Qezel-Hesar Prison – Final Part

Iran-HRM – The anti-monarchic revolution in Iran took place in February 1979. The Iranian people, through widespread protests and paying a heavy price, overthrew the Shah and wiped out the dictatorial monarchy from the history of Iran. However, the spring of freedom was short-lived. Due to the imprisonment of true revolutionaries in the Shah’s prisons, Khomeini hijacked the revolution and imposed the dark and oppressive rule of the clerical regime on Iran.

From the very first months of the regime’s rule, the repression of dissidents began. The regime, through brutal attacks by the Revolutionary Guards on opposition gatherings and protests, arbitrary arrests, and torture, revealed its true face, and human rights in Iran under clerical rule were brutally trampled upon.

In the clerical regime, execution, torture, stoning, amputation, and even gouging out eyes have been institutionalized as official laws. The primary and most severe crime in this regime is one’s beliefs and political opposition. Over the past four decades, more than 120,000 people have been executed for political reasons without any legal proceedings, simply for opposing the regime. According to the penal code of this regime, anyone merely for being a member or supporter of the MEK or aligning with them is labeled as “Mohareb” (enemy of God), and the punishment for Mohareb is execution. The regime’s leaders openly state that these executions are either based on divine law (i.e., Khomeini’s law) or decisions made by the regime’s parliament. The survival of this government depends on instilling fear through executions.

In Iran, even so-called ordinary executions are not a form of punishment but rather a repressive tool used to create a climate of fear throughout society.

Iran: The World’s Leading Executioner

According to human rights organizations, Iran has the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population. In 2023 alone, more than 800 executions were recorded in Iran, marking a more than 50% increase compared to the previous year. Amnesty International, in its 2024 report, announced that 74% of the world’s executions in 2023 took place in Iran. Statistics indicate that in 2024, the number of executions exceeded 1,000 cases, showing a 15% increase from the previous year.

Iranian Political Prisoners Do Not Bow Before the Gallows

The culture of resistance against this regime has been established for 43 years. From the early years of Khomeini’s rule to the present day, political prisoners, despite enduring the most severe torture and pressures, mass executions, and firing squads, have never bowed their heads and have conveyed the message of resistance against the religious dictatorship to the world.

Nineteen years ago (in 2006), in the 10-point plan of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Mrs. Maryam Rajavi declared the abolition of the death penalty and has repeatedly emphasized it.

Point 3 of the statement: Guaranteeing individual and social freedoms and rights in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; dissolving censorship and thought-control institutions, seeking justice for the massacre of political prisoners, banning torture, and abolishing the death penalty.

The abolition of the death penalty has now become a social demand in Iran. Political prisoners, despite continuous pressure and threats, have expressed their opposition to executions in various ways within Iran’s prisons. These protests have now evolved into the broad campaign of “No to Executions on Tuesdays.”

‘No to Executions on Tuesdays’: A Movement Challenging the Regime

On January 29, 2024, on the seventh day following the execution of two political prisoners, Mohammad Ghobadlou and Farhad Salimi, a group of political prisoners in Unit 4 of Qezel-Hesar Prison announced that they would go on hunger strike every Tuesday to protest the intensification of executions and to raise their voices against the killing and execution of prisoners.

Tuesday was chosen because the regime’s execution apparatus transfers prisoners to solitary confinement on Mondays and carries out executions on Tuesdays. Now, prisoners have turned Tuesdays into a day of resistance.

One of the prominent features of the ‘No to Executions on Tuesdays’ campaign is the active participation of female prisoners in these protests. Women prisoners in Evin, Qarchak Varamin, Adelabad Shiraz, and Vakilabad Mashhad prisons have joined this movement.

After 56 weeks, this campaign has become a serious pillar of resistance within Iranian prisons and continues to grow. Throughout this campaign, 36 prisons have joined the movement, including Evin Prison (women’s ward, Wards 4 and 8), Qezel Hesar Prison (Units 3 and 4), Karaj Central Prison, Greater Tehran Prison, Khourin Varamin Prison, Arak Prison, Khorramabad Prison, Esfahan’s Asadabad Prison, Dastgerd Isfahan Prison, Sheiban Ahvaz Prison, Sepidar Ahvaz Prison, Shiraz Military Prison, Adelabad Shiraz Prison (both male and female wards), Borazjan Prison, Ramhormoz Prison, Bam Prison, Kahnooj Prison, Tabas Prison, Jovein Prison, Mashhad Prison, Gonbad-e-Kavus Prison, Qaemshahr Prison, Rasht Prison (both male and female wards), Roodsar Prison, Haviq Talesh Prison, Ardabil Prison, Tabriz Prison, Urmia Prison, Salmas Prison, Khoy Prison, Naqadeh Prison, Saqqez Prison, Baneh Prison, Marivan Prison, Kamyaran Prison, and Diesel Abad Kermanshah Prison.

International Support for the ‘No to Executions’ Movement

Professor Javaid Rehman, former UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, stated in a message on the World Day Against the Death Penalty  : “I admire and commend those political prisoners in Qezel-Hesar Prison who initiated protests in January 2024, which have now turned into weekly hunger strikes known as ‘No to Executions on Tuesdays.’ We must all work hard to show the same courage they do in the fight for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran and worldwide.”

Ms. Mai Sato, the current UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, also said in a video message on October 10: “In the face of the regime’s repressive actions, the courage of the Iranian people shines. The ‘No to Executions on Tuesdays’ campaign, led by prisoners who go on hunger strike every Tuesday in protest against the death penalty, demonstrates an unwavering commitment to justice and human rights.”

3,000 political figures and human rights defenders, including former leaders and members of parliaments from various countries, have responded to Maryam Rajavi’s call to stop executions in Iran and have expressed their support for the ‘No to Executions on Tuesdays’ campaign.

Support from International Organizations

• United Nations: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has repeatedly expressed concern over the rising number of executions in Iran.
• European Union: The European Parliament has condemned Iran’s execution policies in several resolutions and called for an immediate halt to these executions.
• Amnesty International: This organization has repeatedly called for an immediate moratorium on executions in Iran.
• Western Governments: Foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United States have expressed support for imprisoned protesters.
• Human Rights Organizations: Groups such as the International Federation for Human Rights have supported this campaign and called for increased pressure on the Iranian government.

State Repression and Continued Resistance

The Iranian regime has attempted to suppress and pressure prisoners to prevent the expansion of this campaign. Many prisoners involved in this movement have been threatened with solitary confinement and restrictions on their visitation rights. However, public support for this movement continues to grow, and despite the risks, prisoners persist in their weekly protests.

The ‘No to Executions on Tuesdays’ campaign is an unprecedented example of civil resistance inside Iran’s prisons. This movement not only reflects widespread opposition to the death penalty but also represents a growing protest the regime’s repressive policy.

Conclusion: The Continuation of Resistance

The ‘No to Executions on Tuesdays’ campaign has shown that even within the confines of heavily oppressed prisons, protest and resistance can find a path and evolve into an influential movement. This campaign stands as a symbol of prisoners’ defiance against state oppression and represents a means to continue the struggle and amplify the voice of dissent beyond prison walls.