Iranian prisoners launch nationwide hunger strike as death‑penalty orders rise

Political prisoners in Iran have continued the "No to Execution Tuesdays" campaign, initiating a coordinated hunger strike on Tuesday, 16 July 2024, across 57 prisons nationwide. The protest opposes the government's ongoing issuance and execution of death sentences against detainees, including recent cases such as activist Mohabbabeh Shahbani, transferred to quarantine in Vekil‑abad prison, and Farhad Baranzehi, a political prisoner in Zahan prison, who faces a death‑penalty threat after more than 480 days of detention.

Human‑rights organisations have warned that the pace of executions, especially of political activists, has accelerated since the recent ceasefire with the United States and Israel. The Iranian Human Rights Organization called for an immediate halt to executions, stating that ending the death‑penalty practice must be a core condition of any future agreements with the Islamic Republic.

The hunger‑strike movement, described as the most extensive and enduring prison protest in Iran, seeks to pressure authorities to ensure fair trials and public hearings for those sentenced to death.