About 1,500 death-row inmates in Ghezel Hesar Prison launched a hunger strike against mass executions, declaring: “Our patience has run out from this endless cruelty.”
Around 1,500 death-row prisoners in Ghezel Hesar Prison, Karaj—one of Iran’s largest and most notorious detention centers near Tehran—have launched a hunger strike in one of the broadest collective protests inside the country’s prisons in recent years. The action began on Monday, October 13 (21 Mehr), as 16 prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement for imminent execution amid a sharp rise in executions across Iran following the 12-Day War.
According to human-rights sources, the initial protest began in Ward 2 of Ghezel Hesar, when prisoners refused meals after 11 inmates—mostly convicted of drug-related offenses—were moved to isolation for execution. Hours later, five others accused of murder were also taken to solitary cells. By the next day, prisoners in Wards 3 and 4 had joined the strike in solidarity.
“Many of Us Spend the Night with the Nightmare of Death”
In a statement released Tuesday, October 14 (22 Mehr), the strikers—identified as roughly 1,500 prisoners on death row in halls 1–4 of Ward 2—condemned the executions and appealed for public and international support:
“Our patience has run out from this endless cruelty and the taking of lives. Every day and every week, we see fellow prisoners taken to the gallows. Many of us spend the night with the nightmare of death. These are the most torturous moments for us and for our families. This situation is no longer bearable.”
They called for the abolition of the death penalty, writing:
“The machinery of execution and the gallows must be dismantled in Iran. By what right does the state take people’s lives? We call on everyone who hears our voice, and all prisoners, to support those of us under death sentences by every possible means.”
The statement concludes:
“Our only refuge is you, the people of Iran. Our place is not on the gallows or in prison. Do something against the executions in Iran—raise your voice, gather outside prisons, and do not let them kill the prisoners.”
Reports indicate that by Tuesday night, the health of several hunger-striking prisoners had deteriorated, but no medical assistance was provided.
Executions Continue Amid Protest
Despite the hunger strike, the judiciary’s official news agency Mizan announced on Wednesday, October 15 (23 Mehr) that three prisoners—Amirreza Ghobadi, Majid Hatami, and Sajad Hatami—had been executed on charges of moharebeh (“enmity against God”) through armed robbery.
Ghezel Hesar has become the main site of executions in Iran. Human-rights monitors report that in 2024, the prison carried out at least 150 executions, nearly double the previous year’s figure. The increase aligns with a nationwide surge in death sentences.
A Broader Pattern of Prison Resistance
The hunger strike comes amid growing unrest inside Iran’s prisons. Just last week, clashes erupted in Evin Prison when guards attempted to transfer political prisoner Ehsan Afrashteh for execution. Political detainee Mehdi Mahmoudian reported that inmates in Ward 12 blocked doors to prevent the transfer, prompting widespread tension as prisoners across several wards chanted slogans against executions.
Record Year for Executions
The rights group Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported on October 10 (18 Mehr) that Iran’s government has broken its three-decade record for executions, putting to death at least 1,105 people since January 2025—more than double the number in the same period last year, when 531 executions were recorded.
The Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) network likewise reported that over the past year at least 1,537 people have been executed, marking the highest annual total in a decade.
Both organizations urged urgent international action, warning that the accelerating pace of executions represents not only a human-rights catastrophe within Iran but a profound challenge to global efforts against capital punishment.
