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Iran says number of executions is "not high"
15 Apr 2008 10:16:54 GMT
 Source: Reuters
TEHRAN, April 15 (Reuters) - The number of executions in Iran is "not high", the judiciary said on Tuesday, responding to an Amnesty International report that listed the Islamic Republic as the world's second most prolific executioner in 2007.

European governments and Western rights groups have criticised Iran for an increasing number of hangings since authorities launched a clampdown on "immoral behaviour" in July.

Amnesty said on Tuesday that Iran had executed 317 people last year. China, the world's leading executioner, carried out at least 470 death sentences in 2007, the rights group said.

Asked to comment on the figure given by Amnesty, judiciary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi said: "Whether Iran has had that number of executions I don't know, but the number is not high."

He also told a news conference: "The bulk of executions in Iran have to do with retribution ... and they can be retracted with the consent of the next of kin."

Under Iran's sharia law, a victim's relatives may pardon the murderer in return for "blood money", or financial compensation.

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.

At least 1,252 people were executed in 24 countries last year and 3,347 sentenced to death in 51 countries, Amnesty said.

China and Iran were followed by Saudi Arabia, with 143 executions, Pakistan with 135, and the United States, which executed 42 people. Between them, these five countries accounted for 88 percent of all known executions.

Amnesty said the number of executions had risen from 2006 in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

It noted that in December 2007 the United Nations General Assembly voted by a large majority for a resolution calling for an end to the death penalty. (Reporting by Hashem Kalantari; Writing by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Catherine Evans)


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Last updated:Tue Apr 15 10:15:17 2008