January 27, 2025: Friends of a Free Iran – EP
On behalf of Friends of a Free Iran (FoFI), a group in the European Parliament, we have sent the following letter to Kaja Kallas, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, urging immediate action to prevent the executions of two Iranian political prisoners.
Urgent letter to @kajakallas & @EP_President by undersigned MEPs, urgently calling for swift intervention on to save #Behrouz_Ehsani, 69 (father of 2), & #Mehdi_Hassani, 48 (father of 3), Iranian political prisoners at imminent risk of execution.#StopExecutionsInIran pic.twitter.com/tp49bGNng3
— Friends of a Free Iran – EP (@FOFI_EP) January 28, 2025
Brussels, 27/01/2025
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175
B-1048 Bruxelles/Brussel
Belgique/België
To the attention of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas
SUBJECT:
URGENT ACTION REQUIRED TO SAVE THE LIVES OF IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW
Dear High Representative and Vice-President Kaja Kallas,
We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, are writing to urgently call for your swift intervention to save Behrouz Ehsani, 69 (father of two), and Mehdi Hassani, 48 (father of three), Iranian political prisoners who are at imminent risk of execution. Their death sentences were upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court on January 7, 2025, following an unjust trial based on charges related to their political activism. Amnesty International issued an urgent action for them on January 16, 2025: Amnesty International Urgent Action.
On January 26, 2025, both were forcibly transferred from Evin Prison to Ghezel Hessar Prison, a facility known for carrying out executions. This transfer, along with the disruption of their communication, strongly suggests that the authorities are preparing for a secret execution, triggering protests from other prisoners.
On January 23, 2025, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the “systematic repression of human rights in Iran.” The resolution called for the release of political prisoners, particularly those sentenced to death, and demanded the abolition of the death penalty. It also urged the European Council “to expand 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,” and others involved in these violations.
Both Mr. Ehsani and Mr. Hassani have been actively involved in the “No to Execution Tuesdays” campaign, which has spread to 34 prisons across Iran, underscoring their strong commitment to opposing the death penalty, despite being targets of this inhuman form of punishment themselves.
These sentences followed credible reports of severe physical and psychological torture during their detention in Evin’s Ward 209 after their arrests in late 2022. They were denied a fair trial, and their appeals were swiftly rejected, violating Iran’s international human rights obligations. Alarmingly, Iran executed around 1,000 prisoners last year, using mass executions to instill fear and suppress dissent.
We therefore urge you to use your office, leadership, and moral authority, in your capacities as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, to take the following actions:
- Condemn the imminent execution of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani and call for the Iranian authorities to halt these death sentences immediately.
- Mobilize EU mechanisms to exert pressure on Iran to comply with its international human rights obligations and cease the use of the death penalty as a tool of political oppression.
We cannot remain silent in the face of such brazen violations of human rights. We urge you to act decisively and swiftly to prevent these executions.
Yours sincerely,
Francisco Assis, MEP
André Franqueira Rodrigues, MEP
Isilda Gomes, MEP
Carla Tavares, MEP
Estelle Ceulemans, MEP
Isabel Benjumea Benjumea, MEP
Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, MEP
Rasmus Nordqvist, MEP
Villy Søvndal, MEP
Antonio López Istúriz, MEP
Hannes Heide, MEP
Catarina Vieira, MEP
Petras Auštrevičius, MEP
Tineke Strik, MEP
Javier Zarzalejos, MEP
Lucia Yar, MEP
Dirk Gotink, MEP
Ana Catarina Mendes, MEP
Catarina Martins, MEP
About Friends of a Free Iran (FoFI):
FoFI is a group in the European Parliament, formed in 2003, and enjoys active support from many MEPs across all political groups. Proudly sanctioned by the Iranian regime, the group advocates for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Iran.
Today, at Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) in the European Parliament, during exchange of views with @volker_turk , UNHigh Commissioner for Human Rights, @catarinacv asks abt the cases of Behrouz Ehsani &Mehdi Hassani.#StopExecutionsInIran#SaveBehrouzEhsani#SaveMehdiHassani pic.twitter.com/3atcUPveTj
— Friends of a Free Iran – EP (@FOFI_EP) January 27, 2025
Anna Strolenberg MEP from Netherlands urges to #StopExecutionsInIran to #SaveBehrouzEhsani and #SaveMehdiHassani pic.twitter.com/8UDoPISxSf
— Friends of a Free Iran – EP (@FOFI_EP) January 30, 2025
Right now at the European Parliament : MEPs call to #StopExecutionsInIran to #SaveBehrouzEhsani and #SaveMehdiHassani pic.twitter.com/ahDGQdRq8m
— Friends of a Free Iran – EP (@FOFI_EP) January 29, 2025
