On the execution spree in Iran and the confirmation of the death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani

B100222/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the execution spree in Iran and the confirmation of the death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani

(2025/2628(RSP))

The European Parliament,

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

A. whereas the human rights situation in Iran is increasingly deteriorating, and experts have expressed alarm at the escalating persecution of religion and belief, as well as the rights to privacy and freedom of expression ; whereas members of ethnic and religious minorities in Iran face arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances; whereas being Muslim is a requirement for most government jobs;

B. whereas on 15 September 2024, Behrouz Ehsani, 69, and Mehdi Hassani, 48, were sentenced to death for alleged ties to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and on charges of “armed rebellion against the state”; whereas on 7 January 2025, the Supreme Court upheld their sentences, and contact with their family was denied;

C. whereas Iranian courts, particularly revolutionary courts, regularly fail to provide fair trials and accept confessions obtained under torture as evidence in court; whereas the authorities also routinely restrict detainees’ access to legal counsel, particularly during the investigation period;

D. whereas following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in custody, the Iranian authorities have intensified efforts to suppress the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and have intensified their use of the death penalty in order to terrify the population; whereas more than 900 people were executed in 2024 alone;

E. whereas human rights violations in Iran are not limited to the persecution of human rights activists and political opponents, but women's rights in general are also denied, particularly since the imposition of compulsory veiling in 1983, which has led to the harassment, arrest, imprisonment, torture and killing of many women; whereas recent reports highlight an increase in honour killings across Iran; whereas Iran’s legal framework is rooted in Islamic law which offers leniency to men who commit those crimes;

F. whereas European-Iranian dual nationals continue to be arbitrarily arrested in Iran and exploited as bargaining chips; whereas Dr. Ahmedreza Djalali, a Swedish citizen, remains imprisoned;

1. Expresses deep concern over the continued deterioration of human rights in Iran; urges the Islamic Republic of Iran to ensure that the cases of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani are reviewed in accordance with international human rights standards, including the right to a fair trial and legal representation;

2. Calls for the unconditional release of EU nationals, and all unlawfully detained human rights activists, political opponents and prisoners of conscience in Iran;

3. Stresses that the oppression of Iranian women and the deny of freedom of religion, belief and expression is inherent to Islamic fundamentalism and a direct result of the application of Sharia law;

4. Warns, in this context, about the existence and application of Sharia law in predominantly Muslim communities in Europe; condemns its implementation, calls for its prohibition across Europe and calls on the Commission to refrain from promoting any culture that does not recognise the equal dignity of men and women, in particular by ceasing all communication promoting the Islamic veil;

5.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the relevant parties.