‘No to Executions Tuesdays’ campaign expands to 56 prisons as uprising sweeps Iran

2026-02-03 - 18:16

On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, political prisoners across 56 different facilities in Iran launched the 106th consecutive week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” hunger strike. This milestone coincides with the third week of a nationwide uprising that has seen violent crackdowns in the streets and the mass arrest of tens of thousands of citizens. In their statement, the campaign members said that the regime has responded to the unrest with a surge in capital punishment. The prisoners described the judiciary’s actions as “reckless” and “hysterical,” reporting that 123 individuals have been hanged just within the Persian month of Bahman (which began on January 21). Since the start of the Persian calendar year in March 2025, the regime has executed more than 2,350 people. The striking prisoners emphasized that the current wave of repression, characterized by the killing of protesters and mass detentions, constitutes “state murder and enforced disappearance,” placing the ultimate responsibility on the regime’s Supreme Leader. They noted that many detainees from the January uprising are being tried secretly without access to independent lawyers and face the imminent threat of heavy sentences or execution. Security institutions have reportedly threatened independent lawyers against representing these detainees. In their statement, the prisoners addressed the families of those arrested: “We ask all families of detainees and victims to raise their voices and publicize the names of their loved ones... and we ask all honorable people and human rights activists to be the voice of the prisoners more than ever.” The statement also welcomed the European Union’s recent decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. The prisoners described this move as a “major step in the struggles of the Iranian people,” achieved through the sacrifices of the youth whose “blood was unjustly spilled by the ruling religious fascist oppressors.” From prison cells to city streets As the campaign enters its third year, the call for the abolition of the death penalty has transcended prison walls. The Iran Human Rights Society reported simultaneous protests in dozens of cities on Tuesday, including Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Isfahan, Rasht, Yazd, and Zahedan. This synchronization indicates that the demand to end executions has become a central theme of the nationwide protests. Protesters and families of the victims, often holding pictures of their loved ones, chanted slogans that directly reflected the prisoners’ demands. Slogans recorded during the Tuesday rallies included: “This is the message of Iran: Fire is the answer to execution,” “No prison, no execution, no killing is effective anymore,” “Death to the child-killing Khamenei,” and “We neither forgive nor forget the brutal killing of protesters.” 56 prisons united in hunger strike The 106th week of the campaign saw participation from prisoners in the following facilities: Evin Prison (women’s and men’s wards), Ghezel Hesar Prison (units 2, 3, and 4), Karaj Central Prison, Fardis Prison in Karaj, Greater Tehran Prison, Qarchak Prison, Khorin Prison in Varamin, Chobindar Prison in Qazvin, Ahar Prison, Arak Prison, Langerud Prison in Qom, Khorramabad Prison, Borujerd Prison, Yasuj Prison, Asadabad Prison in Isfahan, Dastgerd Prison in Isfahan, Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, Sepidar Prison in Ahvaz (women’s and men’s wards), Nezam Prison in Shiraz, Adelabad Prison in Shiraz (women’s and men’s wards), Firuzabad Prison in Fars, Dehdasht Prison, Zahedan Prison (women’s and men’s wards), Borazjan Prison, Ramhormoz Prison, Behbahan Prison, Bam Prison, Yazd Prison (women’s and men’s wards), Kahnuj Prison, Tabas Prison, Birjand Central Prison, Vakilabad Prison in Mashhad, Gorgan Prison, Sabzevar Prison, Gonbad-e Kavus Prison, Qaemshahr Prison, Rasht Prison (men’s and women’s wards), Rudsar Prison, Havig Prison in Talesh, Ozbaram Prison in Lahijan, Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah, Ardabil Prison, Tabriz Prison, Urmia Prison, Salmas Prison, Khoy Prison, Naqadeh Prison, Miandoab Prison, Mahabad Prison, Bukan Prison, Saqqez Prison, Baneh Prison, Marivan Prison, Sanandaj Prison, Kamyaran Prison, and Ilam Prison.