Skip to content
Adopted text

Iran, in particular the case of 2012 Sakharov Prize Laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh

TA-9-2020-0376 · P9_TA(2020)0376 · PE661.574

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull text
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 29 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's resolution on Iran focuses on the case of 2012 Sakharov Prize laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist. It condemns her arbitrary detention, sentencing and return to prison, and calls for her immediate release and access to healthcare. It condemns the executions of journalist Ruhollah Zam and wrestler Navid Afkari, and calls on Iran to halt the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali. It calls for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters, journalists, human rights defenders and EU-Iranian dual nationals, and demands due process and fair trials. It condemns the death penalty, torture, discrimination against women and minorities, and the crackdown on protests, and calls for a UN-led inquiry into the November 2019 and January 2020 protests. It welcomes the EU's Human Rights Sanctions Mechanism and calls for targeted sanctions against Iranian officials responsible for human rights violations.

Key points

  1. Strongly condemns the arbitrary detention, sentencing and return to prison of Nasrin Sotoudeh, and calls on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release her and allow her to receive healthcare.
  2. Strongly condemns the executions of Ruhollah Zam on 12 December 2020 and Navid Afkari on 12 September 2020, and calls on the EU and member states to protect Iranian nationals in the EU from harassment by Iranian intelligence services.
  3. Calls on Iran to halt the imminent execution of Ahmadreza Djalali, release and compensate him, and stop threatening his family; reiterates calls for urgent interventions by the VP/HR and EU member states.
  4. Calls on all EU member states to make public statements and undertake diplomatic initiatives to monitor unfair trials and visit prisons where human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience are detained.
  5. Calls on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release hundreds of people arbitrarily detained for peacefully exercising their rights, including protesters, journalists, artists and human rights defenders.
  6. Urges Iran to drop all charges and lift travel restrictions on European-Iranian dual nationals, and demands the release of Kamran Ghaderi, Massoud Mossaheb and Morad Tahbaz.
  7. Expresses concern at the physical assault and forcible transfer of Golrokh Iraee to Evin prison, and calls for clarification of her situation and her release.
  8. Condemns the crackdown on freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and urges Iran to ensure due process and fair trials, including the right to a lawyer.
  9. Condemns the death penalty, amputations, floggings, torture and inhuman detention conditions, and calls on Iran to declare an immediate moratorium on all pending executions.
  10. Urges Iran to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls, and calls for an end to discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Baha'i and LGBTI persons.
  11. Calls for a UN-led inquiry into crimes committed during the November 2019 and January 2020 protests, and urges the EU and member states to adopt targeted restrictive measures against responsible officials.
  12. Welcomes the EU's Human Rights Sanctions Mechanism and calls for targeted measures against Iranian officials responsible for serious human rights violations, including judges who sentenced journalists and activists to death.

Who is affected

  • Nasrin Sotoudeh, an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist, arbitrarily detained and sentenced; the resolution calls for her release.
  • Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish academic sentenced to death; the resolution calls for halting his execution and his release.
  • EU-Iranian dual nationals and EU nationals detained in Iran, including Fariba Adelkhah, Nahid Taghavi, Kameel Ahmady, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Kamran Ghaderi, Massoud Mossaheb and Morad Tahbaz.
  • Iranian human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, protesters and activists detained for peaceful activism.
  • Iranian officials responsible for human rights violations, including judges; the resolution calls for targeted sanctions against them.

Figures and deadlines

  • 33 years in prison and 148 lashes: the sentence given to Nasrin Sotoudeh in absentia in March 2019.
  • 13 June 2018: the date Nasrin Sotoudeh has been arbitrarily detained since.
  • 7 November 2020: the date Nasrin Sotoudeh was temporarily released following a positive COVID-19 test.
  • 2 December 2020: the date Nasrin Sotoudeh was ordered to return to Qarchak prison.
  • 24 November 2020: the date Ahmadreza Djalali was informed his execution was imminent.
  • 12 December 2020: the date journalist Ruhollah Zam was executed by hanging.
  • 12 September 2020: the date wrestler Navid Afkari was executed.
  • over 300 people: the number killed by Iranian security forces at protests in November 2019, according to the UN Special Rapporteur.