The Flemish Parliament in Belgium has passed an urgent resolution unanimously condemning the Iranian regime for what it described as the imminent executions of eight political prisoners. The resolution, tabled by MPs Jasper Pillen, Karolien Grosemans, Nicole de Moor, and others, expresses deep concern over Tehran’s escalating use of the death penalty as a political repression tool.
In its official text, the Parliament stated: “The Islamic Republic of Iran systematically uses torture and executions to instill fear among its citizens and silence every critical voice.” The resolution lists eight prisoners—Mehdi Hassani, Behrouz Ehsani, Abolhassan Montazer, Akbar Daneshvarkar, Babak Alipour, Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi, Pouya Ghobadi, and Vahid Bani Amerian—whose lives are believed to be at imminent risk.
The text also condemned Iran’s execution of minors and widespread use of torture to extract confessions, calling these practices “barbaric” and in violation of international human rights norms. “In 2024 alone, the Iranian regime executed over 901 people, representing more than 74 percent of all recorded executions worldwide,” the resolution declared, citing Amnesty International’s statistics.
🚨 Flemish Parliament unanimously passed an urgent resolution condemning imminent executions of political prisoners in Iran. It urges strong EU & Belgian action to stop this brutality.
It also condemns systematic torture & death sentences are tools of repression. #FreeIran2025… pic.twitter.com/sMKrXIYRVj
— SIMAY AZADI TV (@en_simayazadi) April 24, 2025
Highlighting the plight of imprisoned Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali, who has spent over eight years in detention, the resolution reiterated demands for his “immediate and unconditional release.”
The Flemish Parliament urged the European Union and its member states to intensify diplomatic pressure on Iran and called on the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs to deliver a “clear and forceful message” to the Iranian leadership to stop the executions and free all political prisoners.
🚨 Mehdi Hassani's lawyer announced yesterday that Branch 29 of Iran's Supreme Court rejected his 2nd request for judicial review. He & Behrouz Ehsani are at imminent risk of execution
CC: @drmaisato @hadjalahbib @SRjudgeslawyers @profbensaul #SaveMehdiHassani #SaveBehrouzEhsani https://t.co/7eLPN1zOD9
— M. Hanif Jazayeri (@HanifJazayeri) April 23, 2025
The resolution further instructed the Flemish government to advocate for a moratorium on the death penalty in all interactions with Iranian authorities and to support civil society organizations working on behalf of political prisoners.
By adopting this resolution, the Flemish Parliament joins a growing chorus of international bodies condemning Iran’s human rights violations and calling for urgent action to prevent a new wave of politically motivated executions.