Iran Executes Three Men for Rape in Northern City of Gorgan

Iranian authorities have confirmed the execution of three men convicted of rape, with the sentences carried out early Saturday in the country’s north.

“The death sentences of three men convicted of rape were carried out this morning in the prison of the northern city of Gorgan,” announced Heydar Asiabi, the local judiciary chief, in a statement reported by Mizan Online, the judiciary’s official news platform.

Iran, which human rights groups like Amnesty International describe as the world’s second most prolific executor after China, applies capital punishment for crimes such as murder and rape.

Asiabi noted that the accused men had formed a gang of three and were swiftly apprehended following reports from three women. “The three-member gang was quickly arrested after three women reported a rape,” he stated, though he did not elaborate on the specifics of the case.

The executions were conducted at dawn, a common practice in the Islamic Republic, where hangings are typically carried out in prison facilities.

However, not all executions are kept behind prison walls. Just weeks ago, authorities executed a man in public in Iran’s northwest after he was found guilty of raping and murdering a young girl—a case that triggered public outrage across the country.