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EU Parl Watch

Adopted text, 23 January 2025

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

Document TA-10-2025-0004 · P10_TA(2025)0004 · PE768.981

On Parliament’s site Word

AI:In short

Parliament denounces Iran's repression of human rights, especially against women activists, and condemns death sentences for Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi, demanding their release and that of other political prisoners. It calls for an immediate moratorium on and abolition of the death penalty, increased EU support for Iranian human rights defenders, and the release of EU nationals held as hostages. It condemns the murder of Jamshid Sharmahd, the suppression of minorities, and urges the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist and extend sanctions. It urges Iran to grant UN investigators access and calls for more financial support for Iranian civil society.

Key points

  1. Denounces the Iranian regime's repression of human rights, especially targeting women activists, and strongly condemns the death sentences against Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi.
  2. Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all unjustly imprisoned human rights defenders and political prisoners, including Azizi, Moradi, and at least 56 others on death row.
  3. Reiterates opposition to the death penalty and calls on the Iranian Government to introduce an immediate moratorium on and abolish it.
  4. Calls for the EU and its Member States to increase support for Iranian human rights defenders and expresses solidarity with the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement.
  5. Urges Iran to immediately release, safely repatriate, and drop all charges against EU nationals, including Olivier Grondeau, Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris, and Ahmadreza Djalali.
  6. Strongly condemns Iran's use of hostage diplomacy and calls for joint EU diplomatic efforts for their release.
  7. Strongly condemns the murder of Jamshid Sharmahd and urges Iran to provide details of his death and return his remains to his family.
  8. Condemns the systemic suppression of human rights movements and persecution of minorities, including Kurds, Baluchis, Christians, and Baha'is.
  9. Calls on the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation and to extend EU sanctions to all responsible for human rights violations, including named officials.
  10. Urges Iran to provide the UN Special Rapporteur and fact-finding mission full, unimpeded access, and calls for EU support for the mission and renewal of its mandate.
  11. Reiterates the call for increased financial support for Iranian civil society.

Who is affected

  • Iranian authorities and government: must release prisoners, abolish death penalty, and allow UN access.
  • EU and its Member States: must increase support for human rights defenders, undertake diplomatic efforts, and consider sanctions.
  • EU nationals detained in Iran: Olivier Grondeau, Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris, Ahmadreza Djalali, and others.
  • Iranian human rights defenders and political prisoners, including Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi.
  • Minorities in Iran: Kurds, Baluchis, Christians, and Baha'is.

Figures and deadlines

  • over 900 individuals executed in 2024 alone
  • at least 56 other political prisoners on death row

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 18 paragraphs

European Parliament resolution of 23 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 (2025/2511(RSP))

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 the human rights situation in Iran has significantly worsened, with a sharp rise in executions, including over 900 individuals in 2024 alone, many of whom were women, political dissidents and individuals connected to the protests sparked by the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini;

B.whereas Kurdish activists, social worker Pakhshan Azizi and advocate for women’s rights Verisheh (Wrisha) Moradi, who fought ISIS in Kurdistan, were sentenced to death for ‘armed rebellion against the state’; whereas they were denied a fair trial and subjected to torture and solitary confinement;

C.whereas in January 2025 the Supreme Court of Iran upheld a death sentence against Pakhshan Azizi and others;

D.whereas dozens of innocent EU nationals have been arbitrarily detained in Iran, without access to fair trials, as part of Iran’s broader strategy of hostage diplomacy;

1.Denounces the Iranian regime’s unrestrained repression of human rights, in particular the targeting of women activists; strongly condemns the death sentence against Pakhshan Azizi and Wrisha Moradi; demands that Iran immediately and unconditionally release all unjustly imprisoned human rights defenders and political prisoners, including Pakhshan Azizi, Wrisha Moradi and at least 56 other political prisoners on death row;

2.Reiterates its strong opposition to the death penalty and calls on the Iranian Government to introduce an immediate moratorium on and abolish it;

3.Calls for the EU and its Member States to increase support for Iranian human rights defenders and expresses its full support and solidarity with Iranians united in the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement;

4.Urges the Iranian authorities to immediately release, safely repatriate and drop all charges against EU nationals, including Olivier Grondeau, Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris and Ahmadreza Djalali; strongly condemns Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy; calls for the EU and its Member States to undertake joint diplomatic efforts and work collectively towards their release;

Read the rest (6 paragraphs)

5.Strongly condemns the murder of Jamshid Sharmahd; urges the Islamic regime in Iran to provide details of the circumstances of his death and for his remains to be immediately returned to his family;

6.Condemns the Iranian regime’s systemic suppression of human rights movements and persecution of minorities, including Kurds, Baluchis, Christians, facing persecution after conversion, and Baha’is, all of them facing ethnic and religious discrimination, arrest and violations of fundamental rights aimed at silencing dissent;

7.Reiterates its call on the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation and to extend EU sanctions to all those responsible for human rights violations, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, Prosecutor-General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad and Judge Iman Afshari;

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

9.Reiterates its call for increased financial support 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.