Condemnation of the brutal crackdown by the Iranian Regime

Written declaration No. 830 | Doc. 16326 | 09 February 2026

Signatories:

Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, ECPA ; Ms Sigríður Á. ANDERSEN, Iceland, ECPA ; Mr Adam BALTEN, Germany, ECPA ; Mr Bob De BRABANDERE, Belgium, ECPA ; Mr Ricardo DIAS PINTO, Portugal, ECPA ; Ms Cristina Gabriella DUMITRESCU, Romania, ECPA ; Mr Martin GRAF, Austria, ECPA ; Mr Paweł JABŁOŃSKI, Poland, ECPA ; Ms Sandra JÄCKEL, Austria, ECPA ; Mr Serhii KALCHENKO, Ukraine, ECPA ; Mr Malte KAUFMANN, Germany, ECPA ; Lord Richard KEEN, United Kingdom, ECPA ; Ms Martina KEMPF, Germany, ECPA ; Ms Dumitrina MITREA, Romania, ECPA ; Mr Dmytro NATALUKHA, Ukraine ; Mr Bernardo PESSANHA, Portugal, ECPA ; Mr Michael RUBBESTAD, Sweden, ECPA ; Mr José María SÁNCHEZ GARCÍA, Spain, ECPA ; Mr Søren SØNDERGAARD, Denmark, UEL ; Ms Jessica STEGRUD, Sweden, ECPA ; Ms Victoria TIBLOM, Sweden, ECPA

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We express our profound outrage at the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown on the nationwide demonstrations that began on 28 December 2025 and have spread across all 31 provinces, with protesters demanding fundamental freedoms and an end to decades of oppression.

We strongly condemn the regime's unlawful use of lethal force – including live ammunition, tear gas, and beatings – resulting in thousands killed and injured, including children, and mass arbitrary arrests amid severe repression of peaceful demonstrators.

We denounce the nationwide internet blackout imposed on 8 January 2026 to conceal human rights violations, obstruct documentation of atrocities, and isolate the population. We condemn statements by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and officials vowing merciless repression, and threatening death sentences to instil terror.

We stand in firm solidarity with the Iranian people in their struggle for fundamental rights and freedoms.

We call upon the Council of Europe and its member States to strengthen support by increased sanctions on those responsible for atrocities, including asset freezes on figures involved in the atrocities; strict export controls; targeted measures against funding sources for repression; expulsion of diplomats linked to repression; and advocacy for International Criminal Court investigations into crimes against humanity alongside renewed UN human rights mechanisms.