More than 30 nations, including France, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have jointly condemned Iran’s use of capital punishment, asserting that the Islamic republic is executing protesters to suppress dissent. The statement, also signed by the European Union’s top diplomat, criticizes Iran’s “ongoing executions of protesters and use of the death penalty” in the strongest terms.
The condemning nations argue that using capital punishment to “silence dissent, intimidate communities, and punish individuals exercising their human rights can never be justified.” They stressed that the people of Iran must be free to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear.
Initially signed by 26 countries and the EU foreign policy chief, the declaration gained further support, bringing the total number of signatories to 32. Among the additional nations joining the call were Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, and Germany. These countries collectively urged Iran “to immediately end the use of the death penalty and release all those arbitrarily detained.”
This joint statement aligns with growing concerns from the United Nations and human rights organizations regarding a recent surge in executions in Iran. This increase follows nationwide anti-government protests earlier in the year and the onset of the Middle East conflict in February.
Earlier in August, UN rights chief Volker Turk stated that Tehran was employing the death penalty to “instil fear.” According to UN data, since March 19, at least 56 individuals have been executed on national security-related charges, with 27 of these cases linked to the protests. Turk also warned that over 100 more individuals face the risk of execution on similar charges. Both the UN and human rights groups have raised alarms about the lack of fair trials and the use of forced confessions in these cases.
A protest movement, initially sparked by the high cost of living, escalated into widespread anti-government demonstrations in late December of the previous year. Iranian authorities reported over 3,000 deaths, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel. However, human rights groups based abroad reported a significantly higher death toll and asserted that security forces had fired upon demonstrators.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot remarked in an X post accompanying the statement, “Seven months after the mass atrocities committed against the Iranian people, who rose up to demand justice and dignity, the regime continues to shed blood by carrying out a growing number of executions.”
The United States and Israel reportedly launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, triggering the ongoing Middle East war. Since then, there has been a multiplication of arrests and executions in Iran, linked to both the conflict and the protests.
Last year, Iran executed over 2,150 people, according to Amnesty International, making it, by a significant margin, the world’s most prolific executioner after China.
