Ahmad Rahimi, now 20, was less than 17 when arrested., along with Omid Shekari, was held in youth ward of the prison. The third prisoner has been named as Zargham, aged, 30, and the fourth is unnamed.

Between February 26 and March 4, four other prisoners who were minors when they were arrested were also hanged. Iran’s judicial chief Sadegh Larijani last week branded a European Parliament resolution that condemned the execution of minors as a ‘lie’.

Mohammad-Javad Larijani, the head of Iran’s ‘Human Rights Council’, also said on April 10: “The problem is that the West does not understand that Qisas (law of retribution) is different from execution. We are not ashamed of stoning or any of the Islamic decrees.

“No one has the right to tell a judge to avert some sentences because the United Nations gets upset. We should firmly and seriously defend the sentence of stoning.”

The continuing and unabated executions in Iran, particularly of minors, during Hassan Rouhani’s presidency are aimed at intensifying the atmosphere of intimidation to prevent an uprising by the suppressed people of Iran.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

April 10, 2014