Iran Executes 11 Prisoners Ahead of Protest Anniversary

On October 9, Iranian authorities executed 11 prisoners, including a woman and a retired educator, at Ghezel Hesar Prison, coinciding with the eve of World Day Against the Death Penalty. These executions are part of a disturbing trend, with reports indicating that Iran has executed at least 500 individuals in 2023, many for political dissent. Concurrently, the 'No to Executions Tuesdays' campaign highlighted ongoing hunger strikes across Iranian prisons, protesting the regime's human rights abuses and calling for global attention to the plight of death row inmates. In the U.S., the execution of Marcellus Williams and the 1,600th execution since the death penalty's reinstatement underline the ongoing debate over capital punishment, with a noticeable decline in public support. Human rights organizations continue to condemn Iran's increasing use of the death penalty as a tool of repression, revealing a systematic effort to silence dissent. This alarming backdrop raises critical questions about human rights practices and the future of capital punishment globally.