What changed

B100266/2026

B100261/2026

European Parliament resolution on Repressionthe repression and execution of protesters, dissidents, political prisoners and religious minorities in Iran

(2026/2733(RSP))

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran,

A. whereas mass protests erupted across Iran in December 2025, driven by economic collapse and decades of political repression and in January 2026 security forces launched a brutal crackdown, murdering tens of thousands of civilians and resulting in the mass arbitrary arrest of protesters and dissidents; whereas the Iranian authorities have pursued a systematic campaign of prosecutions and executions against those detained during the uprising, a campaign further intensified under the cover of the regional armed conflict that began in February 2026; whereas the Iranian authorities have been exploiting this conflict to intensify domestic repression, accelerate executions of political prisoners and protesters, and impose prolonged internet blackouts that curtail independent reporting and international scrutiny of human rights violations; whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran has played a deeply destabilising role in the Middle East through its support for terrorist proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Shia militias in Iraq, fuelling conflict and instability across the region;

– having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

B. whereas the authorities have refused to return the bodies of executed political prisoners to their families, who face arrest and abduction when attempting to retrieve them, and are confiscating the properties of protesters, while political prisoners across detention facilities mark week of hunger strike in protest of these executions;

whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to commit systematic and grave human rights violations against protesters, women, dissidents, journalists, political prisoners and religious and ethnic minorities;

C. whereas the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Iran warned that the country's deepening human rights crisis, characterised by institutionalised repression on an unprecedented scale including violations that may amount to crimes against humanity, is likely to worsen;

whereas repression has intensified since the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests through arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances and executions following grossly unfair trials;

D. whereas Iranian authorities labelled Christians as "Mossad mercenaries", broadcast forced confessions of those detained, raided house churches and arbitrarily detained Christian converts; whereas nearly 90% of all charges against Christians were brought under Article 500 of the penal code, which criminalises propaganda contrary to Islam;

whereas protesters have been executed since the 2022 uprising and whereas opposition groups report a sharp increase in politically motivated executions during the 2025-2026 protests and the recent war;

1. Condemns the Iranian authorities' deliberate exploitation of the regional armed conflict to accelerate executions of political prisoners and protesters depriving victims and their families of any meaningful recourse or international protection;

whereas the IRGC, the Basij militia and the judiciary play a central role in repression, torture and intimidation;

2. Demands that the Iranian authorities immediately halt all executions of political prisoners and protesters, release all individuals detained in connection with the uprisings, and quash all convictions based on confessions extracted under torture;

whereas political prisoners are routinely denied due process, legal representation, and medical care, and subjected to forced confessions;

3. Expresses solidarity those in Iran persecuted for their beliefs or identity, including Kurds, Baluchis, Baha'is and Christians, who face decades of systematic discrimination and repression; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all persons detained solely for exercising their freedom of religion or belief;

whereas religious and ethnic minorities face severe persecution and discrimination;

4. Calls on the Council to continue listing, under the EU human rights sanctions regime, Iranian judiciary officials responsible for ordering politically motivated executions, and to ensure existing listings are actively enforced across all Member States;

whereas the regime has imposed prolonged internet blackouts and media censorship to conceal state violence and suppress independent reporting;

5. Calls to invite Reza Pahlavi to address the European Parliament;

whereas women and girls continue to face systemic discrimination, compulsory veiling and repression under the regime’s interpretation of Sharia law;

6. 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.

whereas the Islamic Republic continues to support terrorist and proxy groups across the Middle East, and has been linked to covert operations and assassination plots on European soil;

Condemns in the strongest possible terms the systematic repression by the Islamic Republic of Iran against protesters, dissidents, women, journalists, political prisoners and religious and ethnic minorities;

Strongly condemns the sharp increase in executions, including executions of protesters and persons convicted on vague national security charges following grossly unfair proceedings;

Calls on the Islamic Republic to immediately halt all executions, abolish death sentences imposed against protesters and political prisoners and establish an immediate moratorium on the death penalty;

Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, detained nationals of EU Member States, and individuals detained for exercising their fundamental rights;

Expresses its solidarity with the people of Iran and supports their aspirations for freedom, democracy, national dignity and freedom from religious coercion;

Condemns the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities and calls on the Islamic Republic to guarantee freedom of religion or belief and equal rights for all citizens;

Condemns the repression of women and girls, including compulsory veiling and discriminatory legislation targeting women’s freedoms and participation in public life;

Reiterates its call for targeted sanctions against Iranian officials and entities responsible for repression and executions, including judges, prison directors, IRGC commanders and members of the security apparatus;

Urges Member States to combat the Islamic Republic’s transnational repression and influence operations in Europe;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the UN Secretary-General, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Iranian authorities.