A young man convicted of rape was publicly hanged in...

A young man convicted of rape was publicly hanged in Iran's southern city of Ahvaz while his accomplice was to face the same punishment on October 17, Tehran dailies reported.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) identified the two as 23-year-old Ali Tabe-Ma'tuqi and 26-year-old Farid Jahangiri. IRNA said they used to kidnap women by car, then they would rape their victims and steal their belongings.
The head of Khuzestan Province's Justice Department, Amir Sohrab-Beyg, speaking to the IRNA, said: "These two young men kidnapped a woman in the Sepidar district of Ahvaz last Esfand [Iranian month corresponding to February-March 2002]. After driving her away, they raped and stole her personal belongings."
He added: "During the interrogation, the pair confessed to several other instances of theft and burglary. However, there has been no other complaints of rape against them except the one filed by the court."
Sohrab-Beyg said: "The first thief was hanged yesterday in accordance with articles 621 and 652 of the Islamic retribution law. And the second criminal, Farid Jahangiri, will be hanged at dawn this morning [presumably, the remarks of Sohrab-Beyg were made before dawn] ."
Earlier in the week, the head of the Judiciary Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahrudi said public executions were an effective way to deter criminal acts.
Since the beginning of the month, the press has reported eight death sentences and three executions, AFP said. According to the Student Movement Co-Ordination Committee for Democracy in Iran (SMCCDI) "these new executions place at 17 the total number of young rebels executed by the Islamic regime in the last 2 weeks."
SMCCDI reported that bloody and sporadic clashes were rocking, several western Iranian cities, such as Saghez, Bane, Mahabad, Sannandaj and Marivan following protest actions against the last wave of executions. SMCCDI said "the regime used guns and of lethal force against groups of young demonstrators" and "several official buildings and security forces' patrol cars have been damaged during the popular retaliation."