Human rights violations in Iran, Türkiye and Uganda 

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.

• MEPs urge Iran to end violence against and repression of civilians, warning that these actions may constitute crimes against humanity 
• Türkiye must immediately cease judicial and administrative harassment of foreign journalists and foreign Christians under national security pretexts 
• MEPs condemn the widespread intimidation and detention of the opposition in Uganda, and call for an end to violence and for comprehensive political reform 

On Thursday, Parliament adopted three resolutions on the human rights situations in Iran, Türkiye and Uganda.

Systematic oppression, inhumane conditions and arbitrary detentions by the regime in Iran

MEPs condemn the violence by the Iranian regime against its own population, particularly targeting civil society actors, protesters, women, minorities and communities. They denounce the oppression of women and call for the immediate release of women in detention, especially Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.

Parliament is concerned by reports estimating that the death toll from the recent protests may amount to approximately 35,000 victims and warns that the documented acts meet the threshold for crimes against humanity. MEPs want these atrocities to be independently documented by UN bodies and for evidence to be preserved for future prosecutions, stressing the need for accountability through international judicial mechanisms.

The resolution calls for the immediate end of all violence and repression against civilians, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and torture and urges the authorities to cease their harassment and prosecution of doctors and healthcare workers who provide treatment to injured protestors.

MEPs reaffirm their solidarity with the Iranian people and underline that they are the sole legitimate source of sovereignty in Iran. They call on the Council and the Commission to expand targeted sanctions. They further urge the EU and its member states to develop a counter-strategy to support detainees’ families and to prevent the Iranian regime’s deliberate use of hostage diplomacy. They also recall that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), designated by the EU as a terrorist organisation, is playing a central role in the repression.

The resolution was adopted by 524 votes in favour, 3 against and 41 abstentions. For further details, the resolution will be available here. (12.02.2026)

Targeted expulsions of foreign journalists and foreign Christians in Türkiye under national security pretexts

Parliament strongly condemns the targeted expulsion of foreign journalists and foreign Christians in Türkiye, carried out under unsubstantiated national-security pretexts and without due process.

Given the lack of access to evidence and meaningful judicial review, Parliament wants the Turkish authorities to immediately end all forms of judicial and administrative harassment of foreign journalists. Türkiye must halt all deportation and legal proceedings against Iranian independent journalist Kaveh Taheri, Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, and other journalists targeted for carrying out their professional duties, the text says. MEPs further urge Türkiye to immediately cease the use of administrative security codes N-82 and G-87, designating at least 300 foreign Christian people as national security threats, to provide individual reasoned decisions subject to independent judicial review, and to allow arbitrarily expelled individuals to return.

Sharing the assessment of the Commission’s Türkiye 2025 report that media freedom and pluralism remain severely constrained, MEPs want the Commission to raise these concerns systematically in its political dialogue with Türkiye and to consider targeted measures should these abuses persist.

The resolution was adopted by 502 votes in favour, 2 votes against and with 59 abstentions. For more details, the resolution will be available here. (12.02.2026)

Widespread intimidation, harassment and detention of opposition figures following Ugandan elections

Parliament strongly condemns the conduct of the Ugandan elections on 15 January 2026, which were marred by abuses, widespread intimidation, fraud, violence and a nationwide internet blackout. MEPs are deeply concerned about the suspension of civil society groups as well as the sigificant threats and intimidation directed at the opposition, including National Unity Platform (NUP) leader and presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) and long-standing opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye. Parliament calls for their immediate and unconditional release and of all those arbitrarily detained and denounces the killing of NUP supporter Mesach Okello. MEPs urge the Ugandan authorities to stop resorting to military trials against civilians and ask for constitutional safeguards in judicial practices as well as for the disclosure of the whereabouts of all missing persons in the country.

The resolution urges the Ugandan authorities to undertake comprehensive electoral and institutional reforms and refrain from further internet restrictions. They ask for the EU and its member states to review their cooperation with Uganda to ensure respect for EU principles, engage critically with Ugandan authorities, and prioritise support for Ugandan civil society, human rights and LGBTIQ+ defenders, and journalists.

Finally, Parliament calls for independent and impartial investigations into crimes against humanity committed by political and military leaders. The resolution was adopted by 514 votes in favour, 3 against with 56 abstentions. For further details, the resolution will be available here (12. 02. 2026)