Democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Iran
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 23 June 2026 (22nd sitting) (see Doc. 16413, report
of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, rapporteur:
Mr Max Lucks; and Doc.
16435, opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and
Human Rights, rapporteur: Mr Pablo Hispán). Text adopted
by the Assembly on 23 June 2026 (22nd sitting).Provisional
version subject to editorial review.
1. The brutal
suppression of nationwide protests in the Islamic Republic of Iran
that began in December 2025, characterised by mass murders, grave,
widespread and systematic human rights violations, has marked a
new dark chapter in the pattern of repression conducted by Iranian
authorities against citizens seeking to exercise their fundamental
rights.
2. Against a broader regional context marked by protracted conflicts
and recurrent escalation, the Parliamentary Assembly underlines
the importance of upholding international rules and norms intended
to protect civilians, preserve peace and ensure the peaceful resolution
of disputes.
3. The escalation into armed conflict with joint Israel-United
States strikes on Iran that began on 28 February 2026 has further
heightened uncertainty and instability in an already fragile regional
environment. The Assembly underlines that these joint military actions
were executed as a direct response to Iran’s persistent malign activities,
including its blockades of vital maritime chokepoints and continuous
sponsorship of international terrorism. However, it is the Iranian
regime's asymmetric warfare and its proxies' subsequent retaliatory
actions that have extended beyond the immediate theatre of operations,
affecting neighbouring States, disrupting critical infrastructure
and trade routes, and contributing to a broader climate of insecurity.
4. In this context, the Assembly emphasises that the worsening
regional situation must not divert attention from the plight of
the Iranian population. The convergence of internal repression and
external conflict has compounded the suffering of civilians, who
continue to bear the consequences of both systematic human rights violations
and the wider impacts of instability, including airstrikes, internal
displacement, economic disruption and a lack of access to essential
services. Iran’s brutal repression of women, the political opposition,
religious and ethnic minorities, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community puts these groups at
particular risk.
5. This situation has been further intensified by the imposition
by the Iranian authorities of widespread restrictions on communications,
including internet shutdowns and the obstruction of independent
reporting and international scrutiny. Such measures not only restrict
fundamental freedoms but also serve to conceal violations and undermine
efforts to establish accountability.
6. Within this broader pattern of repression, the deeply alarming
use of the death penalty on an extensive and escalating scale gives
rise to continued serious concern. The Assembly condemns in the
strongest terms its appalling application in the Islamic Republic
of Iran, including in connection with protest-related activities and
broadly defined national security charges and following proceedings
that fall short of international standards of due process and fair
trial guarantees.
7. The Assembly deplores the large-scale arrest and detention
of individuals for exercising their rights to freedom of expression,
assembly and peaceful protest. The arrest and reported ill-treatment
of Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, are emblematic
of the sustained repression targeting human rights defenders, journalists
and political dissidents and the efforts to deny Iranian citizens
any democratic space.
8. The Assembly considers that these human rights violations
have been committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack
against the Iranian civilian population and may therefore amount
to crimes against humanity under international law.
9. The repressive practices extend beyond the borders of the
Islamic Republic of Iran. Intimidation, surveillance, harassment,
hostage taking, assassinations and acts of violence targeting members
of the Iranian diaspora, journalists and individuals perceived as
critical of the Iranian authorities demonstrate a disturbing and unacceptable
practice of transnational repression taking place within Council
of Europe member States.
10. The Assembly further states its alarm at the continuation
and acceleration of malign activities and hybrid actions attributed
to Iranian actors, including attempts to intimidate and divide societies
and to target, in particular, Jewish communities.
11. Recent attacks in the United Kingdom, including the terrorist
incident of 29 April 2026 in Golders Green that targeted and killed
two Jewish individuals, as well as a broader pattern of antisemitic
violence, have underscored the seriousness of these threats, and
links between these attacks and the Islamic Republic of Iran and
its proxies are under continued investigation. Such developments
highlight the wider security implications posed by the Iranian hybrid
activities and their impact on democratic space and social cohesion
within Council of Europe member States.
