On Thursday 17 February, the European Parliament called on the Iranian government to introduce an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty as a step towards abolition, and to commute all death sentences.
According to the United Nations, at least 275 people were executed in Iran in 2021, including minors.
The joint resolution by the Greens/EFA, S&D, Renew Europe, ECR and EPP groups, adopted with 617 votes in favour, 8 against and 59 abstentions, calls on the authorities to amend the Criminal Code to explicitly prohibit the use of the death penalty for crimes committed by minors. 85 juvenile offenders were on death row in January 2022.
MEPs also call on the authorities to release all political prisoners, including human rights defenders, and to immediately stop all forms of torture and ill-treatment of detainees.
More broadly, they strongly condemn the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran and call for action against Iranian officials who have committed serious human rights violations.
See the report: https://bit.ly/3Bv4Yw7 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)