A conference held at the European Parliament in Brussels reignited debate over Europe’s policy toward Iran, focusing on rising executions, political repression, and whether Western governments are failing the Iranian people through continued appeasement. Speakers at the event argued that Iran’s leadership increasingly relies on fear, executions, and intimidation to maintain control, particularly against protesters, dissidents, and members of opposition movements.
A major theme of the discussion was the sharp increase in political executions. Activists and lawmakers warned that executions in Iran are not simply criminal punishments but tools used to silence opposition and discourage public protest. Reports from human rights groups describe harsh crackdowns on demonstrators, including arrests, torture, and the execution of political prisoners accused of supporting resistance groups.
Speakers also stressed that the Iranian regime fears organized resistance more than external pressure. Resistance networks inside Iran continue to operate despite arrests and death sentences, presenting what some described as a “third option” — neither foreign military intervention nor continued appeasement, but democratic change led by Iranians themselves. According to participants, these networks demonstrate that an alternative to the current regime exists and continues to grow despite repression.
Another important issue raised during the conference was the rejection of both religious dictatorship and a return to monarchy. Opposition figures argued that many Iranians do not want a revival of the Shah’s rule, believing that both monarchy and theocracy represent authoritarian systems that deny democratic freedoms. Instead, they called for a secular and democratic republic based on human rights, equality, and political pluralism.
Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt criticized Europe’s long-standing policy of engagement with Tehran, arguing that decades of appeasement have failed to reduce repression or regional instability. According to critics, European diplomacy has coincided with expanded proxy conflicts, accelerated nuclear tensions, and worsening human rights abuses inside Iran.
Conference participants urged the European Union and the UK to adopt a tougher stance. Proposed measures included making diplomatic and economic relations conditional on measurable improvements in human rights, supporting international investigations into executions and torture, and formally designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Some speakers also called for greater recognition of democratic opposition movements advocating political change within Iran.
Despite growing tensions, many activists emphasized that ordinary Iranians do not seek war. Instead, they want peace, dignity, economic stability, and democratic freedoms after decades of political repression and conflict. The central question raised at the Brussels conference was whether Europe will continue prioritizing diplomatic caution or openly support the Iranian people’s demands for freedom and accountability.