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Iranian officials executed a man in public on Saturday, who had been found guilty of raping and murdering a young girl, according to the judiciary.
The family of the victim, who comes from the northwestern city of Bukan, had participated in the legal process and requested the execution to be conducted publicly, as reported by Mizan Online, a judiciary news outlet.
“The case was given special attention due to the emotional impact it had on public opinion,” Mizan quoted the provincial chief justice, Naser Atabati, as saying.
The death penalty was handed down in March and subsequently confirmed by the highest court in the Islamic Republic.
The execution took place publicly “at the request of the victim’s family and the community, given the emotional toll the case had on society,” said Atabati.
Public executions, which are generally carried out by hanging, are not rare in Iran but are typically reserved for severe offences.
In Iran, actions such as murder and rape are subject to the death penalty, making the country the second highest in executions after China, according to human rights organisations, including Amnesty International.
