In an editorial on April 20, the daily newspaper Iran...

In an editorial on April 20, the daily newspaper Iran News decried the live broadcast of the execution of Sa'id Hana'i, the self-confessed murderer of 16 women, by the Islamic Republic News Broadcasting (IRIB).
Hana'i was hanged in Mashhad on April 17 in the presence of his own family and of the families of the 16 victims."The live execution in this holy city created a plethora of peculiar, inexplicable and certainly negative images for the society," said the English-language daily.
"Why did the television network, whose programmes have a broad spectrum of viewers and can be picked up outside the country, broadcast the event in the first place? Does not this promote violence?" it asked.
"Did any one give a thought to the country's image on the international scene? Did this action take place in coordination with government officials and the foreign policy establishment?"
The IRIB officials ought to know that "Iran's global image is not of non-violence. And the fact that the country practices capital punishment is not one of our strong points in the international fora."