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BRUSSELS, April 29, 2011 (AFP) - The EU's foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Friday condemned the public execution of juvenile offenders in Iran last week and urged Tehran to halt the use of the death penalty.

"I deplore the public execution of four young men in Bandar Abbas, Iran, last week. At least two of the men were under 18 at the time of their alleged offences," Ashton said, adding that this contravened Iran's obligations under international child rights agreements.

The four had been convicted of murder and rape, an Iranian news agency said.