Iran: A hotbed for hangings

In a country where a senior cleric can boldly assert that women who wear revealing clothing and behave promiscuously are to blame for earthquakes, it is saddening, but not surprising, that state executions in Iran are rife.

However over the last few months Iran has become a hotbed of activity. Since mid- February there have been at least nine hangings as well as floggings, and limb amputations for those accused of crimes ranging from robbery to rape.

In 2009 Iran carried out a reported 402 executions. Among those executed was a 26 year-old student named Kouhyar who was enrolled at Tehran Polytechnic. He was expelled and then later arrested and executed for writing against the death penalty on Facebook.

On March 3, 2010 a person referred to only as “Shoghi Z” received the punishment of being deemed a moharebeh (an enemy of God) which demands the amputation of the right arm and left foot.

The spokesperson for Iran Human Rights strongly condemns the punishments enforced by the Iranian authorities by adding that “Torture, death penalty and terror are the main pillars of the Iranian regime’s policy toward the people".

A little over a month later on April 11, 2010, three men were hanged in the yard within the prison of Isfahan for crimes related to drug possession and trafficking.

Many of the executions sanctioned by Iranian authorities take place within prisons away from public gaze. However when the crimes committed are rape or “acts against chastity” they often take place in public squares. For example, on April 14, 2010 three men were hanged in the northern city of Babolsar for crimes of kidnapping and the subsequent raping of 13 women.

A spokesperson for International Network Iran Human Rights suggested that executions are often used "to cause terror" and that since Iran’s contested election back in June 2009, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been keen to demonstrate his preponderance of power. He does so by increasing the number of death sentences handed down to those convicted of crimes.