TEHRAN REJECTS EU PROTESTS OVER INCREASE IN EXECUTIONS

August 5, 2007: Iran rejected protests by the European Union over the increased number of executions in the country and the death sentence against two Iranian-Kurdish journalists. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said such protests amount to interference in Iran's "internal affairs."
Since the beginning of the year, more than 120 people were executed in Iran, including 11 in the past week and 16 in the previous week. The EU has called on Iran to revise the death sentence against Iranian-Kurdish journalists Adnan Hassanpur and Hiwa Butimar and provide them with a fair trial. (Sources: Radio Free Europe, 05/08/2007)