The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign has entered its 116th consecutive week, marked by the ongoing weekly hunger strikes of prisoners across 56 prisons in Iran. The campaign persists amid widespread internet disruptions, intensified security pressures, and deteriorating prison conditions that have severely hindered communication and reporting about detainees.
Sustained Presence Across Dozens of Prisons
Originating as a coordinated weekly hunger strike, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign has evolved into one of the longest-running forms of organized protest inside Iran prisons. Held every Tuesday, the movement is now active in at least 56 detention facilities nationwide.
Among the participants in this hunger strike campaign are the women’s ward of Evin Prison and the political prisoners in the all-women’s Qarchak Prison in Varamin.
Hunger Strikes Continue Under Communication Blackout
The campaign’s weekly hunger strikes have continued despite extensive internet shutdowns and strict communication restrictions that have significantly limited the flow of information and dissemination of statements.
Prisoners involved in the initiative have stated that the campaign has not been halted. They report that even in conditions of near-total isolation from the outside world, the protests persist. Observers view the continuation of the campaign under such constraints as indicative of strong internal coordination and resilience among detainees.
Escalation of Repression Alongside Executions
Reports indicate that heightened security measures inside prisons, including the transfer of inmates to solitary confinement and increased psychological pressure, frequently coincide with the implementation of execution sentences.
This pattern has raised growing concerns regarding both detention conditions and the procedures surrounding executions. Within this context, the continuation of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign is increasingly seen as a form of resistance by prisoners against these conditions.
Withholding of Bodies Fuels Concern
More than 15 days after the execution of several political prisoners, the bodies of them, including Vahid Bani-Amerian, Mohammad Taghavi, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, Abolhassan Montazer, and Akbar Daneshvar Kar, have yet to be returned to their families. All six, notably, were active members of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign.
Families remain in a state of uncertainty, with no information provided regarding the location or burial of the bodies. The lack of transparency has imposed significant psychological distress on relatives and further intensified concerns over the treatment of executed prisoners and their families.
