EU and 26 countries condemn Iran’s executions, call for immediate halt

TEHRAN, Iran — BRUSSELS — The European Union and 26 countries condemned Iran’s continued use of the death penalty in a joint statement released on Wednesday, urging Tehran to halt executions immediately. The statement, announced by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on social media, said the use of executions to silence dissidents in Iran cannot be justified under any circumstances. Signatories, including France, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the EU High Representative, called on Iran to stop carrying out death sentences, release arbitrary detainees and heed the demands of Iranians calling for change. The statement also stressed that the Iranian people must be able to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, a U.S.-based independent human rights organization, said Iranian authorities have carried out at least 908 executions since the start of 2026, including 67 in July and at least eight in the first four days of August. The figure was cited in reporting on the joint statement but was not directly attributed to the European statement itself.