‘Waging war against God’

TEHRAN: Iran hanged on Sunday two men convicted of “waging war against God” after they were found guilty of drug trafficking, armed robbery and abduction, a report said.

The two Amanollah Pourian and Younes Rahmani were hanged in the southeastern city of Zahedan, Fars news agency reported quoting a local judiciary statement. The report said the two were found guilty of “Moharebeh” (waging war against God), a crime punishable by death under Iran’s sharia law, as they were charged with selling opium, armed robbery, abduction and criss-crossing the Iranian border illegally, the report added.

The latest hangings bring to at least 84 the number of people executed in Iran so far this year, according to an AFP count based on media reports. Last year, at least 270 people were hanged. Murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking and adultery are all punishable by death in Iran.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2010.