On the 68th week of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, families of political prisoners gathered in Tehran and at least 19 other cities across Iran, demanding the immediate abolition of the death penalty.
The coordinated nationwide protests took place on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, as part of a broad and ongoing campaign both inside and outside Iran’s prisons.
Protesters held placards reading “No to Execution” and “Abolish the Death Penalty Immediately” in cities including Tehran, Arak, Sari, Kermanshah, Dezful, Rasht, Yazd, Abadan, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Bandar Anzali, Bushehr, Damghan, Robat Karim, Qaemshahr, Qazvin, Kashan, Mashhad, and Neyshabur, aiming to amplify their voices to the public and international human rights organizations.
Families of Death Row Political Prisoners Protest in Tehran
In Tehran, for yet another consecutive week, families of political prisoners facing the death penalty staged a protest. Holding photos of their loved ones, they chanted slogans such as “No to Execution” and “Stop the Executions,” condemning the unjust legal proceedings and arbitrary capital sentences. Participants highlighted the deep emotional and societal trauma inflicted by such rulings.
One tearful mother stated, “I haven’t seen my son in two months. Even his phone calls have been cut off.”
The Campaign Extends Behind Bars: Prisoners Join the Movement
Simultaneously, political prisoners in 41 prisons participating in the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign issued a joint statement condemning the continued use of executions by the clerical regime.
The statement revealed that since April 21, over 96 individuals — including one woman — have been executed in Iran, averaging four executions per day. It also reported recent death sentences against political detainees such as poet Amin (Payman) Farahavar Gisavandani from Gilan, convicted of “baghy-e” (armed rebellion) and “moharebeh” (waging war against God), and Ehsan Faridi, a student from Tabriz University, on similar charges. These verdicts were issued after unfair trials and the prisoners’ lack of access to independent legal representation.
The prisoners called on international human rights organizations to take urgent legal action against the judges responsible for issuing these sentences.
