EU condemns execution of Iranian-Swedish dual national

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The EU condemned the execution Saturday of a Swedish-Iranian dual national who was accused of spearheading a separatist group blamed by Tehran for a string of attacks in Iran.

"The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the execution in Iran of Swedish-Iranian national Habib Chaab and recalls yet again its strong opposition against the application of capital punishment in any circumstance," it said in a statement.

It offered condolences to Chaab’s family and expressed its full solidarity with Sweden, according to the statement that said the death penalty violates the inalienable right to life and it is the "ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment."

The EU reiterated its demand that Iran refrain from any future executions.

Chaab, the leader of the Harakat al-Nidal group, was executed for being a "mastermind" of an attack that killed 25 people in Ahvaz in 2018, according to Iranian authorities.

Iran executed Alireza Akbari, a dual Iranian-British national and a former deputy defense minister in January, days after he was sentenced to death on charges of spying for Britain’s intelligence agency, MI6.