IRAN SAYS 16 CRIMINALS HANGED

July 22, 2007: Iran hanged 16 men convicted for various offences, including rape and kidnapping. Tehran's chief prosecutor, Said Mortazavi, said dozens of bandits, robbers, and rapists had been arrested in recent weeks. Hossein Roohzadeh, Abolfalz Sadegi, Ebrahim Eskandari, Siamak Doosti, Golamhossein Shadab, Babak Doost hosseini, Soroor Sarani, Akbar Zahine mirhan, Rassol Amine zadeh, Hamid Notrehi, Sohrab Behboodi, Mohamad Assef Ostad hakim, Tayefeh Afshar, Reza Hosseinpoor, Fazel Ramezani and Hajat Morad Mohamadi, were hanged in Tehran. Fazel Ramezani and Hajat Morad Mohamadi were political prisoners, members of the Bakhtyari Tribe (southwestern Iran), executed as common criminals, NCRI said. Executing political prisoners such as members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) as common criminals under the pretext of drug smuggling is a common practice in Iran. (Sources: NCRI, Reuters, 26/07/2007, ISNA)