Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS)  Stefano Sannino summoned today, on behalf of the High Representative, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the European  Union Hossein Dehghani  to reiterate the European Union’s strong appalment over the execution on 7 January of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini arrested and sentenced to death in connection with the ongoing protests in Iran.

Secretary-General Sannino reiterated EU’s call on the Iranian authorities to immediately stop the strongly condemnable practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters, to annul without delay the recent death penalty sentences that were already pronounced in the context of the ongoing protests and to provide due process to all detainees.

He reiterated the EU’s firm and principled opposition to the use of death penalty at all times and under all circumstances. He emphasized that human rights issues are at the core of EU’s internal and external relations and that the EU and its Member States remain united in their response to Iran’s actions.