Iran hangs drug dealer
05/01/2008 19:46  - (SA)  

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Iran hangs 13, including mother Iran hangs murderer in public Iran hangs man for raping boys Iran hangs two drug traffickers Iran executes 254th person Rapists hanged in public

Tehran - Iran hanged a convicted drug dealer in the northern town of Gorgan, the official news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.

The 53-year-old man, whose name was not released, had been found guilty of selling 5kg of opium. The hanging was carried out on December 25 in Gorgan prison.

The execution took the number of executions carried out last year to 298, according to an AFP count compiled from local press reports.

Executions soared in 2007 amid a campaign which the authorities said was aimed at improving security in society and was a sharp increase on 2006 figures when Amnesty International recorded 177 people were executed.

Iran has hanged 14 convicts so far in 2008, according to the media reports.

On Wednesday, 13 convicted criminals were executed, including the mother of two young children who had been convicted of murdering her husband.

Iran currently makes more use of the death penalty than any other country apart from China. Capital offences in the Islamic republic include murder, rape, armed robbery, serious drug trafficking and adultery.

Human rights groups have accused Iran of excessive resort to the death penalty, but the authorities say capital punishment is an effective deterrent that is used only after an exhaustive judicial process.

- AFP

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