What changed

B100085/2025

B100066/2025

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 itsRule previous150 resolutionsof onits Iran,Rules of Procedure,

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

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;

whereas the systematic violations of women’s rights by Iran and its ‘morality’ police have not decreased under President Pezeshkian;

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 Pakhshan Azizi, a civil activist and social worker temporarily being detained and faced with national security charges, was pressured to confess and received the death sentence; whereas Wrisha Moradi, a civil rights activist focused on women’s and student issues in Sanandaj of Kurdistan Province, is still behind bars on the charge of “armed insurrection,” for which she received the death sentence;

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

whereas at least a dozen European citizens from different countries are illegally detained in Iran; whereas Iran conducts an hostage diplomacy where it uses the detention of western nationals, dual citizens, or Iranian citizens residing in western countries as leverage in diplomatic negotiations;

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 Iran converts from Islam to Christianity face severe religious freedom violations; whereas at least 139 Christians were arrested in 2024 on account of their religious beliefs;

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”;

Strongly condemns the death sentence handed down to Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi on fabricated charges, and call for their immediate and unconditional release;

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;

Deplores the Iranian Government’s unjust imprisonment and mistreatment of Pakshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi; demands the Iranian regime to allow Pakshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi to access family visits and legal representation of their choice; urges the provision of health care to Wrisha Moradi who went on an indefinite hunger strike and suffered from her deteriorating health;

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;

Reiterates its strong opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances; calls on the Government of Iran to introduce an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty as a step towards abolishing and to commute all death sentences;

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;

Condemns the surge in wrongful arrests, lengthy sentences, and physical torture of members of religious and ethnic minorities, including Kurds, Baha’is, and Christians;

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;

Call for the immediate and unconditional release of all EU citizens held hostage in Iran; condemns Iran’s practice of hostage diplomacy and urges EU institutions, member states, and the international community to develop a strategy within the framework of the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations to deter such actions;

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;

Urges the Iranian authorities to repeal all legislation that discriminates against human rights defenders, women, and minority activists;

8. Calls on the Council to continue identifying and sanctioning perpetrators responsible for serious human rights violations and hostage diplomacy; Reiterates its call to add the IRGC to the EU list of terrorist organisations;

Reiterates its call on the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, noting that the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court’s ruling on the 2022 Bochum synagogue attack now provides the necessary legal grounds and to expand the EU sanctions list, including under the EU Global Human Rights sanctions mechanisms, to state officials and political leaders responsible for human rights violations in Iran;

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

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

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;

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.