IRAN. MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR BEING DRUNK

February 5, 2008: an Iranian court sentenced a 22 year old man to death for violating the Islamic Republic's ban on drinking alcohol several times, a news agency said. Under Iran's Islamic Shariah law, a person who is caught drinking for a fourth time and confesses faces possible capital punishment, even though legal experts say executions for this offence are very rare.
"My client had been drinking at home for a fourth time and he made some disturbance in the street and police arrested him," his lawyer, Aziz Nokandei, told the ISNA news agency.
Nokandei said his client, identified only with his first name Mohsen, had confessed and expressed remorse.
He can appeal against the verdict within 20 days under Iranian law and the head of the judiciary can also intervene. (Sources: Interfax, 05/02/2008)