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resolution motion, 20 January 2025

On the systematic repression of human rights in Iran, notably the cases of Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi, and the taking of EU citizens as hostages

Motion B-10-2025-0066 · (2025/2511(RSP))

on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group · Rapporteur: Hannah Neumann, Maria Ohisalo, Catarina Vieira, Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, Jaume Asens Llodrà, Nicolae Ştefănuță

On Parliament’s site PDF Word

AI:In short

This resolution denounces Iran's repression of human rights, including the death penalty, and demands the release of two Kurdish activists and EU hostages. It urges Iran to halt executions, grant UN access, and calls on the EU to sanction perpetrators, support civil society, and facilitate visas for those fleeing.

Key points

  1. Denounces the Iranian regime's repression of human rights, including excessive use of the death penalty, particularly against women and minorities.
  2. Calls on Iran to revoke death sentences for Pakhshan Azizi and Verisheh (Wrisha) Moradi and release them unconditionally.
  3. Urges Iran to stop using the death penalty, halt executions, and retry those threatened with execution under due process.
  4. Demands immediate release of all arbitrarily detained foreign and dual nationals, including EU citizens Ahmadreza Djalali, Olivier Grondeau, Cécile Kohler, and Jacques Paris.
  5. Condemns the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd and urges Iran to provide details and return his remains to his family.
  6. Urges Iran to grant UN Special Rapporteur and Fact-Finding Mission full access; calls on EU and member states to support and renew the mission's mandate.
  7. Calls on the High Representative and member states to raise women's rights and hostage cases in all diplomatic engagements with Iran.
  8. Calls on the Council to sanction perpetrators of human rights violations and hostage diplomacy, and to add the IRGC to the EU terrorist list.
  9. Calls on member states to initiate criminal investigations against Iranian officials under universal jurisdiction.
  10. Calls on the Commission to increase support to Iranian civil society and allocate a larger budget, including funds to implementing organisations.
  11. Calls on member states to facilitate visas, asylum, and emergency grants for those fleeing Iran, especially women and girls.

Who is affected

  • Iranian authorities: must revoke death sentences, release detainees, halt executions, and allow UN access.
  • EU institutions and member states: must sanction perpetrators, support civil society, and facilitate visas.
  • Detained EU and dual nationals: their release is demanded.
  • Iranian civil society and those fleeing: receive support and visas.

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 4 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Text 20 paragraphs

B100066/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the systematic repression of human rights in Iran, notably the cases of Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi, and the taking of EU citizens as hostages

(2025/2511(RSP))

The European Parliament,

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

A.whereas Kurdish activists and social worker Pakhshan Azizi and prominent advocate for women’s rights, Verisheh (Wrisha) Moradi, are at the immediate risk of execution after being arbitrarily detained, subjected to torture, and denied fair trial, emblematic of the regime’s broader campaign against dissenting voices;

B.whereas the Iranian authorities frequently deploy state repression to suppress the rights of women, ethnic minorities, and activists, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and inhumane punishments;

C.whereas the government of Iran also arbitrarily detains and executes EU and dual EU-Iranian nationals.

1.Firmly denounces the Iranian regimeʼs unrestrained repression of human rights, including the excessive use of the death penalty, particularly targeting women and minorities;

2.Calls the Iranian government to promptly revoke the death sentence for Pakhshan Azizi and Verisheh (Wrisha) Moradi and release them unconditionally; underlines that the charges against the two Kurdish activists cannot be considered “most serious crimes”;

3.Urges Iran to stop using the death penalty, halt executions and release and retrial persons threatened with execution in a due process, particularly for charges that under international law never result in capital punishment; calls on Iranian authorities to respect their international obligations under the ICCPR;

4.Demands the immediate unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained foreign and dual nationals, including EU nationals Ahmadreza Djalali, Olivier Grondeau, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris; strongly denounces the Iranian government´s hostage diplomacy;

Read the rest (8 paragraphs)

5.Condemns in the strongest terms the execution of Jamshid Sharmahd and urges the Iranian government to provide details on the circumstances of his death and for his remains to be returned to his family;

6.Urges Iranian authorities to provide the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and the UN Fact-Finding Mission with full, unimpeded access to enact their mandates; calls on the EU and Member States to fully support the mission and support the renewal of its mandate;

7.Calls on the HR/VP and EU Member States to ensure that the plight of Iranian women and the fate of EU hostages are consistently raised in all diplomatic engagements with Iranian officials;

8.Calls on the Council to continue identifying and sanctioning perpetrators responsible for serious human rights violations and hostage diplomacy; Reiterates its call to add the IRGC to the EU list of terrorist organisations;

9.Calls on EU member states to initiate criminal investigations against Iranian officials accountable for serious human rights violations, notably under universal jurisdiction;

10.Calls on the European Commission to increase technical and capacity support to Iranian civil society and allocate a larger budget for related activities, including considerable funds to implementing organisations;

11.Calls the Member States to facilitate visas, asylum and emergency grants for those who need to flee Iran, particularly women and girls;

12.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to EU institutions, HRVP, the Member States, and Iran.