Lashing preferable to jail, says Judiciary Chief
Washington, 26 June (IranVNC)—In an interview with Iran’s state-run network 2 television, Judiciary Chief, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi said on Thursday, that he favors public lashings as a form of punishment.
By: IranVNC
Published: Friday, June 27, 2008
23:21GMT—7:21PM/EST
IRAN – LAW – SOCIETY – LASHINGS – SHAHROUDI
Washington, 26 June (IranVNC)—In an interview with Iran’s state-run network 2 television, Judiciary Chief, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi said on Thursday, that he favors public lashings as a form of punishment. Shahroudi also stated that he has ordered the country’s judges to issue lashing sentences instead of jail sentences whenever possible, in remarks published by the official news agency IRNA.
Shahroudi described lashings as one of the “best, most legal, and most just” punishments and said: “Some of Iran’s judges, who are affected by slogans from the outside world, do not choose lashings [as a form of punishment], but in my opinion, this is one of the best punishments, especially if it is carried out in public, because [its] deterrent effect is greater.” He added that the reason he favors lashings is that it only affects the offender, and not the offender’s family.
“Unfortunately, in terms of laws, we have been placed under the influence of European laws, and for many crimes, we have specified prison as punishment. One of our primary tasks is to convert jail punishments to other types of punishments,” Shahroudi added.
Shahroudi added that Iran’s judges have been advised “as much as possible” to choose lashing when there is a choice between that or jail sentences, because the damage of imprisonment is greater.
Iran’s penal code provides for punishments such as lashings, amputation of limbs and stoning, but the implementation of such punishments has kindled extensive protest by international assemblies and human rights organizations against the Islamic Republic. Under international common law, such punishments are deemed “cruel” and are banned by international conventions.
Last Friday, Ayatollah Mohyeddin Haeri-Shirazi, the Friday prayer leader and representative of the supreme leader in Shiraz, said: “Unfortunately, we still cannot carry out the law of cutting hands [as punishment]. If this law was to be implemented, then perhaps we would not have [such] a high rate of theft in society.”
Sources: IRNA, ISNA
© IranVNC 2008. All rights reserved.
(Original article written in Persian.)