Iran: Prisoners Warn Of Looming Wave Of Executions – OpEd

Inmates in multiple prisons across Iran held the thirty-sixth week of the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign on Tuesday, October 1, protesting the wave of executions in Iran by holding hunger strikes. The prisons that took part in the campaign include:

Evin (Women’s Ward, Ward 4, and Ward 8), Ghezel Hesar (Unit 3 and Unit 4), Greater Tehran Prison, Khorramabad Prison, Nezam Prison in Shiraz, Asadabad Prison in Isfahan, Bam Prison, Mashhad Prison, Qaemshahr Prison, Lakan Prison in Rasht, Ardabil Prison, Tabriz Prison, Urmia Prison, Khoy Prison, Naqadeh Prison, Salmas Prison, Saqqez Prison, Baneh Prison, Marivan Prison, Kamyaran Prison, and Arak Prison.

The prisoners participating in this week’s campaign issued a statement, honoring the memory of those killed in the“Bloody Friday” in Zahedan. They strongly condemned the regime’s crime and declared that they would continue to stand in solidarity with the grieving mothers and families in their fight for justice.

The statement from the striking prisoners also added: “The execution-driven regime continues to push the boundaries of crime and executions. In just the past ten days, more than 23 people have been executed, and in a medieval act, two individuals were publicly executed in Khomein on Monday.

“This regime has executed 20 people in Shiraz prison alone from September 14 to October 25. These figures have not been reported by any state media.”

The striking prisoners’ statement further emphasized: “Regardless of the charges, the ultimate goal of executions is repression and suffocation. Given the current sensitive situation and the international crises the regime is facing, which it cannot resolve externally, its most accessible tool of retaliation is to increase the use of the gallows and take revenge on prisoners and those sentenced to death.

“Therefore, we warn that in the coming weeks, due to the aforementioned reasons, there is a likelihood of an increase in executions and death sentences. We express our concern for those on death row, as they are the first targets to compensate for the regime’s regional and international failures.

“We call on all independent and free human rights activists, both domestic and international, to be the voice of the prisoners sentenced to death.”

The warnings of the prisoners come while the regime is wantonly carrying out executions in its prisons. On Monday, September 30, 2024, regime authorities in Khomeyn hanged two prisoners in public on charges of killing an officer of the suppressive State Security Force in December 2020.

On Thursday, September 26, 2024, three prisoners was executed in Zahedan, Isfahan, and Kerman Prison. On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, while regime president Massoud Pezeshkian was addressing the UN General Assembly, regime authorities carried out five executions in Shiraz, Kermanshah, and Karaj.

On September 24, three prisoners were hanged in Jiroft. On September 23, another three prisoners were executed in Hamedan, Qazvin, and Shiraz.

This brings the total number of recorded executions since Pezeshkian took office in July to 191.