More than 100 Nobel Laureates have issued a strong condemnation of Iran’s human rights violations and declared their support for the country’s democratic resistance.
In an open letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and signed in July 2025, the Laureates urged urgent international action to confront what they described as a “grave and escalating human rights crisis in Iran.” The letter denounces widespread executions, systemic repression, and Tehran’s destabilizing activities across the region.
Unprecedented Surge in Executions
The signatories condemned the regime’s reliance on mass executions as a tool of fear and control. According to the letter, at least 1,000 people — including 34 women — were executed in 2024 alone. Iran remains the world’s top executioner per capita, with an estimated 1,275 executions carried out within just the first ten months of the current presidency.
The Laureates emphasized that political dissidents, ethnic and religious minorities, and ordinary citizens are the main targets of these systematic abuses.
A Nation Rejects Tyranny and Theocracy
The letter recalled Iran’s nationwide uprising in 2022, when citizens expressed their rejection of both monarchical and theocratic rule, demanding instead a democratic republic. It also noted the widespread boycott of the regime’s presidential elections, underscoring the population’s call for freedom and democracy.
Growing Recognition of Iran’s Democratic Opposition
The Laureates’ statement reflects increasing international acknowledgment of the Iranian Resistance, particularly the Ten-Point Plan put forward by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
In February 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan Resolution H. RES. 166 with majority support, condemning Tehran’s terrorism and human rights abuses while endorsing Rajavi’s democratic vision.
In June 2024, more than 4,000 parliamentarians, 130 former heads of state, and 80 Nobel Laureates publicly endorsed Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan. Since then, parliamentary majorities in numerous countries — including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Norway, Canada, Ireland, Malta, Switzerland, Romania, Portugal, Argentina, Costa Rica, Iceland, Moldova, and the Netherlands — have issued similar declarations of support.
A Blueprint for a Free and Peaceful Iran
The Nobel Laureates voiced their backing for “a democratic Iran, where sovereignty rests with the people.” They endorsed the Ten-Point Plan, which calls for universal suffrage, free elections, the separation of religion and state, gender and ethnic equality, a non-nuclear Iran, and peaceful relations across the region.
According to the letter, “The Iranian Resistance, with its democratic platform dedicated to human rights, offers a viable path toward national unity, an end to religious dictatorship, and the transfer of sovereignty to the people.”
A Global Call to Action
The Laureates concluded with an appeal to the UN and the international community not to remain silent in the face of Iran’s atrocities. “This vision offers the prospect of a democratic Iran and lasting peace across the Middle East,” the letter stated.
With the voices of more than 100 Nobel Laureates, the letter stands as one of the most powerful moral and academic endorsements yet for Iran’s democratic aspirations.
