French Legal and Human Rights Figures Urge Action: Relations with Iran Must Be Tied to Halting Executions
Written by
Shamsi Saadati
In a powerful joint article published in Libération, L’Humanité, and on the French Human Rights League website, several prominent French legal and human rights figures have called on France and other Western governments to condition diplomatic relations with the clerical regime Iran on an immediate halt to executions. The article highlights the urgent threat faced by three political prisoners in Iran, Behrouz Ehsani, Mehdi Hassani, and Mohammad Javad Vafaee, who have been sentenced to death for their involvement in the recent uprisings against the regime. The authors express deep concern over France’s silence in the face of these brutal verdicts.
Among the signatories are notable figures such as Dominique Attias, president of the Administrative Council of the European Bar Foundation and former president of the European Bar Association, Patrick Baudouin, honorary president of the French Human Rights League, and William Bourdon, founder of the Sherpa Association. Their message is clear: diplomatic engagement with Iran cannot continue while the regime persistently violates human rights through arbitrary executions and political repression.
The legal and human rights advocates decry the alarming escalation of executions in Iran, particularly following the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. At least 750 protesters, many of them young people, were killed during demonstrations. The article notes that the frequency of executions has dramatically increased, with at least 255 individuals executed under the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian, labeled as a “moderate” by some, yet responsible for overseeing intensified crackdowns on dissent.
Trois nouveaux condamnés à mort en Iran : la France doit sortir du silence https://t.co/v4dtgZ0R4W 🙏🙏
— Jean-Pierre Mignard (@jpmignard) October 11, 2024
A growing movement inside Iran, known as the “No to Executions Tuesdays,” has emerged, with prisoners going on hunger strikes each week in protest of the death sentences. The slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom,” which symbolized the uprising, has now evolved into “Woman, Resistance, Freedom”—a testament to the unyielding spirit of Iranians demanding change.
The joint article also addresses the ongoing judicial persecution of political dissidents in Iran. The regime continues to pursue severe charges against seven additional activists, accusing them of affiliation with the Resistance Units, placing them at risk of execution. The authors urge Western governments, particularly France, to take a firm stance against these human rights violations and to end the complacency that has allowed the regime to act with impunity.
The authors argue that silence and inaction from Western nations are not only a betrayal of the values of republicanism and human rights but also a violation of international obligations to defend these rights. They emphasize that diplomatic relations with Iran must be conditioned upon the cessation of executions, which the regime uses as a tool of repression and terror to stifle dissent and prevent further uprisings.
La peine capitale en #Iran des mollahs est un outil pour garder le pouvoir. Il faut les priver de cet outil. #StopExecutionsInIranhttps://t.co/mZUcjbMeji
— Aladdin Touran (@AladdinTouran) October 11, 2024
By raising their voices, these French legal experts and human rights advocates call for global solidarity with the people of Iran, especially the political prisoners facing death sentences. Their message is that the world cannot stand idly by while the Iranian regime continues its campaign of state-sanctioned violence. Only through collective action and pressure can the international community help prevent further atrocities and support the Iranian people’s quest for freedom and justice.
The joint letter ends with a firm declaration: “Our silence and the continuation of diplomatic relations with the regime of executions, while turning a blind eye to this tragedy in Iran, is a betrayal of our republican principles and stands in contradiction to our international commitments to human rights.”
Signatories:
Dominique Attias, President of the Administrative Council of the European Bar Foundation
Patrick Baudouin, Honorary President of the French Human Rights League
William Bourdon, Founder and President of the Sherpa Association
Jean-François Legaret, President of the Foundation for Middle Eastern Studies
Jean-Pierre Mignard, Lawyer and Essayist
Gilbert Mitterrand, President of France Libertés (Daniel Mitterrand Foundation)