The European Parliament has combined its regular urgent debates on human rights with a move to tighten transparency around foreign lobbying, setting out a broad democracy and fundamental-rights agenda at its November Strasbourg sitting.
On Thursday, MEPs adopted three country-specific resolutions addressing human-rights violations in Tanzania, Iran and Tunisia. In parallel, they agreed their position on a draft directive to regulate interest-representation activities carried out on behalf of non-EU states, establishing a common framework intended to improve public scrutiny of foreign influence without importing “foreign agent” models seen elsewhere.
In the Tanzania resolution, Parliament condemned the use of force by the authorities against protesters following the country’s October 2025 elections, which, according to the text, left thousands dead or injured and prompted reports of mass graves. MEPs called for an inclusive political dialogue with opposition parties, civil society and victims’ representatives, and urged the organisation of new “credible and transparent” elections.
The resolution also focused on the case of opposition figure Tundu Lissu, whose detention MEPs described as arbitrary and politically motivated. They demanded his immediate and unconditional release and called on Tanzania to abolish the death penalty and commute existing death sentences. Parliament further asked the European Commission and Council to halt direct support to Tanzanian state authorities, redirect assistance towards civil society and independent media, and consider sanctions against individuals deemed responsible for killings, enforced disappearances and other abuses. The text passed by 539 votes to none, with 27 abstentions.
A second resolution addressed the escalating persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran. Parliament “strongly condemned” systemic discrimination, including harassment, detention, confiscation of property and restrictions on access to education, work and services. MEPs highlighted the specific situation of Baha’i women, whose numbers in prison are reported to account for around two thirds of all detained Baha’is. They urged Iran to cease such practices, release all those jailed on the basis of their beliefs, and provide compensation and restitution of seized assets.
The resolution linked the situation of the Baha’is to wider concerns about capital punishment in Iran, noting a rise in executions and describing the death penalty as being used as a tool of political and religious repression. MEPs reiterated their call for EU member states to press the issue in bilateral and multilateral contacts, and again urged the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and widen sanctions on officials involved in serious human-rights violations. The text was adopted by 549 votes to seven, with 31 abstentions.
On Tunisia, Parliament expressed “deep concern” over the deterioration of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, focusing in particular on the case of lawyer and journalist Sonia Dahmani. MEPs condemned her detention, judicial proceedings and prison conditions, and demanded her immediate and unconditional release along with others held on the basis of similar charges. They called on Tunisian authorities to end harassment of Dahmani and her family, to safeguard freedom of expression and assembly, and to guarantee judicial independence under the Tunisian Constitution and international commitments.
The resolution urged Tunisia to repeal Decree-Law 54, which has been used against journalists, lawyers and activists, and asked the Commission to respond to what MEPs described as economic pressure on civil society and human-rights defenders, including through a review of EU support. The text was adopted by 464 votes to 58, with 75 abstentions. One day after the vote, Tunisian and international organisations reported that Dahmani had been granted conditional release after more than a year and a half in detention, although charges in several cases reportedly remain in place.
Beyond the country resolutions, Parliament moved forward on its wider democracy agenda by adopting its position on a directive to regulate interest-representation activities undertaken on behalf of non-EU countries. The proposal, backed by 392 votes to 88 with 133 abstentions, would require paid actors seeking to influence EU or national policy on behalf of a third country to register in national registers linked through a common EU portal and to obtain a European interest representation number valid across the Union.
The draft covers a broad range of lobbying and advocacy, from meetings and submissions to public campaigns and social-media influencer work, while excluding diplomatic functions, media services, legal advice and academic research. MEPs amended the Commission’s original text to clarify key definitions and to state that funding from third-country grants unrelated to lobbying should not trigger registration, with the stated aim of ensuring that civil-society organisations and other legitimate actors are not stigmatised simply for receiving foreign support.
Parliament also inserted safeguards intended to distinguish the scheme from “foreign agent” regimes introduced in countries such as Russia and, more recently, Georgia, where civil-society groups have faced restrictive labelling and intrusive reporting requirements. The text stresses that registration should not lead to labelling or prohibitions, nor require disclosure of third-country funding unrelated to interest-representation activities. With the parliamentary position now defined, negotiations with member states can begin once the Council agrees its mandate.
Taken together, the Strasbourg votes signal Parliament’s intention to link its traditional human-rights resolutions with measures designed to address foreign interference in EU politics, while seeking to preserve space for independent civil society both inside and outside the Union.
