Iran puts to death 20 Sunni prisoners

Tehran, Aug 4 (IANS/AKI) Iranian authorities executed 20 Sunni prisoners at the Rajai Shahr Prison near here in a single day, Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said.

The prisoners were executed on Tuesday after an Iranian court convicted them of crimes including homicide and endangering national security, Montazeri was cited as telling the media.

"These people had murdered women and children, caused destruction and acted against state security," he said. "They killed Sunni religious leaders in several Kurdish regions."

The Iran Human Rights watchdog deplored the executions and called on the international community to condemn them.