In Support and Solidarity with the Hunger Strike of Death-Row Prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison and with Their Families Standing Against the Cycle of Death

On the eve of the ninety-first week of the “No to Executions Tuesday Campaign,” once again from behind the walls of Ghezel Hesar Prison, a clear and resonant voice has risen, calling upon the awakened conscience of society to condemn the death penalty and to defend the right to life.
It is the voice of thousands of human beings sentenced to death who cry out: “Execution is not our right!”

Since Monday, October 13, more than fifteen hundred death-row prisoners in Ward 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison have gone on hunger strike, a collective, courageous, and deeply human act against the death penalty, which in reality is a form of state killing. With the slogan “No to Execution,” they have declared from within prison to society and to history that silence in the face of the gallows is no longer possible.

In recent days, this strike has expanded with the joining of prisoners in Ward 3 and with support from inmates in Evin and Rajaei-Shahr Prisons. At the same time, families of the death-row prisoners, by gathering in front of Ghezel Hesar Prison, have bravely, and at great personal cost, stood by their loved ones and demanded the immediate halt of execution orders.

This unity inside and outside the prison is a clear sign of the emergence of a social movement against executions in Iran, a movement that demands life, justice, and human dignity.

Despite threats and security pressures, the striking prisoners have insisted on continuing their protest. In their collective message, they stated plainly and sincerely:

“Every day we witness the execution of our fellow inmates. Our patience has run out. Execution is not our right, and prison is not our place.”

The political coalition “Comprehensive Solidarity for Freedom and Equality in Iran”, raising its voice alongside the families of the prisoners and all freedom-seeking and equality-seeking activists, and declaring its full support for this historic and courageous strike, emphasizes:

1. Execution is state killing, and no authority under the name of “administering justice” has the right or the permission to take human life.

2. The prisoners’ demands are human and universal: ending the death penalty, ensuring fair trials, and stopping the cycle of state-sanctioned vengeance (killing).

3. The Iranian government must immediately halt all executions and respond to the humane demands of the prisoners and their families.

4. The lives of all striking prisoners are the responsibility of the judiciary and the ruling authorities, and any harm to them constitutes a clear violation of international human rights obligations and conventions.

5. We call on the United Nations, Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights, and all institutions defending human dignity to take the necessary, urgent, and public actions to save the lives of the prisoners and stop executions as quickly as possible.

People of Iran!

This hunger strike is not only the cry of prisoners,
It is the cry of life against state killing.
They have told us: “You, the people, are our refuge.”
Therefore, it is our duty not to remain indifferent to their just and humane demands.
We must amplify their voices, stand with their families, and by every possible means turn “No to Execution” into a nationwide slogan.

In these decisive days, our solidarity with the prisoners is solidarity with life and human dignity.
As long as the gallows stand, no one is safe.
As long as the voice of freedom and equality lives, death will not triumph.

Friday,  October 17, 2025
Broad Solidarity for Freedom and Equality in Iran