12. Recalling its
Resolution
2570 (2024) “The situation in Iran and the protection of Iranian
human rights defenders in Council of Europe member States”, the
Assembly considers that the Iranian regime, through its nuclear
ambitions and its network of regional proxies, also by sponsoring
international terrorism, is a major actor in the destabilisation
of the Middle East region and beyond. As a provider of weapons to
the Russian Federation to sustain its war of aggression against
Ukraine, as well as its widespread hybrid threats in Council of
Europe member States, the Iranian regime also poses a significant
threat to European security.
13. While international diplomatic efforts to establish and maintain
a ceasefire between the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel and the
United States, are to be welcomed, mediation has largely prioritised
security and geopolitical considerations, whereas human rights concerns
have not been sufficiently integrated into diplomatic processes.
Lasting peace and stability cannot be achieved in the absence of
respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
14. Despite the challenges faced, Iranian civil society continues
to mobilise, including human rights defenders, journalists, women’s
rights activists and other democratic actors who, in defiance of
sustained repression and at great personal risk, advocate for fundamental
rights, dignity and democratic change. The Assembly emphasises the
importance of supporting these voices and ensuring that they remain
visible and engaged in international discussions on the future of
Iran.
15. The Assembly calls on Council of Europe member States to prepare,
in close consultation with Iranian civil society, human rights defenders,
women’s rights activists, independent journalists, trade unions,
lawyers and democratic actors, co-ordinated forms of support that
can be mobilised rapidly if and when a political opening occurs
in Iran. Such support should strengthen the rule of law, independent
institutions, pluralistic media, transitional justice, and democratic
participation, while fully respecting the right of the Iranian people
to determine their own future.
16. The Council of Europe, as the key European organisation protecting
and promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, should
play a significant role in guiding and supporting its member States
when it comes to developing co-ordinated human rights-based relations
with Iran to allow the people of Iran to exercise their fundamental
rights freely and to determine their own future without repression.
17. In light of the above considerations, as regards human rights,
democracy and the rule of law in Iran, the Assembly:
17.1 condemns in the strongest terms
the brutal, murderous and systematic repression of nationwide protests
that began in December 2025, including the use of excessive and
lethal force against protesters, mass arrests, torture and other
serious human rights violations;
17.2 further condemns the intensification of repressive measures
since the escalation of armed conflict in February 2026, including
the expansion of coercive practices and the death penalty under
the pretext of national security;
17.3 pays tribute and expresses its solidarity with the Iranian
people, who have repeatedly taken to the streets to protest for
their right to determine their own future;
17.4 recalling its
Resolution
2651 (2026) “Towards the universal abolition of the death penalty
in all circumstances” and its opposition to the death penalty in
all places, calls for the immediate establishment of a moratorium
on the use of the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran,
with a view to its full abolition;
17.5 demands the immediate and unconditional release of all
individuals detained for exercising their rights to freedom of expression,
assembly and peaceful protest, and in this regard, calls on Council
of Europe member States to urgently mobilise diplomatic efforts
to secure the immediate release of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges
Mohammadi and ensure that she receives appropriate medical care;
17.6 expresses grave concern that the Iranian authorities appear
to be accelerating executions and death sentences against protesters,
dissidents and political prisoners, often on vaguely defined national security
charges and following grossly unfair proceedings;
17.7 calls for an immediate halt to all planned executions
and for urgent international monitoring of death penalty cases linked
to protests, dissent or political activity;
17.8 strongly condemns the use of torture, ill-treatment and
other forms of coercion, and calls on the Iranian authorities to
comply fully with their obligations under international human rights
law;
17.9 denounces the unjust detention of European and dual-national
citizens by Iran, demands the immediate release of all those European
and dual-national citizens currently arbitrarily detained, calls
for an immediate halt to the practice of hostage diplomay, and –
recalling Resolution 2570 (2024) – calls for a joint strategy among
the member and observer States of the Council of Europe to push
for the release of citizens held as hostages;
17.10 calls for increased co-ordination and co-operation between
member States to improve and align responses to arbitrary detention
and hostage taking, and punitive measures in response to the continued arbitrary
detention of European and dual-nationals;
17.11 calls on Council of Europe member States to support international
mechanisms aimed at documenting human rights violations in Iran
and preserving evidence, with a view to ensuring future accountability;
17.12 encourages the use of available legal frameworks, including
universal jurisdiction where applicable, to investigate and prosecute
serious human rights violations;
17.13 expresses its unwavering solidarity with all persecuted
ethnic and religious minorities in Iran, including Kurds, Baha’is,
and Baloch people. In this context, Shakila Ghasemi, Peyvand Naimi,
and Borna Naimi must be released immediately and unconditionally.
