A group of distinguished Belgian political figures and experts has issued a powerful statement condemning the Iranian regime’s alarming surge in executions. The statement accuses the regime of weaponizing the death penalty to silence dissent and spread fear, citing data from Amnesty International that reveals Iran accounted for 74% of all documented executions globally in 2023.
The statement details how the wave of executions intensified under the leadership of Masoud Pezeshkian, with over 100 individuals executed in August 2024 alone, including political dissidents such as Reza Rasaei. This spike underscores the regime’s increasing reliance on capital punishment as a tool of oppression.
The signatories include a former Belgian Prime Minister, leaders of four major political parties, nine parliamentary faction heads, and the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, Health, and Social Affairs Committees. This broad coalition reflects Belgium’s unified stance against Iran’s human rights violations and adds weight to their call for urgent international action.
The statement draws on findings from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFMI) on Iran, which labeled many of these executions as crimes against humanity. It also references a report by former UN Special Rapporteur Professor Javaid Rehman, connecting the regime’s actions to potential genocide and atrocities targeting specific groups.
The authors criticize the international community’s persistent inaction, arguing that it emboldens Iran’s theocratic regime to continue its campaign of violence. They highlight the growing resistance within Iran, where political prisoners regularly protest through hunger strikes, and abroad, where Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan to abolish the death penalty is gaining increasing global support.
Below is the complete press release from the Belgian leaders and experts:
Deprez-Press-release-16-Dec-2024