In a powerful display of international solidarity, activists and human rights advocates across the United Kingdom held a week-long campaign to support Iranian women, girls, and youths facing execution for participating in peaceful protests. The coordinated effort spanned several major UK cities—including Southampton, Manchester, Sheffield, London, Birmingham, and Glasgow—and aimed to raise awareness of the ongoing human rights abuses in Iran, particularly the state-sanctioned executions of political prisoners.
Solidarity from Southampton to Sheffield
In Southampton, members of the Iranian Academic Association led a moving vigil and petition-signing event, gathering local residents, students, and human rights activists. The demonstration focused on showing support for political prisoners in Iran, with speakers highlighting the dire conditions faced by detainees—many of whom are young women and students—arrested for demanding basic freedoms. Attendees carried placards reading “Stop Executions in Iran” and candles were lit in memory of those already executed or at risk of death.
Simultaneously, in Manchester City and Sheffield, crowds assembled to echo similar calls. In Manchester, demonstrators stood outside the town hall, chanting slogans in English and Persian, drawing attention from passersby. Protesters emphasized the brutal crackdown on peaceful dissent in Iran, particularly targeting women and youth involved in the “Woman, Resistance, Freedom” movement. Petitions circulated throughout the day, collecting signatures to be sent to the UK Parliament and international bodies, urging them to act against the Iranian regime’s continued use of the death penalty as a tool of political suppression.
Petitions and Public Engagement
Across the country, campaigners set up booths in public squares, universities, and community centers, sharing the stories of imprisoned Iranians, some as young as 17, who face death sentences without fair trials. Organizers distributed leaflets detailing the cases of high-profile detainees and encouraged the public to take action by signing online and physical petitions addressed to the United Nations and European Union.
The campaign also emphasized the disproportionate targeting of women and girls who have been at the forefront of the Iranian protest movement. Activists stressed that execution orders are often issued following forced confessions obtained through torture and with little or no legal defense provided to the accused.
Events in London and Glasgow
In London, a large gathering was held outside the Iranian embassy, where human rights organizations joined the Iranian diaspora community in a vocal protest. The event included speeches from former political prisoners, lawyers, and MPs who condemned the Islamic Republic’s escalating use of capital punishment to silence dissent. Protesters unfurled long banners listing the names of individuals currently on death row for political reasons.
In Glasgow, a candlelight vigil offered a quieter but deeply emotional tribute to victims of the regime’s brutality. Community leaders, including local councillors, participated and voiced support for increasing international pressure on the Iranian government.
A Unified Message
The week-long campaign across the UK delivered a unified and urgent message: the global community must not stay silent as young Iranian lives are threatened for exercising their basic right to protest. Campaigners pledged to continue their efforts until executions are halted and all political prisoners are released. The campaign concluded with a renewed call for the UK government and international institutions to impose sanctions on Iranian officials responsible for human rights violations and to take concrete steps to stop the executions.
#StopExecutionsInIran
