Prisoners at Iran’s largest jail sew lips shut in hunger strike as executions soar

What Happened

At least 1,500 death row prisoners at Ghezel Hesar prison near Tehran began a hunger strike two weeks ago after six men convicted on drug-related charges were transferred to solitary confinement before their possible execution, according to Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO). Prisoners sewed their lips shut and held placards reading 'No to Executions', releasing videos via exile rights groups. IHRNGO reports at least 424 executions in Iran this year, mostly for drug offences; 795 people were hanged on drug-related charges in the past year. Two men were executed on Tuesday for 'waging war on God' over the deaths of two police officers during January anti-government protests, bringing to 26 the number of protest-linked executions this year. Rights groups say trials in revolutionary courts are grossly unfair, often based on confessions extracted under torture, and that those executed are typically low-level couriers from marginalized backgrounds.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The protest inside Iran's largest prison draws international attention to a sharp rise in executions—424 this year—amid a wider human rights crisis and geopolitical tensions with the US. The use of the death penalty for low-level drug offences and protest-related charges, often after torture-based confessions, highlights systemic judicial abuses and may increase diplomatic pressure on the Pezeshkian government.

Watch For

Potential executions of hunger-striking prisoners, further prison protests, and international responses from human rights bodies and foreign governments. Also monitor whether the Iranian authorities engage in any negotiation or reform of death penalty practices for drug offences.