European Parliament Resolution Condemning 'Brutal Suppression' of Protesters by the Islamic Republic

Members of the European Parliament condemned the 'suppression and mass killings' carried out by the Islamic Republic regime against protesters in Iran by passing a resolution. The resolution, adopted on Thursday, February 2, expressed 'full solidarity with the people of Iran and their courageous and legitimate protest movement' and strongly condemned the 'widespread, deliberate, and disproportionate use of force' by the regime's security forces. The resolution calls on the regime officials under Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, to unconditionally and 'immediately end violence against peaceful protesters, halt all executions, and cease the killing and repression of civilians.' Passed with 562 votes in favor, 9 against, and 57 abstentions, the resolution described the killing of thousands of protesters as indicative of a shocking shift in the regime's approach to suppressing dissent 'from deterrence to strategic elimination' and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained protesters, human rights defenders, and journalists. The resolution also urged the Council of Europe to promptly designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the Basij and Quds Force, as terrorist organizations. The Parliament emphasized the need for 'expanding and rigorously implementing EU restrictive measures, including asset freezes and visa bans,' welcomed recent U.S. sanctions, and called for swift EU action against all officials and entities responsible for repression. The resolution condemned the regime's 'efforts to censor protests by cutting off the internet' and called on the EU and its member states to increase their technical and financial support for circumvention tools and protection against cyber manipulation and misinformation. The European Parliament also reiterated its call for the Islamic Republic to grant 'immediate and unrestricted access' to the UN fact-finding mission tasked with investigating severe crimes under international law, including murder, torture, rape, and enforced disappearances to silence dissent. Members of the European Parliament called for intensified diplomatic engagement, including increased EU presence, to provide support, humanitarian aid, and protection to at-risk individuals, condemned the Islamic Republic's destructive activities and interventions across the region, and deemed the Iranian regime 'still the greatest and most significant threat to regional security and stability and the most important obstacle to peace.' The resolution welcomed the decision by Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, to ban representatives of the ruling regime in Iran from entering the European Parliament and encouraged member states to follow suit, emphasizing that 'any normalization of relations with [the regime] can only occur after the unconditional release of political prisoners and real progress towards democracy and the rule of law.' Roberta Metsola also highlighted key points from the resolution in a message on social media, stating: 'From the streets of Tehran to the heart of the European Parliament, the message is clear: Iran must be free. Iran will be free.' She addressed the 'brave people of Iran,' saying: 'Even when the cables are cut, we hear your voice. Even when the electricity is off, we see you. You are not alone. The European Parliament stands firmly with you.' The nationwide protests that began on December 27 have been met with bloody repression in dozens of cities. CBS News estimates the number of victims to be between 12,000 and 20,000, while the Iran Human Rights Organization has confirmed at least 3,400 deaths. While internet blackouts have lasted for 14 days and communication between Iran and the outside world remains largely severed, international organizations have warned that this deliberate policy is an attempt to conceal the scale of the massacre of protesters and prevent citizens from accessing information freely. In recent weeks, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has repeatedly expressed his explicit support for Iranian protesters, warning the Islamic Republic and its repressive apparatus about the massacre of protesters, stating that if protesters are executed, the United States will take 'very decisive actions.' Following these warnings to the Islamic Republic, the U.S. President on Friday, January 26, expressed gratitude for the cancellation of planned executions in Iran in a message on his Truth Social account. However, on Saturday, January 27, in an interview with Politico, he stated that the 'Ayatollah' is guilty for 'completely destroying his country' and that 'it is time to look for new leadership in Iran.' He remarked on Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, saying: 'His guilt as a leader of a country is the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before.' He added: 'For the country to be able to continue, even if this performance is at a very low level, leadership must focus on properly managing its country - just like I do with the United States - and not kill thousands to maintain its power.'