Twenty-six European Union member states, together with Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Wednesday, August 12, issued a joint statement strongly condemning the continued issuance and implementation of death sentences against protesters in Iran.

The signatories stressed that the use of capital punishment to “silence dissent, intimidate communities, and punish individuals exercising their human rights” can never be justified.

The statement also emphasized that the people of Iran must be free to exercise their right to freedom of expression and to participate in peaceful assemblies without fear.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that six additional countries had joined the statement after its initial publication, bringing the total number of signatories to 32. The French Foreign Ministry has published the full text of the joint statement on its website.

The countries that signed the statement are France, Canada, Albania, Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden, together with the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The international condemnation comes as the issuance and implementation of death sentences against protesters in Iran continues to draw widespread criticism, with human rights advocates accusing the Iranian authorities of using the death penalty as a tool to suppress dissent and silence opposition.

In their joint statement, the countries also called on Iran to immediately end the use of the death penalty and release individuals who have been arbitrarily detained.