Watchdog

Three United Nations' special rapporteurs -- on Iran, summary executions, and torture -- have condemned the recent executions of four members of the Ahwazi Arab minority in Iran.

Following a reportedly unfair trial, they were sentenced to death and executed earlier this month.

The four men -- Ali Sharif and brothers Abdul Rahman Heidarian, Abbas Heidarian, and Taha Heidarian -- were arrested during a protest in the western province of Khuzestan and convicted of "enmity against God" and "corruption on Earth."

In a statement, the three rapporteurs expressed regret that Iran continues to "apply the death penalty with alarming frequency."

According to the statement, at least 140 executions are known to have been carried out since the beginning of 2012, while some other sources put the figure at 220.

More than 60 members of the Parliamentary Assembly from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe from 21 countries have co-sponsored a resolution to pull the 2014 International Ice Hockey World Championships out of Belarus.

The resolution urges Belarus to stop harassing human rights activists; suspend house arrests; and allow an international investigation into allegations of torture in prisons.

Parliamentarians from across 56 countries, including Belarus, will vote on the measure at the annual session of the OSCE's Parliamentary Assembly on July 5-9 in Monaco.

In March, the European Parliament approved a resolution calling on the International Ice Hockey Federation to consider taking away from Belarus the right to host the 2014 world championship because of human right abuses.

Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has denounced what he called the "pressure" being applied over the tournament.