IRAN. EXECUTIONS REACH 265 DEATHS IN A YEAR

Iran has executed 265 people in the past twelve months in a dramatic increase over the previous year, according to an international human rights organisation.
The International Coalition Against the Death Penalty released the figures on October 10 saying the figures tallied from the beginning of October 2006 to the end of September this year.
It said the number of executions was far higher than the 140 executions recorded in the previous 12 months.
According to the organisation those put to death included a man stoned for living with a married woman and three women who were hanged. The coalition said 34 of those executed in Iran were political prisoners.
Among those said to be awaiting execution are 11 women sentenced to be stoned, while another 15 are due to be hanged. It says only five are awaiting execution for political crimes in the past year.