In a powerful demonstration of commitment to human rights and religious freedom, the European Parliament adopted three landmark resolutions on Thursday addressing grave violations in Iran, Türkiye, and Uganda. These resolutions, passed with overwhelming support, send a clear message that the international community will not stand silent in the face of systematic oppression, arbitrary detention, and violence against civilians.

For people of faith and advocates of religious liberty worldwide, these resolutions offer both hope and a sobering reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by millions living under oppressive regimes.

A Pattern of Persecution: Religious Freedom Under Siege

While these three nations present distinct challenges, a common thread runs through all three resolutions: the systematic persecution of religious minorities, suppression of dissent, and denial of fundamental human rights that are supposedly guaranteed under international law.

In Iran, women are imprisoned for removing their hijabs. Healthcare workers face prosecution for the “crime” of treating injured protesters. Nobel laureates languish in detention cells. The scale of violence—potentially 35,000 deaths—staggers the conscience.

In Türkiye, Christians living peacefully are suddenly branded national security threats through bureaucratic codes, expelled without evidence or due process. Journalists documenting human rights abuses find themselves targeted by the very authorities they seek to hold accountable.

In Uganda, democratic processes become theater, with violence, fraud, and internet blackouts ensuring predetermined outcomes. Opposition leaders face military tribunals. Supporters are killed with impunity.

The Path Forward: From Condemnation to Action

While these parliamentary resolutions represent important steps, words alone cannot free prisoners, end torture, or restore stolen rights. The resolutions include specific calls for action by EU institutions:

Why This Matters for People of Faith

For Christians, Jews, Muslims, and people of all faiths, these resolutions affirm a fundamental truth: religious freedom is not a privilege granted by governments but a fundamental human right that transcends borders and political systems.

The 300+ Christians designated as security threats in Türkiye could be members of any faith community. The women imprisoned in Iran for seeking basic dignity could be our sisters, daughters, or mothers. The opposition leaders detained in Uganda could be anyone who dares to speak truth to power.

As people who believe in the inherent dignity of every human person—created in the image of God—we cannot remain silent when governments systematically violate that dignity. The European Parliament’s action demonstrates that when free people raise their voices in unison, oppressors take notice.

The International Community’s Moral Obligation

The overwhelming support for these resolutions—with vote margins of 524-3, 502-2, and 514-3 respectively—demonstrates rare consensus in an often-divided international community. When nearly every Member of the European Parliament agrees that action must be taken, we witness the power of moral clarity cutting through political divisions.

These resolutions recognize that crimes against humanity, whether committed in Iran, Türkiye, Uganda, or elsewhere, demand international response. The principle of universal jurisdiction holds that certain crimes are so heinous that any court, anywhere, has the right and duty to prosecute them.

By calling for the preservation of evidence and the use of international judicial mechanisms, Parliament has signaled that perpetrators of these abuses will ultimately face justice—if not today, then in the future when the wheels of accountability finally turn.

A Call to Remember the Forgotten

In a world saturated with news and competing crises, it becomes easy to forget those suffering beyond camera range. These parliamentary resolutions serve as a reminder that the persecuted are not forgotten, that their voices—though silenced in their own nations—are heard in the halls of international institutions.

For Narges Mohammadi in her Iranian prison cell, for the expelled Christians denied return to Türkiye, for Robert Kyagulanyi detained for challenging electoral fraud—these resolutions offer hope that the arc of history, though long, does indeed bend toward justice.

As people of faith and freedom, we must ensure that hope is not misplaced. We must hold our governments accountable for implementing these resolutions, support organizations providing assistance to the persecuted, and never cease raising our voices on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.