Capital punishment in Iran on the rise, rights groups say

Average of two people a day executed in first half of 2011, claim human rights organizations; official figures from Tehran contradict groups' findings.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Iran Hangings 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Iran Hangings 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Capital punishment in Iran is on the rise with an average of two people a day being executed in the first half of 2011, human rights groups claimed on Friday.
Amnesty International said that the rise could be due to a steep increase in stealth and mass hangings in the provinces.
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Official figures from Iran say the number of people executed is 190 people from the beginning of 2011 until the end of June. However, according to a report in The Guardian, at least 130 others have also been executed.
Another organization, Iran Human Rights (IHR), told The Guardian it had recorded 390 executions since the beginning of the year.
"The sharp rise of executions in Iran is a clear message that the state has no hesitation in using violence and applying it, no matter how arbitrarily, in holding on to power," Hadi Ghaemi, ICHRI executive director, told The Guardian.