LONDON, October 11, 2025 — Lawmakers, human rights advocates, and international dignitaries from Europe gathered at Church House Westminster for a major international conference marking the World Day Against the Death Penalty. The event united global voices urging an immediate halt to Iran’s record-high executions and demanding accountability for past atrocities.
“A Monster of Death”: Iran’s Regime Under Global Condemnation
Speakers from the UK, Europe, and Latin America described Iran’s clerical regime as a “monster of death” and the “capital punishment capital of the world.” They condemned the systematic political killings and repression.
Global Voices Demand Action and Accountability
Baroness O’Loan announced a declaration signed by over 500 global dignitaries demanding an end to executions and impunity. She called on the UK and United Nations to refer the regime’s crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and impose sanctions on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior judiciary officials.
Former Colombian senator Ingrid Betancourt called the death penalty in Iran “an instrument of barbarism.” She praised prisoners on hunger strike and declared that supporting resisting is “a moral duty.”
Former UN Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman warned that executions in Iran have reached unprecedented levels, exceeding 1,000 already in 2025. He urged the creation of an international tribunal to prosecute perpetrators of the 1988 massacre and current crimes.
Dame Theresa Villiers, former UK Cabinet minister, cited parliamentary intelligence reports exposing at least 15 Iranian assassination attempts in Britain since 2022. She demanded that Iran’s record be referred to the UN Security Council and sanctions reinstated.
Irish Senator Gerard Craughwell declared, “Executions in Iran are murders.” He compared Iran’s struggle to Ireland’s own fight for independence, calling on the world to “flood embassies and parliaments” with demands to end the killings.
Community representative Massoud Zabeti declared the end of appeasement policies and warned that the regime exports “death and terror” abroad.
Young participants, including Rosa Zarei, Azadeh Hosseini, Neda Zabeti, Omid Ebrahimi, and Rana Rahmanfard, shared personal stories of relatives executed by both the Shah’s and the current regime.
The London Westminster Conference marked a turning point in global advocacy against Iran’s execution surge. World leaders and activists demanded an end to impunity.