Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 January 2026
10. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures being taken by the Department to advocate for the release of a person (details supplied) who faces execution in Iran; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4730/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am deeply concerned by the continued use of arbitrary detention and the use of the death penalty as a means of suppressing political dissent and human rights activism in Iran. We are seeing disturbing reports of this in the context of the recent protests in Iran and their violent repression by the authorities. I have condemned the killing of protesters and called on Iran to immediately halt all violence and repression of protesters.
Ireland raises our concerns about Iran’s human rights abuses both bilaterally and in multilateral fora such as the Human Rights Council and the United Nations Third Committee on Human Rights.
Ireland is strongly opposed to the use of the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances, and there are many especially troubling aspects to its use in Iran. At the 2025 Universal Periodic Review of Iran at the UN Human Rights Council, Ireland raised the death penalty and highlighted in particular Iran’s use of the death penalty against human rights defenders, especially women. We called for the end of all executions in Iran. Ireland was also instrumental in the establishment by the UN Human Rights Council of an ongoing special procedure to investigate human rights abuses in Iran following the Women, Life, Freedom protests in 2022.
Regrettably, it is not possible for us to engage on every such case in Iran, but I will ask my Department to look into the circumstances of the case raised by the Deputy. I regret however that there is at present very little sign of Iran responding positively on these issues. Ireland will continue to call on Iran to cease the use of the death penalty.
