What changed

B100066/2025

B100082/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the systematic repression of human rights in Iran, notably the cases of Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi, and the taking of EU citizens as hostages

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 150 of its Rulesprevious ofresolutions Procedure,on Iran,

A. whereas Kurdish activists and social worker Pakhshan Azizi and prominent advocate for women’s rights, Verisheh (Wrisha) Moradi, are at the immediate risk of execution after being arbitrarily detained, subjected to torture, and denied fair trial, emblematic of the regime’s broader campaign against dissenting voices;

having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

B. whereas the Iranian authorities frequently deploy state repression to suppress the rights of women, ethnic minorities, and activists, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and inhumane punishments;

whereas the human rights situation in Iran has significantly worsened, with a sharp rise in executions, including 901 individuals in 2024 alone, many of whom were women, political dissidents, and individuals connected to the protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's death;

C. whereas the government of Iran also arbitrarily detains and executes EU and dual EU-Iranian nationals.

Whereas the Iranian regime targets female and minority activists, such as Pakhshan Azizi, Wrisha Moradi, with prosecutions based on coerced confessions and inadequate legal representation, often leading to death sentences;

1. Firmly denounces the Iranian regimeʼs unrestrained repression of human rights, including the excessive use of the death penalty, particularly targeting women and minorities;

Whereas in January 2025 the Supreme Court upheld a death sentence to Pakhshan Azizi, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, members of the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign composed of political prisoners calling for the abolition of capital punishment;

2. Calls the Iranian government to promptly revoke the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi and Verisheh (Wrisha) Moradi and release them unconditionally; underlines that the charges against the two Kurdish activists cannot be considered “most serious crimes”;

Whereas dozens of innocent EU nationals, among whom Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris and Olivier Grondeau have been arbitrarily detained in Iran, without access to fair trials, as part of Iran’s broader strategy of hostage diplomacy, further highlighting the regime’s disregard for human rights, international law, and diplomatic norms;

3. Urges Iran to stop using the death penalty, halt executions and release and retrial persons threatened with execution in a due process, particularly for charges that under international law never result in capital punishment; calls on Iranian authorities to respect their international obligations under the ICCPR;

Urges the annulment of all death sentences against Iranian human rights defenders and calls for an immediate moratorium on capital punishment, given Iran’s egregious record of due process violations and consistent disregard for international laws governing the use of the death penalty;

4. Demands the immediate unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained foreign and dual nationals, including EU nationals Ahmadreza Djalali, Olivier Grondeau, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris; strongly denounces the Iranian government´s hostage diplomacy;

Demands that Iran immediately and unconditionally releases all human rights defenders and political prisoners who have been unjustly imprisoned, including Pakhshan Azizi, Wrisha Moradi, Behrouz Ehsani, Mehdi Hassani and at least 54 other political prisoners on death row;

5. Condemns in the strongest terms the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd and urges the Iranian government to provide details on the circumstances of his death and for his remains to be returned to his family;

Calls for the EU and its Member States to increase support for Iranian human rights defenders and expresses its full support and solidarity with Iranians united under the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and the "No to Execution Tuesdays" campaign;

6. Urges Iranian authorities to provide the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and the UN Fact-Finding Mission with full, unimpeded access to enact their mandates; calls on the EU and Member States to fully support the mission and support the renewal of its mandate;

Condemns Iran’s hostage diplomacy; urges the EU to launch a strategy to counter it with a dedicated task force to better assist detainees’ families and effectively prevent further hostage-taking; calls for all non-essential travel by EU citizens to Iran to be discouraged; calls on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release all EU nationals as well as all other political prisoners;

7. Calls on the HR/VP and EU Member States to ensure that the plight of Iranian women and the fate of EU hostages are consistently raised in all diplomatic engagements with Iranian officials;

Condemns the Iranian regime’s systemic suppression of human rights movements and persecution of minorities, including Kurds, Baluchis, Christians, and Baha’is, who face discrimination, arrests, and violations of fundamental rights aimed at silencing dissent;

8.Reiterates Callsits call on the Council to continuedesignate identifyingthe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and sanctioningto perpetratorsexpand the EU sanctions to all those responsible for serious human rights violationsviolations, andincluding hostageSupreme diplomacy;Leader ReiteratesAli itsKhamenei, callPresident toMasoud addPezeshkian, theJudiciary IRGCChief toGholam-Hossein theMohseni-Eje'i, EUProsecutor-General listMohammad ofMovahedi-Azad, terroristand organisations;Judge Iman Afshari;

9. Calls on EU member states to initiate criminal investigations against Iranian officials accountable for serious human rights violations, notably under universal jurisdiction;

Reiterates its call on the Commission and the Member States to increase technical and capacity support to Iranian civil society;

10. Calls on the European Commission to increase technical and capacity support to Iranian civil society and allocate a larger budget for related activities, including considerable funds to implementing organisations;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

11. Calls the Member States to facilitate visas, asylum and emergency grants for those who need to flee Iran, particularly women and girls;

12. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to EU institutions, HRVP, the Member States, and Iran.