EU condemns mass execution of 24 in Iran

Washington, 6 August (WashingtonTV)—The Swedish Presidency of the European Union on Thursday condemned the mass execution of 24 people in Iran, who were hanged last week for drug trafficking.

“The Presidency of the European Union condemns the execution of 24 persons in the city of Karaj in Iran on 30 July,” it said in a statement.

It said it was “concerned about the continued large-scale use of the death penalty in Iran, including the repeated incidence of collective executions during the past month.”

The mass executions in Karaj were the second such executions in nearly a month in the same prison, where Iran hanged another 20 convicted drug traffickers on 4 July.

Last week’s execution was one of the largest mass executions in the country in recent years.

The EU Presidency said it “continues to call on the Iranian authorities to abolish the death penalty completely and, in the meantime, to establish a moratorium on executions.”

Iran has execution at least 219 people so far this year, according to an AFP count.

Amnesty International said that Iran executed at least 346 people in 2008, second only to China.

Murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking, adultery and apostasy are among the crimes punishable by death in the Islamic Republic.

Sources: Swedish Presidency of the EU website, Agence France-Presse, Amnesty International website