TEHRAN, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iran summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Tehran on Wednesday to protest the execution of six Iranian nationals convicted on drug smuggling charges, Iran's foreign ministry said.

Karimi Shashti, director-general of the consular affairs office at the ministry, informed Ambassador Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi that the executions contradicted judicial cooperation efforts between the two countries, according to a ministry statement.

Iran formally protested the executions in a diplomatic note, Shashti said, adding that carrying out the sentences without prior notification to the Iranian embassy in Riyadh violated international law, including the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The individuals were sentenced to death several years ago, Shashti said, adding that the foreign ministry had consistently sought to provide consular services and commute their sentences. He stressed that Iran demanded an explanation from Saudi authorities and that a legal and consular delegation would travel to Riyadh to pursue the matter.

Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday, citing a statement from the Saudi interior ministry, that six Iranians convicted of smuggling hashish were executed in the Eastern Province. The report did not specify when the executions took place. Enditem

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