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

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 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;

5.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;

6.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;

7.Reiterates its call for increased financial support for Iranian civil society;

8.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.