News Center- Mohammad Ghovadlou and Farhad Salimi, two political prisoners, were executed in Iran on January 23, 2024. 61 female political prisoners jailed in Evin prison have started a hunger strike today to protest the recent executions of protesters in Iran, including the execution of Mohammad Ghobadlou and Farhad Salimi.

Support from artists and politicians

Many people including Iranian singer and musician Mehdi Yarrahi, Iranian-American journalist and writer Masih Alinejad, Iranian journalist and poet Hassan Homayoun, Iranian political activist Sepideh Qoliyan, Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian and Iranian hip-hop artist Toomaj Salehi, have expressed their support to the female political prisoners on their social media accounts.

Iranian singer and musician Mehdi Yarrahi, who was arrested in August 2023 after he released a song protesting Iran’s mandatory hijab, announced on his social media account on Wednesday that he would start a hunger strike to support 61 female political prisoners. “Together with 61 ideological and political women prisoners of Evin, we will go on a hunger strike on Thursday in protest against the execution of #MohamadGhobadlou and to stop the executions,” his social media post said.

 ‘Stop the executions’

Iranian hip-hop artist Toomaj Salehi, who was arrested in October 2022 and then sentenced to six years and three months in prison also announced that he would start a hunger strike to support the female political prisoners in Evin prison. “After the executions of Mohammad Ghovadlou and Farhad Salimi, Salehi will go on the hunger strike together with 61 political prisoners in the women's ward of Evin Prison. Stop the executions,” his official Twitter page said on Wednesday.

Havana Tamisi, wife of Kurdish political prisoner Mohsen Mazlum, also announced that she would go on the hunger strike. “As a freedom fighter and an opponent of the Iranian regime, I announce that I will go on the hunger strike together with 61 female political prisoners in Evin prison. Stop the executions in Iran,” she wrote on her social media account.

Iranian journalist, poet and novelist Hassan Homayoun also announced that he would not eat or drink anything on Thursday, January 25, to support the hunger strike of 61 female political prisoners in Evin prison.