2024

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:

1. Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO)
2. World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP)
3. Impact Iran
4. Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM)
5. Defenders of Human Rights Center (Shirin Ebadi)
6. Harm Reduction International
7. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
8. Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
9. Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN)
10. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
11. Justice for Iran
12. 6Rang (Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network)
13. Kurdistan Human Rights Association-Geneva (KMMK-G)
14. International Educational Development, Inc (IED)
15. Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran
16. Kurdistan Human Rights Network
17. Haal Vsh
18. Center for Human Rights in Iran
19. Balochistan Human Right group
20. Rasank
21. Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
22. United for Iran
23. Kurdpa Human Rights Organization
24. HANA Human Rights Organization
25. Siamak Pourzand Foundation
26. Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation
27. Baloch Activists Campaign
28. Association for the human rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran (Ahraz)
29. Hengaw Organization for Human Rights
30. Hands off Cain
31. The Advocates for Human Rights, USA
32. ARTICLE 19
33. Justice Project Pakistan
34. European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR)
35. Odhikar, Bangladesh
36. Cornell Center on the Death Penalty, USA
37. PEN America
38. German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP)
39. The Italian Federation for Human Rights (FIDU)
40. Death Penalty Focus, USA
41. The Christian Union for Progress and Human Rights, DRC
42. Capital Punishment Justice Project, Australia
43. Amnesty International (Group 205), Dallas
44. Human Rights Dallas
45. Southern Methodist University Human Rights Program, USA
46. Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), South Korea
47. Witness to Innocence, USA
48. Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği – İHD), Türkiye
49. Redemption Pakistan
50. ACAT, Ghana
51. French Collective Free Mumia, France
52. Function 8, Singapore
53. Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat, Indonesia
54. International Committee Against Execution (ICAE)
55. Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)
56. United Against Gender Apartheid
57. Global Campaign to Stop Executions In Iran
58. All Human Rights for All in Iran
59. Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI)
60. Iranian Citizens’ Initiative Saar (IRBIS)
61. Parsi Law Collective
62. NIKA, Network of Iranians for Liberty and Democracy
63. Iranian’s Socio-Cultural Center of Quebec Simorgh
64. Global Network to Free Political Prisoners in Iran
65. Free Iran Switzerland
66. Solidarity with the women’s revolution of Freedom Life Frankfurt Mainz and Wiesbaden
67. Alliance for Freedom, Washington DC
68. Iranian Medical Society for Human Rights and Democracy (Berlin MED)