The following press release, issued by the British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF), highlights the solidarity of over 250 cross-party Members of Parliament and Peers who have joined the global campaign to end executions in Iran. This statement underscores the urgent need for accountability and human rights to be at the forefront of the UK Government’s approach to Iran.
By supporting Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for Iran’s future, which includes the abolition of the death penalty, the signatories reaffirm their commitment to defending human rights and justice. The statement condemns the Iranian regime’s systematic use of executions as a tool for suppressing dissent and calls for immediate international action to end this alarming trend.
The full text of the press release is as follows:
Press Release: Over 250 cross-party MPs and Peers join the global call to end executions in Iran urging the UK Government to prioritise accountability
Over 250 members of the UK Parliament, including former Government ministers, have endorsed Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi’s call to end executions in Iran. They also back her Ten-Point Plan for Iran’s future, which outlines a commitment to abolishing the death penalty and safeguarding human rights.
In their statement, the cross-party signatories condemn the regime’s systematic use of the death penalty to target dissidents and detained demonstrators. They stress that these executions are politically motivated, aimed at suppressing dissent and deterring future uprisings through fear and terror.
The signatories highlight the regime’s long history of crimes against humanity, from past massacres to ongoing atrocities, as documented by UN mandate holders and human rights experts.
They criticise the international community for turning a blind eye, a failure that has emboldened the regime to intensify its repression and crackdowns with impunity. The statement underscores this, citing atrocities linked to the state crackdown on recent protests and the alarming surge in executions under the new president.
Acknowledging the resilience of political prisoners staging weekly hunger strikes last year to demand an end to executions, the signatories call for urgent international solidarity with Iran’s justice-seeking movement.
Co-president of the British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF), Prof. Lord Alton of Liverpool, said:
“The time to act is now to prevent further atrocities and support the Iranian people’s fight for justice and freedom. We urge the UK Government to prioritise human rights, justice, and accountability in its 2025 Iran policy. The international failure to hold the regime to account is inexcusable and has fuelled atrocity crimes and record executions reported from Iran today.
“The UK must lead an international coalition to end this alarming trend by referring the regime to the UN Security Council, facilitating the prosecution of its leaders in an international tribunal or under existing mechanisms, given the overwhelming evidence of crimes against humanity.”
President of the International Committee of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran (ICPDI), Bob Blackman CBE MP added:
“Today, growing cross-party support in the UK Parliament stands with the Iranian people to end repression and executions. The UK Government must deliver on its promise to hold the regime accountable and we expect it to act with concrete sanctions, legal measures, and establishing international mechanisms.
“We also call on the UK Government to recognise the work done by the NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi to provide a lasting solution to abolish executions, torture, and repression in Iran by endorsing her democratic platform for the future of the country.”
Baroness O’Loan DBE said:
“As Iran’s regime exports its repression to the UK, threatening our democracy and intimidating pro-democracy Iranian dissidents, our Government must stand with the regime’s primary victims—the Iranian people and their organised resistance, the NCRI, and help their justice-seeking campaign to succeed in securing the prosecution of regime’s leaders. Defending our democracy and security starts with ending the culture of impunity in Iran.”
British Committee for Iran Freedom
30 December 2024
