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Iranians 'execute Sunni rebels' | |
(about 6 hours later) | |
Iran has executed some of the 14 convicted members of a Sunni rebel group, state media says. | |
The semi-official Fars news agency has reported that the convicts were hanged in prison. | |
Tehran says the men are members of the Jundollah (God's Soldiers) Sunni group, which is blamed for a series of attacks across the predominantly Shia country. | Tehran says the men are members of the Jundollah (God's Soldiers) Sunni group, which is blamed for a series of attacks across the predominantly Shia country. |
Amnesty International has appealed for a stay of execution, saying the convicts did not receive a fair trial. | Amnesty International has appealed for a stay of execution, saying the convicts did not receive a fair trial. |
Fars had earlier reported that the 14 would be executed in public in the city of Zahedan, including the brother of the group's leader, Abdolmalek Rigi. | |
But Ebrahim Hamidi, who heads the judiciary in the south-eastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, told Fars on Tuesday that the sentence for "some" of those convicted had been carried out inside a prison. | |
He said that Rigi's brother would be executed later in the week. | |
Iran's news agencies had said that the provincial judiciary had invited residents and families of Jundollah's victims to watch the executions. | |
Jundollah has claimed repeated attacks in the province, including a bombing in May in a Shia mosque in Zahedan that killed 25 people, Iranian media say. | Jundollah has claimed repeated attacks in the province, including a bombing in May in a Shia mosque in Zahedan that killed 25 people, Iranian media say. |
Human rights groups accuse Iran of making excessive use of the death penalty but Tehran insists it is an effective deterrent that is used only after a lengthy judicial process. | Human rights groups accuse Iran of making excessive use of the death penalty but Tehran insists it is an effective deterrent that is used only after a lengthy judicial process. |