France, Germany and 30 other nations along with the European Union issued a joint statement on Wednesday condemning Iran's execution of protesters detained during demonstrations that erupted in late December 2025. The statement, initially signed by 26 countries before expanding to 32, accused Tehran of using capital punishment to silence dissent.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot accused Iran of "bloodshed", while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the criticism as "blatant hypocrisy." UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said at least 56 people have been executed on national security charges since March 19, with more than 100 others at risk.
Amnesty International reported that Iran executed more than 2,150 people last year, the highest rate since 1981 and second only to China globally.