Campaign of 'No to Execution Tuesdays': We Must Stand Against the Barbarism of the Iranian Government

Members of the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign issued a statement on Tuesday, January 1, highlighting the ongoing policy of executions and the sentencing of several female prisoners in Qarchak prison in Varamin to 'medieval punishment of stoning.' The statement, a copy of which was obtained by VOA, reads: 'In days when the voices of the people's demands and protests against executions are louder than ever, not only have executions and repression not decreased, but the oppressive government has increasingly intensified them.' The campaign refers to recent news that the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran has allowed the amputation of limbs (hands and feet) for those accused of theft and moharebeh (waging war against God). Members of the campaign pointed out that the Iranian government is attempting to 'normalize its brutal crimes and expand fear and oppression in society through these repressive methods.' The statement noted that 'many of these accused of theft are victims of structural corruption, class discrimination, and the astronomical thefts and embezzlements of the rulers and their affiliates.' The 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign also stated that the misogynistic government ruling Iran has condemned several female prisoners in Qarchak prison to the medieval punishment of stoning for alleged illicit relationships, which in the best-case scenario, may be converted to execution instead of death by stoning. They emphasized: 'We believe that silence in the face of such atrocities amounts to complicity, and we must stand against this barbarism.' The statement also referred to the continuation of executions in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran, adding that in a government where widespread executions are witnessed daily in various prisons, at least 41 people were executed in the first 10 days of January, and 23 were executed in just three days, with many death row inmates being transferred to solitary confinement for the execution of their sentences. Members of the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign warned about the danger to the life of political prisoner Mojahid Korkour. Korkour, who has been in prison for over two years, had his death sentence, which had been annulled by the court, confirmed again in the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Ahvaz. Mojahid Korkour, a citizen from Izeh, was arrested on December 20, 2022, on charges of 'shooting at citizens during the protests of November 25 in Izeh and killing Kian Pirfalak.' In this regard, Negar Korkour, the sister of this political prisoner, wrote on social media: 'My brother, Mojahid Korkour, after hearing the death sentence again, has been emotionally disturbed in prison and his life is overshadowed by a great injustice. My brother is innocent, but the Islamic Republic has prepared the noose for him. We need you, the people of Iran. Be our voice, be the voice of my brother.' The attribution of this accusation to Mojahid Korkour comes while Kian Pirfalak's family has repeatedly testified that the shooter of their vehicle, resulting in Kian's death on the evening of November 25, were security and police agents, and therefore, they have no complaint against Mojahid Korkour. Despite this evidence, the court acquitted Korkour of the charge of intentional murder and accused him of 'moharebeh and corruption on earth,' based on which the death sentence was issued. The 'No to Execution' campaign's statement also referred to the increasing pressures of the Islamic Republic of Iran on lawyers. The statement says: 'The oppressive government of the Velayat-e-Faqih puts pressure on free and honorable lawyers who try to take on the cases of political prisoners and death row inmates, threatening them with arrest. This action, which we have witnessed repeatedly in recent years, has led to the imprisonment of some lawyers solely for defending their clients. We must defend these honorable and free lawyers.' The statement further reads: 'The 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign, while condemning the repressive and inhumane actions of the government that constitute a gross violation of human rights, calls on all activists in this field to take action against repression and executions in Iran.' Members of the campaign also urged the people of Iran and prisoners to support and join this campaign to stop death sentences in Iran, emphasizing: 'Through solidarity and united action, we can dry up the roots of executions and create a land free of violence and executions.' They wrote: 'We will not forget that the perpetrators and instigators of these executions, massacres, and repressions are the greatest criminals against humanity who must be held accountable for their disgraceful actions before a people's court, and added that undoubtedly, the root cause of many of these crimes are the oppressive rulers who have seized power and government for their benefit and are at odds with any form of freedom and equality.' Members of the 'No to Execution Tuesdays' campaign announced that on Tuesday, in the forty-ninth week, they will be on hunger strike in 28 prisons, including Evin prison (women's ward, wards 4 and 8), Qazalhessar prison (units 2 and 4), Central Karaj prison, Greater Tehran prison, Khourin Varamin prison, Arak prison, Khorramabad prison, and Asadabad prison in Isfahan. Other prisons where members of the 'No to Execution' campaign have stated they will be on hunger strike include Dastgerd prison in Isfahan, Sheiban prison in Ahvaz, Nazem prison in Shiraz, Bam prison, Kahnouj prison, Tabas prison, Mashhad prison, Qaemshahr prison, Rasht prison (men's and women's wards), Rudsar prison, Ardabil prison, Tabriz prison, Urmia prison, Salmas prison, Khoy prison, Naqdeh prison, Saqqez prison, Baneh prison, Marivan prison, and Kamyaran prison.