Iran executes 29 criminals in one go at Evin prison

“The 29, who were executed this morning, were involved in the smuggling of narcotics on a wide scale, organised crime, murder and armed robbery,” Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi was quoted as saying by the state radio.

Police have, in recent weeks, arrested dozens of people in a new drive against “immoral behaviour” in Iran, which Amnesty International has listed as the world’s second-most prolific executioner in 2007 after China.

Iran said on Saturday it planned to execute 30 people for murder, rape, drug smuggling and other crimes.

“We are hoping Tehran will become the most unsafe place for drug dealers, thugs and troublemakers and also violators of people’s honour,” Mortazavi said. “These convicts had long criminal records and after being released they returned to the same criminal activities,” he said.

IRIB said they “had smuggled thousands of kilos of narcotics in the country and outside the country” and that some of them were also convicted of rape, murder, armed robbery and “disrupting public security and peace”.

At least 10 people were hanged in the country in July. In September last year, 21 people were executed in one day, but in two different places.