Confirmation of the death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani
April 3, 2025 – The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran,
– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,
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;
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;
C. 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;
D. 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’;
E. 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;
1. Reiterates its strong opposition to the death penalty; urges the Iranian Government to introduce an immediate moratorium leading to its abolition;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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.
