Iran hangs ethnic Baluch over terrorism charges

TEHRAN: Iran hanged a man for murder, abduction and “terrorist” links on Saturday, website of the country’s judiciary said.

Javid Dehghan Khalad was put to death early in the morning in the restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Mizan Online reported.

It comes a day after the United Nations appealed to Iran not to go ahead with the execution of the 31-year-old.

Mizan said Dehghan was arrested in June 2015 and later convicted of being one of the leaders of a “terrorist” group linked to the militant Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice).

Also known as Mohammad Omar, he had been found guilty of carrying out “armed action against the state”, the website said.

Dehghan was found to have been involved in the killing of two Revolutionary Guards’ members in 2015, as well as leading a raid aiming to abduct five border guards, one of whom was killed, it added.

The UN had on Friday urged Iran to halt the execution as it criticised the Islamic republic for a spate of recent hangings.

“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,” the Geneva-based Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights wrote on Twitter.

“We strongly condemn the series of executions — at least 28 — since mid-December, including of people from minority groups,” it added.

London-based rights group Amnesty International has alleged Dehghan’s trial was “grossly unfair” with the court relying on “torture-tainted confessions” and ignoring abuses committed during the investigation.