On April 3, 2025, the European Parliament decisively adopted a resolution condemning the Iranian regime’s recent wave of executions and the upholding of death sentences for political activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. The resolution, passed by a clear majority in a show-of-hands vote, reflects growing outrage among European lawmakers over Tehran’s escalating use of capital punishment to crush political dissent.
🚨 The European Parliament just adopted a resolution condemning Iran’s death sentences against political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani & Mehdi Hassani. The resolution also urges the @EUCouncil to #BlacklistIRGC
CC: @drmaisato #StopExecutionsInIran #SaveMehdiHassani #SaveBehrouzEhsani pic.twitter.com/5r6HkpyIc0
— M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) April 3, 2025
The resolution was preceded by a passionate debate in the European Parliament, during which several Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) strongly criticized Iran’s systematic human rights violations. The focus of many speeches was the cases of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, both of whom endured torture, were denied access to fair legal proceedings, and were sentenced to death following summary trials lasting no more than five minutes.
Petras Auštrevičius emphasized that the Iranian authorities continue to rely on mass executions and so-called hostage diplomacy to maintain control. He described the cases of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani as deeply troubling examples of the regime’s willingness to fabricate charges in order to target dissidents.
Let’s focus on appropriate actions against #Teheran regime, assigning #IRGC as a terrorist organisation, asking U.N. HRC to carry out the necessary investigations in human rights abuses. Iranian mullahs regime must pay a high price for opposition executions pic.twitter.com/qc2v2SNLEA
— Petras Austrevicius (@petras_petras) April 3, 2025
Milan Zver characterized Iran as one of the most repressive regimes in the world and described Ali Khamenei’s leadership as a “reign of terror” upheld by systematic executions and brutal oppression of minorities. He called for a coordinated international response to break the regime’s cycle of impunity and deliver justice for victims.
⚠️ Iranski režim je nedavno obsodil na smrt politična zapornika Behrouza Ehsanija in Mehdija Hasanija. To je le del širše, grozljive prakse množičnih usmrtitev in sistematične represije.
🕊️ V @Europarl_EN smo izrazili solidarnost z žrtvami in pozvali mednarodno skupnost k… pic.twitter.com/IciS2qcDlF
— Milan Zver (@MilanZver) April 3, 2025
Daniel Attard condemned the clerical regime’s execution spree, describing it as state-sponsored murder. He highlighted that nearly a thousand executions were carried out in the past year alone. Attard criticized the Iranian regime’s widespread use of torture and sham trials to eliminate dissent, arguing that this campaign of terror reveals the regime’s deep-seated fear of its own citizens.
Veronika Vrecionová drew attention to the deeply flawed legal proceedings faced by Ehsani and Hassani, calling them textbook examples of politically driven show trials carried out by a regime terrified of opposition. She stressed that the execution sentences handed down to the two activists are emblematic of a broader campaign against dissent, with many more political prisoners currently facing execution in Iranian detention centers.
Danuše Nerudová expressed concern over the Iranian regime’s broader campaign to silence dissent through mass executions and suppression of independent journalism. She warned about the erosion of free expression and urged Europe to take a more active role in supporting independent media resisting the regime’s propaganda.
Davor Ivo Stier condemned the regime’s use of executions as a form of state terrorism and asserted that the international community has a moral obligation to respond forcefully. He called on the European Union to officially designate the Iranian regime as a terrorist entity and to ensure the protection of dissidents both within Iran and abroad.
Francisco Assis stressed the urgent need to denounce Iran’s systematic use of capital punishment against political dissidents. He noted that hundreds of prisoners in Iran are currently awaiting execution, victims of a judicial apparatus aimed at destroying opposition through intimidation and violence.
🚨 🇪🇺 📄 Text of today's European Parliament resolution condemning Iran’s death sentences for political prisoners Behrouz Ehsani & Mehdi Hassani
The resolution also points to Iran's attempt to murder former EP Vice-President @VidalQuadras & urges the @EUCouncil to #BlacklistIRGC… https://t.co/UuExOMxFOs pic.twitter.com/gz8FCwbix9
— M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) April 3, 2025
During the debate, Hajaa Lahbib, the European Commissioner for Crisis Preparedness, Management, and Equality, also addressed the Parliament, calling on the Iranian regime to halt the executions of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. This marked the first time an EU official had publicly urged Tehran to stop the executions, signaling heightened international concern over Iran’s human rights abuses.
The resolution also voiced alarm over Tehran’s coordinated assassination plots abroad, specifically citing the attempted assassination of former European Parliament Vice-President Alejo Vidal-Quadras. The incident was presented as part of a broader trend of targeting political dissidents and critics of the clerical regime, even on European territory.
The European Parliament has passed a resolution condemning the wave of executions and confirming the sentences of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who have been sentenced to death on charges of "membership in the Mojahedin Organization." (PMOI)
The resolution calls for the… pic.twitter.com/e0dIScki54— Mohammad Mohaddessin (@Mohaddessin) April 3, 2025
In addition to condemning these acts, the resolution urged the immediate release of all political prisoners in Iran and called for the total abolition of the death penalty. The European Parliament also appealed to the Council and Member States to officially recognize the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and to maintain targeted sanctions against Iranian officials responsible for human rights violations.
While several MEPs voiced frustration over the lack of concrete action from European governments, there was broad agreement that a united stance is essential in confronting the regime’s oppressive actions. The resolution’s passage marks a significant step in the European Union’s ongoing efforts to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its grave human rights violations.
