Rights Group 'Gravely Concerned' At Increase In Iranian Executions

A meeting of the Assembly of Experts in Tehran last September (Fars) 27 February 2006 -- Human Rights Watch, the U.S.-based rights organization, is expressing "grave concern" over what it calls a recent increase in executions in Iran.

Human Rights Watch said today in a statement that a review of official Iranian media shows at least 10 executions were carried out between 20 January and 20 February of this year alone.

Another 21 people were sentenced to death during that same time period.

Human Rights Watch called on the Iranian judiciary to stop applying the death penalty and to abide by its obligations under international treaties, including abolishing the death penalty for juveniles and implementing fair trial standards.

(AFP, Reuters)