IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS: May 2025

May 04, 2025

United Nations 2024

Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
UN. General Assembly December 2024

https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4071985?v=pdf

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
By Mai Sato
United Nations March 2025

https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4081040?v=pdf

U.S. Department of State 2024

2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Iran
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
August 12, 2025

https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/iran/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o7ZUux5j79JiuPsHtFXDrjYcCqxTUCXJ/view?usp=sharing

European Union 2024

EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World

2024 Country Updates

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2025/2024%20Human%20Rights%20and%20Democracy%20in%20the%20World%20%28country%20reports%29v2_0.pdf

Extract

Islamic Republic of Iran

1. Overview of the human rights and democracy situation: The human rights situation in Iran continued to be dire in 2024. The pace of executions dramatically increased, with reportedly at least 901 people executed in 2024. The use of capital punishment, including as a response to domestic dissent, is unacceptable. The EU strongly condemned in August 2024 the execution of a protester in connection with the 2022 uprising. Arbitrary arrests of the EU mono and dual nationals by Iran with a view to making political gains is of great concern. Fundamental rights, including the freedom of expression, assembly and association, freedom of religion or belief, continued to be severely curtailed. Women and girls, as well as individuals belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, continued to face a deterioration of their fundamental rights. The crackdown on human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, artists and other activists demanding fundamental freedoms continued in 2024 through arbitrary detention, intimidation, threats and violence. Those detained were held in degrading conditions and did not have access to adequate medical care. Iran became the world’s largest refugee hosting country, with over 3.8 million refugee and refugee-like populations on its territory, for whom offered access to health and education facilities.

2. EU action – key focus areas: In line with Council Conclusions of December 2022, the EU pursued a comprehensive policy approach vis-à-vis Iran. Additionally, the EU continuously assessed Iran’s actions and promptly reacted to any negative trajectory by a mix of public and private diplomacy, as well as bilateral and multilateral instruments, which included restrictive measures and support for UN accountability measures. The EU continued to address all issues of concern pertaining to the human rights situation in the country, including: the increasing use of death penalty, with a focus on the sentences against protesters, dissidents and juvenile offenders, noticing the growing number of capital punishment against women and individuals belonging to ethnic and religious minorities; the shrinking space for the civil society and the curtailing of fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression and assembly; the repression of women and girls rights, as well as the rights of individuals belonging to ethnic and religious minorities; degrading detention conditions and lack of access to adequate medical care; restrictions on communications, including internet filtering; Iran’s disregard for its international human rights obligations, including the ICCPR and the UNCRC, to both of which Iran is a party.

3. EU bilateral political engagement: The EU used its direct channels with the Iranian authorities to call on them to respect and uphold the rights of its citizens, including women and girls’ rights and individuals belonging to ethnic and religious minorities’ rights, to grant their fundamental freedoms and to pursue a consistent policy towards the abolition of the capital punishment. In his statement on behalf of the EU, to mark the second anniversary of the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, the HR/VP honoured the courage and determination of countless Iranians, especially women, who demanded respect for fundamental freedoms and reiterated the full support of the EU and its MS for their voices to be heard and respected. In addition, the EU expressed concern regarding the situation of the human rights defenders, political prisoners, protesters and that of EU mono and dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran, urging the Iranian authorities to ensure detention condition in line with international standards and access to adequate medical care. The EU and its MS urged Iran to end the distressing practice of detaining foreign civilians and dual nationals with a view to making political gains and to allow consular access, consular protection and due process rights in line with international legislation. The bilateral political engagement complemented other EU’s instruments to call on Iran to improve the human rights situation and to assist the accountability mechanisms.

4. EU financial engagement: In 2024, the EU has allocated more than EUR 12.5 million to the most vulnerable in Iran, refugee and refugee-like populations, the majority of whom are from Afghanistan, and to their host communities. In implementing the projects, the EU always takes into account its human rights commitments.

5. Multilateral context: The EU remained a strong advocate for the UN accountability mechanisms and continued to call on Iran to allow free and unhindered access to the country for UN mandate holders. As in previous years, the EU supported the resolution on the human rights situation in Iran tabled by Canada during the UNGA in New York, as a resolution that is fact-based and free of unverified allegations. The EU welcomed the engagement of the Iranian authorities with OHCHR as well with the UNSR on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.