Two drug traffickers hanged in Tehran prison
Published: Wednesday, August 20, 2008
11:00GMT—7:00AM/EST
IRAN – EXECUTION – DRUG TRAFFICKERS
Washington, 20 August (IranVNC)—Two convicted drug traffickers were hanged in the Qezel Hesar prison in Tehran yesterday, the latest in a wave of executions in Iran, the state-run Iran Newspaper reports.
The first man, identified as Amin, was convicted last year for attempting to smuggle narcotics into a prison in the central city of Karaj. The report says the drugs were discovered following one of his court appearances.
Amin was originally sentenced to life in prison on charges of possession of 100 kilos [220 pounds] of heroin, but the sentence was changed to the death penalty following the attempted narcotics smuggling.
The second man, Qolam-Reza, was sentenced three years ago on charges of smuggling 174 kilos [383 pounds] of opium into Karaj. According to Iran Newspaper, Qolam-Reza had escaped capture 13 times before his arrest three years ago.
Under Iran’s penal code, murder, rape, drug trafficking and armed robbery are among the crimes punishable by death.
Iran has received widespread international condemnation for its high use of the death penalty. According to Amnesty International, 317 individuals were executed in the country last year, second only to China, even though its population is 18 times smaller.
Sources: Iran Newspaper, Amnesty International
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