What changed

B100222/2025

B100228/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the execution spree in Iran and the confirmation of the death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani

(2025/2628(RSP))

The European Parliament,

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

A. whereas the human rights situation in Iran is increasingly deteriorating, and experts have expressed alarm at the escalating persecution of religion and belief, as well as the rights to privacy and freedom of expression ; whereas members of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran face arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances; whereas being Muslim is a requirement for most government jobs;

whereas executions in Iran have spiked in 2024 with over 900 recorded cases; whereas the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran concluded that Iran has the highest rate of death sentences per capita in the world;

B. whereas on 15 September 2024, Behrouz Ehsani, 69, and Mehdi Hassani, 48, were sentenced to death for alleged ties to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and on charges of “armed rebellion against the state”; whereas on 7 January 2025, the Supreme Court upheld their sentences, and contact with their family was denied;

whereas the Iranian population has witnessed a massive increase in violence and repressive actions by the regime following the 2019 and 2022 uprisings;

C. whereas Iranian courts, particularly revolutionary courts, regularly fail to provide fair trials and accept confessions obtained under torture as evidence in court; whereas the authorities also routinely restrict detainees’ access to legal counsel, particularly during the investigation period;

whereas political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani were arrested in November 2022 and subjected to torture, ill-treatment, prolonged solitary confinement and denied their basic rights during their incarceration; whereas Iran has thereby violated, inter alia, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on Torture (CAT), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners;

D. whereas following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in custody, the Iranian authorities have intensified efforts to suppress the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and have intensified their use of the death penalty in order to terrify the population; whereas more than 900 people were executed in 2024 alone;

whereas on 15 September 2024, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani were sentenced to death on charges of “armed rebellion against the state”, “enmity against God”, “corruption on earth”;

E. whereas human rights violations in Iran are not limited to the persecution of human rights activists and political opponents, but women's rights in general are also denied, particularly since the imposition of compulsory veiling in 1983, which has led to the harassment, arrest, imprisonment, torture and killing of many women; whereas recent reports highlight an increase in honour killings across Iran; whereas Iran’s legal framework is rooted in Islamic law which offers leniency to men who commit those crimes;

Strongly condemns the use of the death sentence in Iran, which is also used systematically as a tool to suffocate any form of dissent; reiterates its strong opposition to the death penalty; urges the Iranian government to introduce an immediate moratorium leading to its abolition;

F. whereas European-Iranian dual nationals continue to be arbitrarily arrested in Iran and exploited as bargaining chips; whereas Dr. Ahmedreza Djalali, a Swedish citizen, remains imprisoned;

Condemns the decision by Iran’s Supreme Court to uphold the death sentence against Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who are detained under inhumane conditions and subjected to unfair trials;

1. Expresses deep concern over the continued deterioration of human rights in Iran; urges the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure that the cases of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani are reviewed in accordance with international human rights standards, including the right to a fair trial and legal representation;

Calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani; calls for the release of all political prisoners currently on death row and demands an immediate halt to all executions;

2. Calls for the unconditional release of EU nationals, and all unlawfully detained human rights activists, political opponents and prisoners of conscience in Iran;

Condemns the systematic targeting of female human rights activists and minorities through the death penalty, in particular Kurds, Baha’is and Baluchis;

3. Stresses that the oppression of Iranian women and the deny of freedom of religion, belief and expression is inherent to Islamic fundamentalism and a direct result of the application of Sharia law;

Calls on the Iranian authorities to reverse their practice of unfair and arbitrary trials as well as extracting confessions under torture or ill treatment; reminds the authorities of their obligation to ensure fair and transparent proceedings in accordance with international law;

4. Warns, in this context, about the existence and application of Sharia law in predominantly Muslim communities in Europe; condemns its implementation, calls for its prohibition across Europe and calls on the Commission to refrain from promoting any culture that does not recognise the equal dignity of men and women, in particular by ceasing all communication promoting the Islamic veil;

Stresses the crucial importance of supporting the Iranian people’s democratic aspirations; strongly condemns the Iranian regime’s repression of any calls for freedom and justice;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the relevant parties.

Reiterates its condemnation of the Iranian’s regime systemic suppression of human rights movements and persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, including Kurds, Baluchis, Christians, and Baha’is;

Strongly condemns Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy;

Reiterates its call on the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation and to extend EU sanctions to all those responsible for human rights violations;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Office of the President and the Office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.