IRAN HANGS TWO FOR RAPE

September 11, 2007: Iran hanged two convicted rapists separately in the Shiite religious cities of Mashhad and Qom, the local media reported. The first hanging was carried out in a prison in the northeastern city of Mashhad, the Khorassan newspaper said. The man was identified as Javad Z. The execution was attended by fellow inmates jailed on related crimes. The second man, Mohammad Hosseinzadeh, was publicly sent to the gallows in Qom for repeated rape. According to the semi-official Fars news agency, he had 70 rape complaints filed against him by women and girls who had gone to him to have their fortunes read. (Sources: Agence France Presse, 11/09/2007)