“Alliance of activists and student media against execution” announced in a statement that the death penalty “is not the implementation of justice, but intentional killing of a human being that the government, relying on law, declares lawful.”

The alliance, made up of activists and student media from several universities, emphasized that no wording—from “qisas” and “hudud” to “legal punishment” and “national security”—changes the nature of execution. The statement said that opposition to execution is not merely opposition to a punishment, but opposition to one of the most fundamental tools of state repression, and that there is a direct link between repression on the streets, prison, and the gallows.

The alliance of activists and student media also said that its opposition is not limited to political executions and is opposed to the principle of the death penalty itself. The alliance added that no government, court, or law should have the right to deprive a human being of life, and emphasized that defending the right to life is inseparable from the struggle for freedom, equality, and democracy.