October 10th is the International Day against the heinous and Inhumane Death Penalty. On this occasion, we, the three institutions namely, the International Committee Against Executions,the Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)and Free Them Now, the campaign to free jailed workers in Iran, strongly announce that the capital punishment system in Iran must be dismantled and the issuance of any death sentence must end. Life in the central slogan of the revolution, i.e. “Woman, Life, Freedom” , is an emphasis on the fact that the people of Iran want to put an end to all state crimes and intentional state murders in Iran, and they defend the right to life and the guarantee of human life for everyone in the country. We are totally and absolutely against the death penalty.
This year, we are approaching the International Day Against Executions, in a situation where the number of executions carried out by the Islamic regime of Iran has increased. According to the reports, at least 617 citizens, including 13 women and 6 children, were executed in 2022, which has increased by more than 80% compared to 2021. Also, in the first half of this year, at least 329 people have been executed by the Islamic regime. According to Herana, a human rights organisation in the last ten years (2013 to 2023), a total of 4,829 executions have been carried out in Iran.
During the woman life freedom revolution , the Islamic regime executed at least seven of the protesters, namely Mohsen Shekari, Majidreza Rahnavard, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, Mohammad Hosseini, Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi and Saeed Yaqoubi, which fuelled public outrage and protests. Killing these protestors once again showed that execution is a tool of repression by the government to push back the protesting people. The Islamic rulers think that by setting up gallows in prisons and sometimes in public,
and by spreading the atmosphere of murder, they can bring the protests to a standstill. But in contrary, in this country, any repressive action of the regime becomes a subject of more struggle and protests. For example we witnessed the widespread protests following the execution of three protesting youths in the city of Isfahan, the issuance of several protesting and condemnation statements because of the death sentence of dozens of social activists, the protests of the families of those convicted of ordinary crimes who have been sentenced to death, and even protests by prisoners against the implementation of death sentences.
We believe that if the movement against death penalty in Iran becomes stronger and wider, which we have seen many times in reaction to the issuance and execution of death sentences, we will be able to stop executions in Iran. The complete abolition of capital punishment in many countries in the world has been the result of the pressure of public opinion and the protests of humanitarian organizations and institutions against the death penalty. This is also true for Iran. Let’s on the Global Day Against Execution, by spreading the anti-execution discourse more and more, by issuing statements and resolutions and holding meetings and gatherings, or writing slogans such as “Execution is planned state murder” on the city’s gates and walls, or using any other campaigning initiative, show the society’s will and determination to abolish the inhuman punishment of death penalty in Iran.
We want the immediate and unequivocal abolition of capital punishment and unconditional cancellation of all death sentences in Iran. In our opinion, execution should not be allowed under any circumstances. The execution of political and ideological opponents, the execution due to sexual orientation and the execution of children must not only be stopped absolutely, but each case must be condemned as a crime of the Islamic regime against humanity at the global level. We want the formation of fact-finding committees about all the executions that have taken place by the Islamic regime. The
public displays of the executions must be stopped and these sorts of public executions must be condemned globally. The medieval and inhuman law of retribution must be stopped immediately, and the involvement of next of kin (called“blood owners”) in the execution must be stopped immediately.
We are part of the justice seekers’ movement in Iran and we are trying to fulfil all its demands, including the trial of the heads of the Islamic regime for crimes against humanity.
We call on all Iranians abroad to be the messengers of a society without execution by holding protest meetings in different countries of the world while protesting the execution regime of the Islamic Republic. We expect the people of the world and the international community to help us to dismantle the execution system in Iran by exerting decisive political pressure against the Islamic Republic and boycotting this murderous regime.
People in Iran have entered into a decisive confrontation with the Islamic regime and they want to get rid of this regime. The Islamic regime has no place in the future of Iran. The future belongs to the people. The cooperation of you, the people of the world, with the people of Iran in this struggle, will help to establish a free, equal and humane society.
The International Committee Against Executions(ICAE)
Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI)
Free Them Now (Campaign to free jailed works in Iran- FTN)
Date: 5/10/2023