What changed

B90121/2024

B90120/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the increased number of executions in Iran, in particular the case of Mohammad Ghobadlou

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rulesprevious ofresolutions Procedure,on Iran,

A. whereas the Iranian authorities increasingly make use of death penalty and executions in particular in reaction to peaceful protests of the Iranian population against the widespread and systematic violations of women and girls’ human rights; whereas Balochi, Kurdish and Ahwazi Arab national minorities are disproportionately affected by death penalty and executions in Iran;

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948,

B. whereas the UNHRC reported that at least 54 people, including Farhad Salimi, Pejman Fatehi, Vafa Azarbar, Mohammad (Hazhir) Faramarzi and Mohsen Mazloum, have been put to death only during January 2024; whereas, according to Human Rights Watch, at least 11 prisoners, including Anwar Khezri, Kamran Sheikheh and Khosrow Basharat, are currently at risk of imminent execution;

– having regard to Rule 132(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

C. whereas Mohammad Ghobadlou was arbitrarily executed, after facing an unfair sham trial marred by torture allegations, due to his involvement in the September 2022 uprising; whereas appeals to take into account his mental disability condition were also rejected;

A. Whereas according to Amnesty International, Iran has the highest number of executions per capita in the world; whereas, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, executions in Iran are increasing exponentially; Whereas over 800 individuals were executed in 2023, and over 500 protesters were killed as part of the ongoing suppression of the Women, Life, and Freedom movement;

D. whereas the Iranian prosecutor has demanded for the death penalty for Johan Floderus, a Swedish citizen and EU official innocently accused and imprisoned in Evin Prison;

B. Whereas on 23 January 2024 the authorities arbitrarily executed Mohammad Ghobadlou, a 23-year-old mentally-disabled protester, following his arrest in September 2022 as part of a crackdown on protesters; whereas political prisoner Farhad Salima was also executed;

1. Recalls its strong opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances and calls for the universal abolition of capital punishment;

C. Whereas the Iranian Constitution guarantees equal rights for ethnic minorities; whereas the death penalty is disproportionately applied to minorities, as well as human rights defenders and journalists; whereas Iran’s unfair legal system is a pillar of its hostage diplomacy strategy;

2. Condemns the increasing use of death penalty and executions by Iranian authorities waging terror on its population; Calls on the Government to introduce an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty as first step towards abolishing this practice and to revoke all death sentences; condemns the use of torture to obtain confessions resulting in extrajudicial killings;

1. Calls on Iran to allow an impartial international investigation into human rights violations, including the killing of Mohammad Ghobadlou, and other peaceful demonstrators, torture and ill-treatment of detainees;

3. Calls on Iranian authorities to abandon charges and immediately and unconditionally release Johan Floderus;

2. Strongly condemns the executions of peaceful demonstrators in Iran, including that of Mohammad Ghobadlou; calls on Iran to put an immediate end to all executions and strive for the complete abolition of the death penalty; reiterates its firm opposition to the use of the death penalty at all times and under all circumstances;

4. Keeps condemning the ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation and the authorities’ brutal repression against women, girls, minorities and all peaceful protesters; Condemns the use of rape and other forms of sexual violence by Iranian officials; calls for the immediate release of all human rights defenders and all victims of arbitrary detention;

3. Reaffirms its support for the Iranian people in their struggle for change, justice, freedoms and rights, particularly against restrictions on women;

5. Urges the European Commission to increase the technical and capacity support and allocate a larger budget to Iranian civil society;

4. Reiterates its call to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its subsidiary forces to the EU terrorist list, and to adopt additional restrictive measures against Iranian individuals and entities responsible for grave human rights violations;

6. Calls on the EEAS and EU member states to actively support and present resolutions ensuring renewal of the mandates of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran and of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran at the upcoming 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council;

5. Urges the Iranian authorities to withdraw all charges against anyone detained solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression; Calls on the Iranian authorities to respect their international obligations, including those of the ICCPR, and to grant EU observers access to all processes related to the protests;

7. Notes with the utmost dissatisfaction that it needs to reiterate its endless calls to initiate criminal investigations into crimes committed by the Iranian authorities under universal jurisdiction, to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and sanction those responsible for human rights violations in Iran, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Ebrahim Raisi and Prosecutor-General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri;

6. Calls on EU member states to support the renewal of the mandates of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session;

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

7. Expects the EU, including the VP/HR to continue raising human rights concerns with the Iranian authorities, in particular in the context of the EU political dialogue in Iran; reiterates that respect for human rights is a key component of EU-Iran relations;

8. Calls on the VP/HR to develop an EU strategy to counter Iran’s hostage diplomacy against EU nationals;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, VP/HR, the Member States, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and Iranian government.