UN Condemns Iran Execution Spree, Worried about Minorities

The United Nations human rights office on Friday condemned an alleged spree of 28 executions in Iran. (Reuters)
The United Nations human rights office on Friday condemned an alleged spree of 28 executions in Iran. (Reuters)
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UN Condemns Iran Execution Spree, Worried about Minorities

The United Nations human rights office on Friday condemned an alleged spree of 28 executions in Iran. (Reuters)
The United Nations human rights office on Friday condemned an alleged spree of 28 executions in Iran. (Reuters)

The United Nations human rights office on Friday condemned an alleged spree of 28 executions in Iran, including several prisoners from minority groups, and called on Tehran to halt the hanging of an ethnic Baluchi man.

Iran has often faced criticism from world bodies and Western human rights group for its rights record and high number of executions - the world's highest after China, according to Amnesty International. Tehran has dismissed the criticism as baseless and due to a lack of understanding of its religious laws.

"#Iran: We strongly condemn the series of executions – at least 28 – since mid-December, including of people from minority groups," the UN human rights office said on Twitter.

"We urge the authorities to halt the imminent execution of Javid Dehghan, to review his and other death penalty cases in line with human rights law," it added.

There was no immediate official Iranian reaction to the UN statement on Friday, the weekend in the country.

Dehghan was sentenced to death after being convicted "following a grossly unfair trial" of belonging to an armed group and involvement in an ambush that killed two Revolutionary Guards, Amnesty International said.

"The court relied on torture-tainted 'confessions' and ignored the serious due process abuses committed by Revolutionary Guards agents and prosecution authorities during the investigation process," Amnesty said.

Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province borders on Afghanistan, the world's biggest producer of opium, and Pakistan. The area has long been plagued by unrest from drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants.

On Thursday, state media said an Iranian member of ISIS was executed in southwestern Khuzestan province, home to many of Iran's ethnic Arabs, for taking part in an attack that killed two paramilitary Basij militiamen.



Türkiye and Italy Strengthen Ties with Trade and Defense Agreements

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) attend the IV Italy-Turkiye Summit at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, 29 April 2025. (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) attend the IV Italy-Turkiye Summit at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, 29 April 2025. (EPA)
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Türkiye and Italy Strengthen Ties with Trade and Defense Agreements

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) attend the IV Italy-Turkiye Summit at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, 29 April 2025. (EPA)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) attend the IV Italy-Turkiye Summit at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, 29 April 2025. (EPA)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday observed the formal exchange of a dozen cooperation agreements, including on defense, as part of efforts to strengthen ties between the two Mediterranean nations.

Erdogan was in Rome to attend a fourth so-called Intergovernmental Summit between Italy and Turk Türkiye ey that aims to boost trade and cooperation.

His visit comes at a time when Türkiye and Italy have expanded defense partnerships. In March, Türkiye’s leading drone manufacturer, Baykar, reached a memorandum of understanding for a joint venture with Italy’s Leonardo for production of unmanned aerial vehicles. Last year, Baykar bought Italian aircraft producer Piaggio Aerospace.

Speaking after their meeting, Meloni and Erdogan said that Türkiye and Italy have successfully reached their $30 billion trade volume target and have now set a new goal of $40 billion, signaling further economic collaboration.

“We will continue to strengthen our cooperation with Italy, which has made significant progress in the field of defense industry, with new partnerships and projects,” Erdogan said.

Italy sees Türkiye as a key partner in managing migration numbers and maintaining stability in the region.

On Tuesday, Meloni thanked Erdogan, saying joint measures by Türkiye and Italy had resulted in the number of migrants originating from Türkiye dropping to “zero.”

Erdogan said: “We will continue our cooperation with Italy in the field of combating irregular migration in the coming period.”

The Turkish leader also said that the sides had discussed possible cooperation toward Syria’s redevelopment and would hold more consultations on the issue.