The United Kingdom, the European Union and 31 countries issued a joint statement on 12 August 2026 condemning the ongoing executions of protesters and the use of the death penalty in Iran, and calling for an immediate end to capital punishment and the release of all those arbitrarily detained.

Street Exhibition against execution in Iran

In the joint statement, the signatories condemned “in the strongest terms” the ongoing executions of protesters and the use of the death penalty by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

They stated that capital punishment must not be used to silence dissent, intimidate communities or punish individuals for exercising their human rights, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The statement called on Iran to immediately end the use of the death penalty, release all those arbitrarily detained, and take meaningful steps to ensure respect for human rights.

Signatories

United Kingdom, Albania, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the High Representative of the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Source

UK Government (GOV.UK), “Joint statement on executions in Iran”, published 12 August 2026.

Editorial note: This news item is a concise report of the joint statement and does not alter or add to the positions expressed by its signatories.