An Iranian man convicted of armed robbery, banditry...

An Iranian man convicted of armed robbery, banditry and drug trafficking was hanged in public in the central city of Isfahan, the local judiciary said. The man, who was hanged on Monday, was identified as Mehrzad Vajeb-al Hoghogh, a 30-year-old mechanic who already had a criminal record. He was convicted of heading a five-member crime gang. The judiciary, in a statement, said the purpose of the public hanging was to "inflict terror in the minds of the criminals". Before being strung up, the man was ordered to warn onlookers about the dangers of "socialising with inappropriate people".