Warning from Members of the 'Black Tuesdays' Campaign: Khamenei's Emphasis on Ignoring Human Rights Principles is a Serious Alarm

Political prisoners involved in the 'Black Tuesdays' campaign have issued a warning during their twenty-second weekly hunger strike in protest against executions, regarding Ali Khamenei's statements about the necessity of ignoring human rights principles. The legal advisors of the campaign reported that the political prisoners, who have been on hunger strike every Tuesday to protest the issuance and execution of death sentences in Iranian prisons, consider the Supreme Leader's remarks on the International Day Against Torture, which called for ignoring human rights principles, as a 'serious alarm' concerning the escalation of human rights violations by the Islamic Republic. According to a reliable source, the prisoners in Unit 4 of Qazalhesar Prison highlighted Khamenei's statements as a 'serious alarm' regarding human rights and the increasing violations by the Islamic Republic and its judicial and security apparatus, emphasizing the need for serious public attention both inside and outside the country to the issue of human rights violations in Iran. This reference by the political prisoners pertains to Khamenei's remarks on July 2 during a meeting with judicial officials, where he stated, 'Judges should not refer to Western human rights principles for their rulings.' These political prisoners also stressed their serious determination 'to continue and expand the campaign against executions.' The human rights campaign 'Black Tuesdays No to Execution' has continued for the twenty-second consecutive week with the participation of political prisoners in various prisons of the Islamic Republic. On Tuesday, July 5, political prisoners held in 12 wards across seven prisons in Iran went on hunger strike in protest against the issuance and execution of 'inhumane death sentences.' Last week, several ideological prisoners in Unit 3 of Qazalhesar Prison announced their joining this human rights campaign. According to the latest report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 834 people were executed in Iran in 2023, indicating a 43% increase in executions. Of all executions in Iran last year, at least 471 cases were related to drug offenses, showing an 84% increase compared to 2022. The report also mentions the execution of offenders under the legal age or juvenile offenders.