Ahmadreza Haeri
They are seeking death, while we are fighting for life. I am certain that in our struggle for the right to life, there is no defeat.”
Ahmadreza Haeri is an Iranian Kurdish human rights defender and anti-death penalty campaigner who has tirelessly advocated for prisoners’ rights in Iran. As a founder of the “No to Death Penalty on Tuesdays” campaign, he has persistently documented and shed light on the treatment of prisoners and human rights violations in Iranian prisons, including executions. The campaign has since grown momentum in Iran, outside of its prisons.
Born in 1980 in Mehran, Western Iran, Ahmadreza Haeri grew up amid the consequences of the Iran-Iraq war, displacement and personal loss. As a result of his deeply rooted belief in democratic and political reform, he engaged in student-led activism to effect change in Iran. After being arrested repeatedly and persecuted, and having witnessed the devastating consequences and indiscriminate violence used against unarmed protesters during the November 2019 protests, his work became focused on the defence of human rights. Ahmadreza Haeri became increasingly determined to document human rights abuses and defend those unjustly imprisoned for their political beliefs and peaceful activism.
His commitment to defending human rights, however, has come at a considerable cost. For years, Ahmadreza Haeri has endured repeated arrests, persistent judicial harassment, detention in solitary confinement, physical assault, and undue pressure against members of his family. He has faced multiple criminal charges including ‘gathering and collusion with the intention of acting against national security’ and ‘propaganda against the state’, for which he was imprisoned in May 2023.
During his imprisonment, he documented prisoners’ experiences, spoke out against unfair trials and executions, and helped expose violations that might otherwise have remained hidden. As a result of his continued advocacy, authorities summoned Ahmadreza Haeri five times during his imprisonment and issued additional national security charges against him.
His involvement in the “No to Death Penalty on Tuesdays” campaign has helped to strengthen Iranian prisoners’ collective resistance to capital punishment. Across Iran, prisoners go on weekly hunger strikes despite threats, violence and punitive measures.
On 9 September 2026, Ahmadreza Haeri was released from prison after more than three and a half years in detention and has since been acquitted of all additional charges brought against him in detention. Despite the hardship he has endured, his commitment to defending human rights remains unwavering. Through his documentation, advocacy and participation in the campaign against the death penalty, he continues to defend the right to life and challenge the silence surrounding executions in Iran. For Ahmadreza Haeri, ensuring that prisoners are not forgotten and that their fundamental rights are upheld remains an essential part of the pursuit for justice.
