A group of 26 countries, including Spain, expressed this Wednesday their rejection of the executions of protesters and opponents carried out by the Iranian authorities. In their statement, they demand that the death penalty be abolished "immediately" and that all "arbitrarily" detained persons be released.
Through a joint declaration, 18 member states of the European Union, along with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, and the governments of Canada, Albania, Australia, Iceland, North Macedonia, Montenegro, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, have condemned "with the utmost firmness the executions of protesters that continue to occur and the recourse to the death penalty by the Islamic Republic of Iran."
In the text, disseminated through social media by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the signatories emphasize that "the recourse to the death penalty to silence dissenters, intimidate communities, and punish those who exercise their fundamental rights cannot be justified under any circumstances. The Iranian people must be free to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without any fear."
The 26 countries urge the "Iranian regime" to immediately stop resorting to the death penalty as punishment and to release those "arbitrarily" arrested. They also urge the authorities in Tehran to "listen to the voice of their people, who demand change, and to take concrete measures to ensure respect for Human Rights."
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, who has publicly supported the joint declaration, has reminded that "seven months after the massive crimes committed against the Iranian people, who rose up to demand justice and dignity, the regime continues to shed blood by multiplying executions."
In the same vein, he warned that "this unbearable and inhumane repression must cease. Those responsible must be held accountable. Political prisoners must be released. The Iranian people must be able to freely decide about their future and their fundamental rights must be respected."
A week ago, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, had already warned about the increase in executions in Iran, with at least 56 people executed, almost half of them for alleged crimes related to national security since the first sentences linked to the wave of anti-government protests that began in the main cities of the country at the beginning of 2026.
"I am alarmed by the increase in executions and death sentences handed down in Iran since March, as well as by the fact that the death penalty continues to be used to instill fear among the population and suppress dissent," he stated in a statement.