Series of public hangings in Iran, including 2 for sodomy

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

This photo accompanied the Iran Human Rights report on three men who were hanged in Shiraz on Aug. 3.

Two prisoners were hanged in public on Aug. 6 in the city of Shiraz in southern Iran on charges of sodomy, Iran Human Rights reports.
Details of the charges were unavailable.
Iran Human Rights stated, “Since there was no mention of rape in the report there is possibility that these men were sentenced to death for sexual relationship with the same sex.”
Two other prisoners were also hanged in public that day in Shiraz. Their offenses were given as kidnapping and rape.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of Iran Human Rights said on Aug. 6: “We urge international condemnation of today’s barbaric executions. … Iranian authorities should be held accountable for these inhumane acts.”
The two prisoners executed on sodomy charges were identified as “Abdollah Gh. Ch.” and “Soleiman Gh. Ch.” Information on the hangings came from the official website of the Iranian Judiciary in Fars province.
In addition, two prisoners were reported executed in Karaj — one hanged in public after being convicted of kidnapping and rape of a woman, the other hanged in prison for sexual abuse of minors.
Three other prisoners were reported hanged in public in Shiraz on Aug. 3 on charges of rape and armed robbery.
In a separate account, the opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran stated:

“In the time span of just three days from August 3 to 6, twenty-two prisoners were hanged by the inhumane clerical regime in the cities of Karaj, Shiraz and Chahbahar. …
“Twelve of these prisoners were executed in the city of Karaj alone on Wednesday, August 6. Eleven prisoners, including one identified as Abbas Khorshidie, were hanged in the central prison of this city.
“Reza Fallah a 27-year-old prisoner was also hanged in public on the same day in this city. Before hanging the victim, the henchmen flogged him 100 times as the crowd watched in shock.
“Seven prisoners were hanged in two groups in public on August 3 and 6.
“Three men, Abdoljabbar Riegie, Othman Hassan Zehie and Abdolkarim Zahoukie, were executed in the central prison of city of Chahbahar on August 4.
“Fearing social uprisings, the criminal rulers in Iran conduct these atrocities under the pretext of ‘implementing God’s decree.’ They widely publish shocking photos of the hangings in an attempt to intensify the climate of fear in the country.