Amid a growing wave of public opposition to death sentences and executions in Iran, today, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the families of political prisoners, Vahid Bani-Amerian and Pouya Ghobadi, have released a protest video urgently warning of the imminent risk of execution faced by their sons.
In the video, they call for an end to state repression and the immediate release of all political prisoners.
The video, a poignant expression of courage and resistance by the families of repression victims, features the parents, holding placards with slogans such as “No to Execution,” “Free Political Prisoners,” and “Stop the Executions.” They denounce the appalling conditions inside Iranian prisons, especially the notorious Fashafouyeh Prison, and appeal to the public conscience and international attention.
75th Week of “No to Execution Tuesdays” Protest Spanning 47 Prisons
On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, political prisoners across 47 prisons in Iran launched their 75th consecutive weekly hunger strike as part of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign.
Originating in Ghezel Hesar Prison in response to the execution of political inmates, the movement has since evolved into a symbol of organized resistance against the clerical regime’s state execution policy.
In a joint statement this week, campaign participants denounced a recent bill passed by the Iranian regime’s rubber-stamp parliament: “The parliament’s recent resolution to intensify executions, especially of political opponents, alongside the rising implementation of death sentences, reflects a volatile society and an illegitimate regime that sacrifices its citizens’ right to life to preserve its rule.”
Widening Echoes of Protest in Cities Across Iran
Parallel to the prison strikes, public spaces in dozens of cities once again witnessed civilian protests. In Tehran, Tabriz, Rasht, Babol, Babolsar, Fuman, Sonqor, Qaemshahr, and Shahriar, families of political prisoners and other citizens held placards and banners with slogans including:
- “Free All Political Prisoners”
- “This is the final warning: Execute and there will be an uprising”
- “Fire is the answer to executions”
- “No to Execution”
These acts of resistance sent a clear and resounding message to the regime: The continued use of execution is not a sign of strength, but a reflection of a regime in crisis — fearful of its own people’s voice.
