What changed

B100228/2025

P10_TA(2025)0062

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

(2025/2628(RSP))

PE772.502

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

European Parliament resolution of 3 April 2025 on the execution spree in Iran and confirmation of the death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani (2025/2628(RSP))

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;

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran,

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

– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

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;

A. whereas Iran has the highest death sentence rate per capita in the world; whereas since the Women, Life, Freedom uprising in 2022, the Iranian authorities have embarked on an execution spree, including against dissidents, women, journalists and minorities;

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”;

B. whereas the human rights situation in Iran is worsening, including the systemic targeting of women, children and ethnic and religious minorities, such as Christians, Baha’is, Kurds and Baluchis;

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;

C. whereas following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in custody, the Iranian authorities have intensified efforts to suppress the Women, Life, Freedom movement;

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;

D. whereas according to Iran Human Rights, at least 975 people were executed in Iran in 2024, the highest number in more than two decades; whereas this includes individuals arrested as minors, as well as European citizens;

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;

E. whereas the regime in Tehran targets its vocal critics by orchestrating assassinations of politicians, journalists and dissidents abroad, including on European and North American soil, such as the attempted killing of former Vice-President of the European Parliament Alejo Vidal-Quadras;

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

F. whereas political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani were arrested in November 2022 and subjected to torture and prolonged solitary confinement, denied their basic rights during their incarceration and sentenced to death on charges of ‘armed rebellion against the state’, ‘enmity against God’ and ‘corruption on earth’;

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;

G. whereas several human rights defenders, including Pakhshan Azizi, Wirishe Moradi, Mahvash Sabet and Sharifeh Mohammadi, face severe persecution in Iran, with some sentenced to death and others imprisoned;

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;

1. Reiterates its strong opposition to the death penalty; urges the Iranian Government to introduce an immediate moratorium leading to its abolition;

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;

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

Strongly condemns Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy;

3. Calls for their release, together with all prisoners currently on death row for political activism; recalls, in particular, the urgent cases of Pakhshan Azizi, Wirishe Moradi, Sharifeh Mohammadi and Mahvash Sabet;

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;

4. Condemns the unprecedented rise in executions and the systematic targeting of human rights activists and minorities through the death penalty and persecutions, in particular Christians, Baha’is, Kurds and Baluchis; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of individuals detained on account of their religion or belief;

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.

5. Demands the immediate release and repatriation of and dropping of all charges against condemned EU nationals, including Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris and Ahmadreza Djalali; condemns Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy;

6. Calls on the Council and Member States to make the abolition of the death sentence and the release of political prisoners and EU nationals a condition for improving relations with Iran;

7. Reiterates its call on Iran to give the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and the UN Fact-Finding Mission unimpeded access to the country;

8. Reiterates its call on the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation and continue identifying and sanctioning Iranian officials responsible for human rights violations; calls on the international community to fiercely respond to Tehran’s orchestrated assassination attempts worldwide targeting critics and opponents of the Mullah regime;

9. Encourages the Commission and Member States to expand technical and financial assistance for Iranian civil society;

10. 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.