HRC61 - EU Statement - Item 4 | EEAS 6 of 9 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-geneva/hrc61-eu-statement... direction which are anchored in international law. The EU recalls the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the 'New York Declaration' on Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and Implementation of the Two-State Solution. It is crucial to maintain a political horizon towards the two-state solution. The EU strongly condemns the brutal repression of peaceful protests across Iran, and the use of violence by security forces against peaceful demonstrators, including the use of excessive and lethal force, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, including in health care institutions and medical facilities. We also condemn the reported widespread arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as any use of the death penalty and other harsh punishments as a means to suppress internal dissent. Such gross violations and abuses must immediately stop. The EU urges Iranian authorities to fully adhere to Iran’s international obligations and fully uphold international law, including international human rights law and the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. All individuals arbitrarily detained for peacefully exercising these rights must be released immediately. The EU calls on Iran to end all forms of discrimination, in law and in practice, against women and girls as well as persons belonging to ethnic, religious, linguistic or other minorities. We urge Iranian authorities to restore all communications, including full access to the internet, and to ensure the right of free access to information for all. There must be accountability for these dire events, and justice must be done for all those who were killed, injured or detained only for exercising their human rights and for voicing legitimate demands. Therefore, the EU welcomes the decision of the Special Session of the Human Rights Council of January 2026 which renewed the mandates of the Fact-Finding Mission and of the Special Rapporteur on Iran and mandated an urgent inquiry into these events. The EU calls the Iranian authorities to allow free and unhindered access to the country for relevant UN Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures mandate holders and to fully cooperate with the independent, international Fact Finding Mission. We reiterate our concerns about the very serious human rights situation in China, including in Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. We urge China to abide by its obligations under national law, including its own Constitution, and international law, to respect, protect and fulfil human rights for all and to uphold the rule of law. We also urge China to abolish the death penalty and as a first step to introduce a moratorium on its use and to adopt rigorous and transparent procedures for reviewing capital sentences and reporting death penalty cases. Civil society continues to be exposed to harassment, intimidation and surveillance, including transnational repression. China must respect the principle of non-refoulement and refrain from extraterritorial activities (including coercion) that are not in line with international law. We condemn all reprisals against individuals and/ 25/03/2026, 16:51