Europe must adopt a far more vocal and firmer stance regarding the dramatic wave of executions of political dissidents that has swept Iran<\/p>\n
The 20 June rally in Paris offers a historic opportunity for European policymakers to witness a strong and unified voice from the Iranian diaspora, writes Alejo Vidal Quadras.<\/p>\n
Prof. Vidal Quadras is the President of the Brussels-based International Committee in Search of Justice (@isjcommittee) and was Vice President of the European Parliament (1999 \u2013 2014). He is on X: @VidalQuadras<\/p>\n
On 20 June, more than 100,000 Iranians and activists are expected to gather in Paris for a major protest. Hundreds of lawmakers and political dignitaries will also take part in this significant event. Their message is straightforward: the world must adopt a far more vocal and firmer stance regarding the dramatic wave of executions<\/a> of political dissidents that has swept Iran since late March, and it must stand with Iranians striving for a democratic republic. Their message to Brussels could not be clearer: it is time to put aside business as usual with Tehran. Continued relations with the regime must be predicated on halting the executions, especially of political prisoners.<\/p>\n Europe can no longer evade the serious challenge posed by the ruling establishment in Tehran. Its conduct has fueled regional instability and contributed to a full-blown crisis that affects even Europe\u2019s core interests, including energy security.<\/p>\n The past few months have made one reality unmistakable: a lasting solution to the crisis cannot be achieved without fundamental change in Iran\u2014one that must come from the Iranian people and their organized resistance. At the same time, the regime\u2019s human rights abuses, both before and during the current conflict, illustrate the lengths to which it will go to prevent such an outcome.<\/p>\n After killing thousands of protesters during the nationwide uprising earlier this year, Iranian authorities accelerated executions that had already begun after the 2022 protests. In recent weeks, the regime has carried out, on average, at least one political execution every other day. According to the United Nations, at least 21 people have been executed and thousands arrested since the escalation of conflict earlier this year, many linked to protests or alleged opposition ties. Judiciary officials have attempted to justify these actions as targeting \u201cenemy elements,\u201d but in reality, they represent an intensification of a long-standing pattern of repression.<\/p>\n No fewer than eight of those executed have been members of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK)<\/a>, the principal Iranian resistance movement. In recent weeks, a haunting video from Ghezal Hesar Prison has circulated widely: six young PMOI members, moments before their execution, stand together and sing a patriotic resistance song. Their voices are steady, defiant, and filled with dignity\u2014an extraordinary display of courage in the face of certain death. The footage has deeply moved audiences across the world, capturing in a single moment the spirit of a generation that refuses to surrender\u2014even at the gallows. Eleven more of its activists remain on death row, ranging in age from 23 to 67.<\/p>\n This same organization was the primary target of the systematic massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988, which is estimated to have claimed 30,000 lives<\/a>.<\/p>\n With at least 4,000 arrests reported since the escalation of military tensions earlier this year, concerns are mounting that the regime may be preparing for another large-scale crackdown. These fears have been reinforced by public statements from judicial authorities urging courts to show \u201cno leniency\u201d toward perceived threats.<\/p>\n What the international community must understand, and what the 20 June rally will underscore, is that the so-called \u201cthreats\u201d driving Tehran\u2019s crackdown are, in fact, the growing promise of liberation for the Iranian people. The regime fears another uprising\u2014one it believes could erupt once the current conflict subsides.<\/p>\n The Paris protest will also express strong support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)<\/a>, a coalition of democratic opposition organizations and personalities that reject both the former dictatorship of the Pahlavi dynasty and the current theocracy.<\/p>\n Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI\u2019s President-elect for the transitional period following the regime\u2019s overthrow, has articulated a Ten-Point Plan based on the separation of religion and state, gender equality, fundamental freedoms, the abolition of the death penalty, autonomy for ethnic groups, particularly the Kurds, and a non-nuclear Iran.<\/p>\n The event offers a historic opportunity for European policymakers to witness a strong and unified voice from the Iranian diaspora\u2014one that stands firmly against tyranny and in favor of a democratic republic.<\/p>\n Governments on both sides of the Atlantic must align their actions with their stated human rights commitments by actively raising awareness of Tehran\u2019s ongoing executions and intensifying pressure on the regime to halt these abuses. Reports from the United Nations and human rights organizations have already warned of a surge in executions, arbitrary detentions, and serious due-process violations.<\/p>\n They should also make clear, through words and policy, that they support the establishment of a democratic republic in Iran<\/a>, in line with the aspirations of the overwhelming majority of its people.<\/p>\n The 20 June rally presents a rare opportunity to deliver a unified transatlantic message, one that places the West firmly on the right side of history.<\/p>\n