Iran has executed a Swedish citizen, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard announced Wednesday.
Iranian authorities arrested the person in June last year. According to reports, Sweden repeatedly raised the case with Iranian officials, Stenergard said in a statement.
The Swedish government did not name the executed citizen in the statement.
“The death penalty is an inhumane, cruel and irreversible punishment. Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its application in all circumstances,” Stenergard said.
Stenergard said the legal proceedings leading up to the execution did not meet the standards of due process.
The execution comes as tensions between Iran and Western nations continue to escalate amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel. In addition, the execution may be seen as sending a message to American allies, who may not have joined the war but have not come short of condemning what Iran views as an “aggression” against its sovereignty.
Sweden and the European Union maintain strong opposition to the death penalty under all circumstances, viewing capital punishment as a violation of fundamental human rights regardless of the crime committed.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on the execution or provided details about the charges against the Swedish citizen.
