Iran Condemned for Reprisal Hangings

The International Federation for Human Rights on Tuesday condemned Iran's execution of 16 convicts to avenge a deadly border attack, saying nothing has changed under the country's moderate new president.

"The retaliatory execution of 16 Baluchi prisoners on Saturday, in revenge for the deplorable killing of 14 border guards, is in total breach of international law,"the FIDH said.

"The latest executions are even more shocking as these Baluchi prisoners were not even connected to the insurgents' attack," said Karim Lahidji, the FIDH president.

"This further vindicates our assertion that the situation of human rights has not changed in Iran since the taking of office of Hassan Rouhani" as the Islamic republic's president in August, he added.

Iran said it hanged 16 "rebels" condemned to death and being held at a prison in the region Saturday in reprisal for the attack hours earlier in Sistan-Baluchestan near the border with Pakistan.

Jaish-ul Adl, a Sunni rebel group formed last year, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Brigadier General Hossein Zolfaqari, commander of Iran's border guards, quoted by Iran's Fars news agency, said Tuesday that security forces had killed four members of the group in a clash.

He did not say when or where the latest clash took place.