Debate
Iran at a Crossroads: Protest, Repression, and Europe’s Response
- Date
- Tuesday 24 February 2026
- Time
- Address
-
University Campus Spui
Spui 5
2511 BL The Hague - Room
- 2B.58
Recent developments in Iran have generated renewed debate about protest, repression, political legitimacy, and the international response. Large-scale state violence, evolving protest dynamics, and shifting geopolitical calculations raise urgent analytical and policy questions.
This event brings together scholars, policymakers, journalists, and activists to examine both the internal dynamics of protest and repression inside Iran and the ways in which Europe responds politically, legally, and through media framing.
The event is organized at Leiden University’s Centre for International Relations and brings together interdisciplinary perspectives from international relations, security studies, sociology, religion, journalism, and human rights advocacy.
Panel 1 (16:45–17:45): Protest, Repression, and Political Legitimacy
This panel examines the domestic dynamics of protest and state response inside Iran. It addresses how governments deploy force to maintain political order, how protest movements evolve under repression, and how legitimacy is constructed, challenged, and contested.
The discussion will explore conceptual and comparative perspectives on violence, ideological contestation, and the moral and political boundaries that shape both protest and policing. The panel will also reflect on possible future trajectories and the broader implications of these developments.
Participants:
- Damon Golriz (International Peace, Justice, and Security researcher; The Hague University of Applied Sciences
- Sara Nozohour (Iran-born Human Rights Activist)
- Pooyan Tamimi Arab (Associate Professor of Secular and Religious Studies; Utrecht University)
- Don Weenink (Professor of Violence and Policing; Leiden University)
Moderated by: Babak RezaeeDaryakenari (Associate Professor of International Relations; Leiden University)
Panel 2 (18:00–19:00): Europe and Iran—Policy, Media, and the Politics of Attention
As repression inside Iran has intensified, Europe’s response has evolved beyond statements of concern toward sanctions, diplomatic positioning, and debates about legal and political designation. At the same time, public understanding of events is shaped by media framing, strategic priorities, and institutional constraints.
This panel examines how European foreign policy considerations, media narratives, and accountability mechanisms interact. It asks how crises are prioritized, how normative commitments translate into policy, and where gaps emerge between political discourse and sustained engagement.
Participants:
- Janny Groen (Freelance Journalist)
- Babak RezaeeDaryakenari (Associate Professor of International Relations; Leiden University)
- Uri Rosenthal (Chair of Comité Iran Vrij; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands)
Registration
All students and staff are welcome. Due to university access regulations, registration is mandatory for all attendees.
Please register via this online form.