Hunger Strike Across 56 Prisons Breaks the Wall of Fear and Exposes the Regime’s Fear of “No to Executions”

In a significant development reflecting the expansion of civil resistance inside Iranian prisons, the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign entered its 124th week with a nationwide hunger strike across 56 prisons throughout Iran. This action comes amid an unprecedented escalation in death sentences and executions, as the regime increasingly uses the gallows as a political tool to terrorize society and prevent renewed popular uprisings.

Mousa Afshar, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), stated:

“The expansion of the ‘No to Executions Tuesdays’ campaign to 56 prisons proves that the voice of resistance is no longer confined to the streets; it has reached the depths of the prison cells that the regime tried to turn into spaces of silence and fear. This collective strike shows that the execution machine has not broken the will of political prisoners; it has strengthened their determination to defend the right to life and freedom.”

He added:

“The Iranian regime resorts to executions because it fears society, the younger generation, and the growing role of Resistance Units. In Iran, gallows are not a judicial instrument; they are a political weapon used to spread fear and prevent public anger from turning into an organized movement for change.”

Afshar emphasized:

“The prisoners’ solidarity with student protests over the past week carries profound significance. It proves that the struggle of the Iranian people is one struggle, from schools and universities to factories, streets, and prisons. All are confronting one regime built on repression, discrimination, and the denial of basic rights.”

He noted:

“The campaign’s warnings about new death sentences against political prisoners and the imminent threat facing detainees in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz place an urgent responsibility on the international community. Silence in the face of these crimes only encourages the regime to continue its policy of organized killing.”

Afshar explained:

“The right to life is the foundation of all rights. When the judiciary becomes a tool for executing dissidents and protesters, any claim of justice under this regime becomes political deception. What is needed today is firm international action to stop executions and hold those responsible accountable.”

He added:

“The continuation of this campaign for 124 consecutive weeks reveals the depth of the regime’s moral and political crisis. Even behind bars, political prisoners continue to expose the essence of this rule based on fear and gallows.”

In this context, the major Iranian gathering in Paris on June 20, 2026, carries special significance. It will bring the voices of political prisoners and victims of executions to the world and affirm that the Iranian people reject dictatorship and gallows, while standing for a democratic republic based on separation of religion and state and respect for human rights.

Afshar concluded:

“The strike across 56 prisons is not merely a human rights protest; it is a political and moral document against a regime that has lost its legitimacy. Prisoners confronting death with hunger and determination are telling the world that the Iranian people will not accept the rule of executioners, and that the path to freedom passes through the overthrow of this regime and the establishment of a democratic state that respects human life and dignity.”