BUKAN, Iran — Iranian authorities carried out a public execution on Saturday of a man convicted of the rape and murder of a young girl, the judiciary has announced.
According to the judiciary’s Mizan Online news website, the victim’s family, hailing from the northwestern city of Bukan, had been actively involved in the legal proceedings and had specifically requested the public execution.
“The case was given special attention due to the emotional impact it had on public opinion,” Mizan quoted provincial chief justice Naser Atabati as stating.
The death sentence for the convicted individual was initially issued in March and subsequently upheld by the Islamic Republic’s supreme court.
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Atabati further explained that the execution was conducted in public “at the request of the victim’s family and citizens, due to the emotional impact the case had on society.”
While public executions, typically carried out by hanging, are not a daily occurrence in Iran, they are implemented in cases deemed to be particularly severe.
According to human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, murder and rape are offenses punishable by death in Iran, which ranks as the world’s second most prolific executioner after China.
