Iranian-style justice: Twenty drug smugglers were executed by hanging at a Tehran prison, Iranian news agency Fars reported. The latest executions brought the number of people put to death across the country this week to 34.
According to the Iranian report, all those executed were convicted in the years 2004-2008. It appears that drug smugglers nabbed this year were not hanged, for fears that the international community may link the issue to the suppression of post-election protests in Iran.
The executed convicts were 35-48 years old; apparently a government attempt to dismiss recent international criticism over the execution of minors in Iran.
Meanwhile, human rights activists in Iran say they are concerned that the regime will be executing protestors detained in recent post-election rallies.
"We fear that many of the detainees face the risk of torture, forceful confessions, and executions," a group spokesman said, while again urging the United Nations and the International Community "to do everything in their power in order to put an end to the executions and human rights violations in Iran."
Since the beginning of the year, at least 140 people have been executed in the Islamic Republic. In per capita terms, only China executes more people every year than Iran, which last year executed a total of 246 people.
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