Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

Iran hangs two convicted drug smugglers
20 Aug 2008 09:11:54 GMT
 Source: Reuters
TEHRAN, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Iran has hanged two convicted drug smugglers inside a Tehran prison, Iran's state-run newspaper said on Wednesday, the latest in a series of executions that has been criticised by rights groups and European governments.

Since authorities launched a clampdown on "immoral behaviour" in July 2007, police have arrested dozens of drug addicts, smugglers, rapists and murderers.

Murder, adultery, rape, armed robbery, apostasy and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Iran's sharia law, practised since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

"The two men were drug smugglers. They were hanged inside Tehran's Ghezel Hesar prison on Tuesday morning," the Iran newspaper said.

It said a Tehran court last year sentenced one of them to life term in prison but after he tried to smuggle narcotics into the jail, this was upgraded to the death sentence.

"Police found out he was trying to smuggle heroin and opium he got from his friend when returning to the prison from the court," the daily said.

In July, 29 people were hanged in one day inside Tehran's Even prison. In September last year, 21 people were executed in one day in two different places.

Amnesty International in April said Iran executed at least 317 people last year, trailing only China which carried out 470 death sentences. (Reporting by Hossein Jaseb, Editing by Angus MacSwan)


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  Women

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Colombia: ICRC aids indigenous people affected by armed clashes
ICRC - Switzerland

•  USAID support for Parivarthan Child Survival Project gets the final approval for implementation
EFICOR - India

•  WFP and the American Red Cross Wrap Up Three Year Partnership in Tsunami-affected Countries
Red Cross - USA

•  My Years in Uganda
Medair - Switzerland

•  Kosovo’s new breadwinners targeted through microfinance loans
World Vision MEERO - Cyprus

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Iran hangs two convicted drug smugglers

•  US: End Beating of Children in Public Schools

•  Liberal pockets in Saudi Arabia's rigid state

•  Iran satellite launch a failure, US officials say

•  Iran satellite launch a failure, US official says

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Related articles

Breaking stories
 Iran hangs two convicted drug smugglers (1 minute ago)

US: End Beating of Children in Public Schools (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 MEDIAWATCH: Food summit thwarts hope (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Colombia: ICRC aids indigenous people affected by armed clashes (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Why maids are a priority for Lebanese NGOs (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: Global map of climate change vulnerability (interactive map) (1 minute ago)


Country information

Topics
Women
Facts & figures
Iran

Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-19T181550Z_01_DEL52_RTRIDSP_2_KASHMIR-PROTESTS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DEL52.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-19T164704Z_01_DEL54_RTRIDSP_2_KASHMIR-PROTESTS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DEL54.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-19T164537Z_01_DEL51_RTRIDSP_2_KASHMIR-PROTESTS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DEL51.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-19T164354Z_01_DEL56_RTRIDSP_2_KASHMIR-PROTESTS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DEL56.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-08-19T164311Z_01_DEL55_RTRIDSP_2_KASHMIR-PROTESTS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DEL55.htm

A Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel throws a stone at demonstrators during a protest in Jammu August 19, 2008. Thousands of Hindus were arrested and driven away to jails on Tuesday ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Wed Aug 20 09:33:12 2008