The 98th week of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign saw a widespread hunger strike by prisoners in 55 prisons across Iran.
In their weekly statement, the participating hunger strikers honored the memory of Khosrow Alikordi, a human rights lawyer who died in suspicious circumstances last week. The statement added, “Today, the issue of executions in Iran is not a form of punishment, but an organized crime and a systematic violation of the right to life.
“In recent days, political prisoner Karim Khojasteh, held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, was officially notified of his death sentence. According to published data, just this week 95 people, including two women, have been executed. In just 17 days, from November 22 to December 8, over 200 executions have been recorded, serving only one purpose: to suppress society and to block the path of popular uprisings and protests.”
Families of Death Row Political Prisoners Continue Their Protest
Families of political prisoners facing death sentences, holding photographs of their loved ones, remain among the most visible and influential participants in the weekly gatherings.
With chants such as “No to executions,” “Execution never — for anyone,” and “Free our children,” they continued their protest this week and reaffirmed the fundamental right to life, demanding an end to the government’s cycle of violent repression.
Focus on Three Students Facing Execution
This week’s actions coincided with Student Day (December 7) in Iran, giving the campaign renewed energy from university communities across the country. Protest slogans such as “Universities are the bastion of freedom” and “December 7: The student stands against repression” dominated gatherings in many cities.
The names of three students sentenced to death were placed at the forefront of this week’s demands:
- Ehsan Faridi, a 22-year-old student facing execution despite major judicial irregularities in his case
- Vahid Bani-Amerian and Pouya Ghobadi, two university graduates whose death sentences were recently upheld
These acts of protest were carried out in Tehran, Estahbanat, Tabriz, Kazerun, Shirvan, Shahr-e Rey, Robat-Karim, Rasht, Dezful, Khash, Astara, Shiraz, Sanandaj, Semnan, Sari, Mashhad, Lahijan, Karaj, Kashan, and Neyshabur.