06/08/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 6 August, the Swedish Presidency, speaking on behalf of the European Union, condemned the recent hanging of 24 people in Iran, in one of the country's largest mass executions. The Presidency says it is “concerned about the continued large-scale use of the death penalty in Iran, including the repeated incidence of collective executions during the past month” and repeats “the EU's longstanding opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances”, stating that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the application of capital punishment “represents the irreparable and irreversible loss of human life”. On 30 July, 24 people condemned to death for drug trafficking were hanged in a prison where 20 traffickers were executed less than a month ago. According to human rights organisation Amnesty International, Iran has the second highest number of execution in the world, with only China having a higher total. (O.J./transl.rt)