Rights Group Decries Iran's Hangings Of Teenagers

28 July 2005 -- The rights organization Human Rights Watch says Iran's executions of juvenile offenders last week violates international law.
The New York-based HRW condemned the public hangings on 19 July of two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, after they were found guilty of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy. The older convict was 17 at the time of the offense.

The hanging brought condemnation from many foreign governments, including the United States. HRW's Iran expert, Hadi Ghaemi, said in a statement that all but a handful of countries forbid such executions, and Iran should do so as well.

(AP)