TEHRAN: Iran has hanged seven convicted drug traffickers in the southern city of Shiraz, Shargh newspaper reported on Monday.
The men sent to the gallows had been arrested in various cities in the southern province of Fars, the report added without giving further details.
The latest hangings bring to 214 the number of executions reported in Iran so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on media and official reports.
Iranian media reported 179 hangings last year but international human rights groups say the actual number was much higher, ranking the Islamic republic second only to China in the number of people it executed in 2010.
Tehran says the death penalty is essential to maintain law and order, and that it is applied only after exhaustive judicial proceedings.
Murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking and adultery are among the crimes punishable by death in Iran.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.