In recent weeks, three major events in Iran have drawn attention to the growing movement against the death penalty and in support of families of death row prisoners. These events show that, alongside a rising wave of executions, the voices of protest from families, prisoners, and human rights advocates are growing louder.
On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the “Tuesdays Against Executions” campaign marked its 90th consecutive week of action. The campaign, active in more than fifty-two prisons across the country, continues to gain momentum as prisoners join the protest movement. Reports indicate that over 1,500 inmates in Ghezel Hesar Prison participated in a hunger strike to demonstrate their opposition to executions. Families outside the prisons also joined, carrying placards reading “No to Execution” and “Life is Everyone’s Right.”
A few days later, on Sunday, October 19, 2025, families of death row prisoners gathered in front of the Iranian Parliament at Baharestan Square in Tehran, demanding the immediate halt of death sentences and the abolition of the death penalty. Although the demonstration was peaceful, it was met with a harsh response from security forces. Witnesses reported that several protesters, including women, were beaten and arrested. Children also took part, holding signs that read, “Execution doesn’t correct a mistake — it creates a new pain for helpless children.”
One week later, on Sunday, October 26, 2025, families once again rallied in Tehran under tight police surveillance. Despite the confiscation of mobile phones and the threats by security agents, the protesters continued their demonstration, chanting slogans such as “No to Execution” and “Stop Executions in Ghezel Hesar.” The families stated that official promises to review cases or suspend executions have been empty, and that the number of executions in October has increased alarmingly. They vowed to continue protesting until the death penalty is completely abolished.
These developments highlight several key points:
- Families of prisoners on death row have stepped into the public sphere as active voices of protest and truth-telling.
- The resistance is not limited to the streets—prisoners themselves are joining the movement through hunger strikes and collective actions.
- The government continues to respond with severe security measures in an attempt to silence dissent.
- Despite repression, the movement is expanding each week and gaining greater social support.
At a time when executions in Iran are reportedly on the rise, these protests demonstrate that the issue is no longer limited to the rights of individual prisoners. It has become a broader social and moral concern, uniting families, citizens, and human rights defenders in a shared call for justice and humanity.
The international community’s attention to these events is crucial, as the growing civil resistance against the death penalty in Iran represents one of the most persistent and courageous human rights movements in the country today.