18. With regard to support to Iranian civil society and democratic
voices, the Assembly:
18.1 reaffirms
that it is for the people of Iran to determine their own future
and underlines the importance of ensuring that their voices are
not silenced or marginalised;
18.2 calls on Council of Europe member States to strengthen
support for Iranian civil society, including human rights defenders,
journalists, women’s rights activists and other democratic actors;
18.3 encourages the development of platforms for dialogue and
engagement with representatives of Iranian civil society and democratic
opposition, including through parliamentary, academic and civil society
exchanges, with an objective of regular dialogue in the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe;
18.4 calls for increased efforts to ensure that Iranian voices
remain visible and meaningfully engaged in international discussions
concerning the future of the country;
18.5 underlines the importance of maintaining access to information
and communication tools, particularly in situations where restrictions
on communications limit the exercise of fundamental freedoms;
18.6 condemns internet shutdowns and restrictions on communications
used to prevent mobilisation, silence independent reporting and
obstruct documentation of human rights violations;
18.7 calls on member States to support secure communication
tools, digital safety for activists and journalists, and mechanisms
for preserving evidence of serious human rights violations for future accountability
processes;
18.8 calls on Council of Europe member States to provide protection
mechanisms and safe pathways for individuals at risk, including
human rights defenders, journalists and other civil society actors
forced to leave the country.
19. As regards Iranian hybrid actions and malign activity in Europe,
the Assembly:
19.1 expresses grave
concern at the pattern of transnational repression attributed to
Iranian authorities and associated actors, including acts of intimidation,
surveillance, harassment and violence targeting individuals within
Council of Europe member States;
19.2 calls on member States to carry out the measures set out
in paragraph 17 of Resolution 2509 (2023) “Transnational repression
as a growing threat to the rule of law and human rights”, and to
take due account of the Assembly’s subsequent work in this area,
in order to prevent and effectively combat transnational repression
by Iran;
19.3 calls for strengthened co-operation between law enforcement,
intelligence and judicial authorities in order to identify, prevent
and counter such activities effectively;
19.4 bearing in mind the severe security implications for Council
of Europe member States highlighted in Resolution 2570 (2024) “The
situation in Iran and the protection of Iranian human rights defenders
in Council of Europe member States”, calls for enhanced co-ordination
between Council of Europe member States and international partners
to counter the proliferation of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) and missile technologies, noting with grave concern that
Iranian drones and ballistic missiles have already entered the airspace
of several Council of Europe member States;
19.5 urges member States to ensure the effective protection
of individuals at risk, including members of the Iranian diaspora,
journalists, human rights defenders and other persons engaged in
public or political activity;
19.6 calls for the enhanced protection of communities and institutions
targeted by threats and violence, including Jewish communities and
organisations, as well as media outlets and civil society spaces;
19.7 calls for the development of appropriate and proportionate
measures against individuals and entities involved in acts of transnational
repression, including, where applicable, through targeted sanctions
and judicial proceedings.
20. As regards international engagement with the Islamic Republic
of Iran, the Assembly:
20.1 welcomes
ceasefire initiatives and mediation efforts, including those facilitated
by Pakistan between the United States of America and Iran;
20.2 calls for human rights, democracy and the rule of law
to be fully integrated into all diplomatic engagement with Iran;
20.3 underlines that separating security considerations from
human rights risks undermining both, and reiterates that lasting
peace and stability cannot be achieved in the absence of respect
for fundamental rights;
20.4 encourages a consistent and co-ordinated approach among
member States that reflects the principles of democratic security
and avoids treating human rights as secondary to short-term geopolitical
considerations.
