The Young European Federalists (JEF) Europe express their outrage over the ongoing massacre in Iran, where protests led by youth are once again being met with brutal repression, killings, and systematic violations of human rights.

Nationwide demonstrations that began as peaceful expressions of social and economic frustration have evolved into broader demands for fundamental rights, dignity, and freedom. The response of the Iranian authorities has been ruthless. According to international human rights organisations, security forces have used live ammunition, metal pellets, tear gas, water cannons, and firearms against largely peaceful protesters. Thousands of people have already been killed, including women and children, and thousands have been arbitrarily detained across multiple cities and provinces.

These crimes are not new. They echo the repression of the Green Movement in 2009, as well as the violent crackdowns during subsequent protest waves in 2011, 2018, and 2022 following the killing of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was murdered by the regime for allegedly not “properly” wearing a hijab. For decades, Iranian people have cried out for justice and while the international response has largely consisted of condemnations and symbolic measures that failed to produce accountability. That failure has had consequences. The lack of accountability allowed an authoritarian regime to continue killing, imprisoning, and brutalising protesters

JEF Europe stands in unwavering solidarity with the Iranian people, especially young people who continue to show extraordinary courage in the face of violence and fear.We therefore call on the European countries and the European Union to :

• Unequivocally condemn the use of lethal force against protesters and apply coordinated political and diplomatic pressure within existing legal frameworks;
• Provide humanitarian and material support to the Iranian demonstrators as needed, especially regarding communication equipment.
  Demand the immediate cessation of violence and arbitrary detentions and support independent international monitoring and documentation of abuses;
• Ensure accountability through international human rights mechanisms and targeted measures against those responsible.
• Prescribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij militias, responsible for most of the repression, as terrorist organizations.
• Advance a more federal and effective European Union foreign policy, capable of acting coherently beyond unanimity and national vetoes

The courage of Iranian protesters confronts the international community with a responsibility that goes beyond expressions of solidarity. It exposes the failure of an international system that repeatedly condemns abuses but lacks the authority to prevent them.

Lasting solidarity requires institutional power. Human rights cannot be protected by statements alone, but by political structures capable of acting collectively and decisively. This is why we stand with those who resist oppression today, and why we call for a federal Europe and reformed global institutions able to turn principles into protection and accountability into reality.