According to an open letter released by a collective of Iranian leftist activists and supporters, an international network of groups is calling for an “internationalism from below” to counter state executions in Iran and reject what they term the hierarchy of human lives amid global conflict.
The “No to Execution Tuesdays” Campaign and Prison Resistance
Signatories of the August 2026 open letter highlight the ongoing resistance inside Iranian detention facilities, specifically pointing to the ‘No to Execution Tuesdays’ campaign. According to the document, this movement marked its 135th weekly hunger strike, with members across 61 prisons in Iran taking part in the resistance through hunger strikes. Authors of the collective statement—many of whom have personally experienced imprisonment in Iran, survived the mass executions of political prisoners in the summer of 1988, or been active in the struggle against prison and execution, and as part of the justice-seeking movement—argue that resisting execution from within these institutions holds profound historical and heroic significance as state-sanctioned killings escalate.
Devaluation of Lives by States and Factions
The collective letter asserts that the value of human life is systematically undermined from multiple directions during the current climate of war. According to the text, the Iranian regime devalues lives to sustain a state of emergency and public terror. Simultaneously, the document states that imperialist centers of power reduce human lives to numerical instruments used to justify war against Iran and the continuation of military aggression in the Middle East. Furthermore, the authors criticize a multitude of forces and political currents that claim to defend the oppressed but align with states due to a simplistic view of anti-imperialism, effectively calling for silence on state brutality in Iran.
Did you know? The ‘No to Execution Tuesdays’ campaign marked its 135th weekly hunger strike, with members across 61 prisons in Iran taking part in the resistance through hunger strikes, according to the document.
Navigating Political Polarization and Accusations
Publishing the open letter required confronting a deeply polarized political and media landscape where dissenting voices face immense pressure to take rigid sides, according to the signatory groups. The authors state that they faced severe criticism and accusations—such as being labeled a “pro-NATO left,” “pro-Zionist left,” “Islamophobic,” or of drawing a false equivalence—for maintaining a critical stance. Despite these hazards, the signatories refused to remain passive, insisting that internationalist solidarity must prioritize human life and the right to exist over the conflicting political claims of actors within the global order.
Forging an Internationalism from Below
Drawing on traditions of radical Black liberation, anti-racist, and anti-colonial struggles, the letter’s authors reject state-centered approaches to opposing colonialism and imperialism. According to the text, true anti-colonial struggle requires fidelity to the whole of Frantz Fanon’s approach, warning that adopting the logic of the colonizer during this struggle means they are defeated in advance. The supporting collectives—including Roud Collective, Prison’s Dialogue, Flüchtlingscafé Göttingen, Anti Colonial Iran, Hydra, Osyan Women Collective, and numerous other diaspora and international organizations—argue that rejecting all forms of domination forms the foundation for a viable alternative path known as ‘internationalism from below.’
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign?
It is a prominent example of prisoner resistance that marked its 135th weekly hunger strike, with members across 61 prisons in Iran taking part in the resistance through hunger strikes, according to the August 25, 2026 open letter by Iranian leftist collectives.
Who signed the open letter calling for internationalism from below?
Signatories include numerous Iranian left-wing collectives, diaspora groups, and campaigns such as Roud Collective, Prison’s Dialogue, Flüchtlingscafé Göttingen, Anti Colonial Iran, Hydra, Osyan Women Collective, Democratic Association of Iranians in Venice, Iranische Aktivistinnen im Exil, Jin* Jiyan Azadi – NRW collectif98, Burn the Cage Campaign, Komitee zur Unterstützung der politischen Gefangenen in Iran-Berlin e.V., Another way for Iran Collective – Montreal, Iranischdeutscher Frauenverein Köln, Collettivo Rivoluzionario Jina (crj), Transnational Iranian Anti-Fascist Collective Toronto-Canada, Iranian Republican Association (TIRA), International Emergency Campaign to Free Iran’s Political Prisoners Now, and Roja Collective – Paris.
What does “internationalism from below” mean in this context?
According to the participating collectives, it represents an alternative path based on the total rejection of domination and oppression, prioritizing human life and the right to exist rather than the conflicting political claims of actors within the global order.
Call to Action: Explore the full list of participating international collectives and read the complete open letter through the Roud Collective documentation. Share your thoughts in the comments below or subscribe to our newsletter for ongoing updates on global labor and human rights movements.
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