EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World
2025 Country Updates
https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2026/documents/2025%20Human%20Rights%20and%20Democracy%20in%20the%20World%20%28country%20reports%29%203Sep26.pdf
Extract
Islamic Republic of Iran
Overview of the human rights and democracy situation: In 2025, the human rights situation in Iran continued to be extremely poor. The use of death penalty increased significantly in recent years, with at least 1,500 people executed in 2025, the highest number in the world. Capital punishment was also used as a response to domestic dissent. Human rights, including the freedom of expression and assembly, were severely curtailed. Human rights defenders, civil activists, journalist, artists and lawyers, faced intimidation, threats, violence, and detention. Iran continued to rank 176th out of 180 countries in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Those detained were held in degrading conditions without access to adequate medical care. Some ethnic and religious minorities faced intimidation, arrests and restrictions on their human rights. Widespread discrimination against women and girls persisted. Arbitrary arrests of EU citizens and EU-Iran dual citizens by Iran, with a view to achieving political gains, continued to be an issue of concern. Since 2011, the EU has targeted restrictive measures in place sanctioning individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses and violations in Iran. Several EU citizens remained on death row.
EU action - key focus areas: In line with EU Council Conclusions of December 2022, human rights continued to be a crucial component of the EU’s comprehensive policy approach towards Iran. Both in its diplomatic contacts with Iran and in multilateral fora, the EU continued to address human rights issues, including individual cases. The EU addressed the use of death penalty, including against protesters, dissidents and juvenile offenders, further restrictions on human rights, especially on freedom of expression and assembly, human rights restrictions and intimidations for ethnic and religious minorities, widespread discrimination against women and girls, degrading detention conditions and lack of access to adequate medical care, restrictions on communications, and Iran’s disregard for its international human rights obligations, including the ICCPR and the UNCRC, to both of which Iran is a party.
EU bilateral political engagement: The EU used its direct channels with the Iranian authorities, calling on Iran to ensure respect for the human rights of all Iranians, including all ethnic and religious minorities, and to pursue a consistent policy towards the abolition of the death penalty. In particular, the EU strongly condemned the use of the death penalty to suppress domestic dissent and urged Iran to release all individuals unjustly detained for exercising their freedom of expression, including Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi. The EU continued to support efforts by Member States with active consular cases in Iran. The bilateral political engagement complemented other EU tools to call on Iran to improve the human rights situation and to assist the accountability mechanisms.
EU financial engagement: In 2025, the EU has allocated EUR 10 million in humanitarian aid, specifically to support vulnerable Afghan refugees and their host communities in Iran. In implementing the projects, the EU always takes into account its human rights commitments.
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 Third Committee.
