Death Row Prisoners’ Strike Exposes the Collapse of Justice in Iran

Nezam Mir Mohammadi, Iranian writer and legal expert, said that the mass strike by death-row prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, together with the continuing “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign across dozens of Iranian prisons, demonstrates that Iran's justice crisis is no longer limited to isolated violations but has become a structural failure affecting the entire judicial system.

He stated that the decision of prisoners facing execution to launch a hunger strike, despite knowing that it could expose them to harsher punishment and retaliation, reflects the complete absence of effective legal remedies inside Iran. When individuals sentenced to death are forced to risk their lives simply to demand their fundamental right to life, it is clear evidence that the justice system has ceased to function as an institution of law.

Mohammadi noted that the continued issuance of death sentences, particularly against political prisoners and detainees arrested during the January 2026 uprising, confirms that the judiciary has become an instrument for managing the regime's political crises rather than an independent body entrusted with protecting justice and human rights. The increasing use of executions serves primarily to intimidate society rather than enforce the rule of law.

He further emphasized that recent assaults on women's political wards in Evin Prison, along with the transfer of prisoners to solitary confinement prior to execution, reveal a coordinated policy designed to intensify psychological and physical pressure on detainees and their families. Such practices constitute clear violations of international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

Mohammadi stressed that the widespread use of capital punishment—particularly in drug-related and politically motivated cases—has become a mechanism of political repression rather than criminal justice. Reforming legislation that permits extensive use of the death penalty is therefore not only a human rights demand but also a legal necessity to protect the fundamental right to life.

He concluded by urging the international community to move beyond expressions of concern and adopt concrete measures, including demanding an immediate halt to executions, sending independent international monitoring missions to Iranian prisons, and ensuring unrestricted access for the UN Special Rapporteur and other international mechanisms to Ghezel Hesar and Evin prisons. He warned that continued international inaction would only encourage further political executions and deepen the regime's culture of impunity.