An Iranian man was publicly flogged and then executed by public hanging on Sunday afternoon in the city Kashan, Iran. The hanging brings the total number of reported hangings this year in Iran to 61.
The man hung, 26 year old Esmail Hashemi had been convicted of raping several women.
Scores of people reportedly viewed the hanging, according to IRNA.
At least 159 people were executed by hanging in Iran in 2004 according to Amnesty International, ranking Iran as second worldwide in the number of hangings after China.
In addition to rape, capital offences in Iran which are punishable by hanging include adultery, prostitution, apostasy, blasphemy, repeated sodomy, treason and espionage and murder.
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
