More than 30 countries, joined by the European Union’s top diplomat, condemned the Iran death penalty in a joint statement that accused Tehran of executing protesters to silence dissent.
The governments said they “condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing executions of protesters and use of the death penalty” by the Islamic Republic. They added that using capital punishment to stifle dissent, intimidate communities, and penalize people for exercising their rights “can never be justified,” and insisted Iranians must be able to express themselves and assemble peacefully without fear.
France, Britain and Canada were among the signatories, along with Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Germany and several other European nations. The group called on Iran “to immediately end the use of the death penalty and release all those arbitrarily detained,” according to the statement.
Iran’s foreign minister dismissed the criticism. “Countries like France should stop lecturing the world about ‘human rights’ and international law. The hypocrisy is blatant and embarrassing,” Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, adding that support for Israel’s actions in Gaza and alleged aggression against Iran had eroded any claimed moral standing.
Rising concern over Iran death penalty
The joint message reflects mounting concern from the United Nations and human rights groups over a recent surge in executions. The increase has followed nationwide anti-government protests earlier in the year and the onset of the Middle East war in February, according to the statement and rights advocates.
The countries urged Tehran to halt executions immediately and to respect international human rights obligations, while rights monitors continue to track cases linked to the protests and political dissent.
With reporting from Agence France-Presse.