Islamic Republic of Iran
1. Overview of the human rights and democracy situation: The situation of human rights in Iran remained of serious concern in 2023. Fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, both online and offline, freedom of assembly and other civic rights have been increasingly curtailed. The discrimination against women and girls continued in public and private life. The pace of executions increased considerably in 2023 to more than 750. A major source of concern continued to be the use of death penalty also for juvenile offenders, protestors and dissidents. In a very grim context, it will have to be seen whether the directive from the Head of the Judiciary on 24 October 2023 promoting “a reduction” in death sentences against juvenile offenders will have some effect on the number of executions. Many accused individuals were deprived of their rights for a fair trial. The arbitrary detention and conviction of foreign and dual nationals and the situation of human rights activists remained matters of serious concern. At the same time, it is commendable that Iran continued to host a great number of Afghan refugees (which has even increased since the recent crisis in Afghanistan), and to provide them with access to basic services, in particular health care and education for children.
2. EU action - key focus areas: In the Council Conclusions of December 2022, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to a comprehensive policy approach: critical where necessary, and ready to engage, on the basis of mutual respect, where interests align. As part of its comprehensive policy approach, the EU followed the situation of human rights in Iran very closely, including the aftermath of the protests started in September 2022, in particular the trials against protesters, and called on the Iranian authorities to end the practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters. As a result, it continued to address all relevant issues using a mixture of public and private diplomacy as well as bilateral and multilateral tools. This included inter alia: the use of death penalty in particular for juvenile offenders, protesters and dissidents; Iran’s disregard for its international human rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to both of which Iran is a party; freedom of expression and assembly; detention standard and conditions; restrictions on communications, including Internet shutdowns.
3. EU bilateral political engagement: Human rights continued to be an integral part of the EU’s policy vis-à-vis Iran. As a result, the EU used its direct channels with Iran to call on the authorities to uphold their international obligations under international law, demand respect for the fundamental rights of Iranian men and women, raise human rights issues and individual cases and refrain from imposing and carrying out death sentence, in particular in the case of juvenile offenders, protesters and dissidents, and pursue a consistent policy towards the abolition of capital punishment. In his statement on behalf of the EU, one year after the death of Mahsa Amini, the High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) reconfirmed the full support of the EU and its Member States for the aspiration of Iranian people for a future where their universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, protected and realised. The coordinated actions between the EU and its Member States led to the adoption of further targeted restrictive measures in the context of the Iranian government’s response to the 2022-2023 nationwide protests. In addition, the EU expressed concern regarding the situation of political prisoners and that of EU and EU-Iranian dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran, urging the Iranian authorities to ensure that all prisoners are kept in safe conditions in compliance with the applicable international law, and that they are granted medical and consular assistance whenever needed. Through this political engagement, the EU continued to urge improvements in the human rights situation in Iran and continued to insist, both privately and publicly, that there must be accountability for abuses whenever they occur.
4. EU financial engagement: In implementing projects in the framework of the Iran Multiannual Indicative Programme for 2021-2027, the EU always takes into account its human rights commitments.
5. Multilateral context: The EU continued to be a strong supporter of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran and encouraged Iran to fully cooperate with the latter’s mandate. As in previous years, the EU supported the resolution on the human rights situation in Iran tabled by Canada during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as a resolution that is fact-based and free of unverified allegations. The EU expressed fully support for the work carried out by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission and urged Iran to totally cooperate with the mandate holders and to facilitate their access to the country. The EU also engaged with the Human Rights Council in Geneva by supporting all measures to ensure accountability for human rights violations in Iran.
