IRAN MAY EXECUTE AS MANY AS 600 EACH YEAR: LAWYER

Iran may be hanging up to 600 criminals a year as its use of the death penalty intensifies, a lawyer acting for many of the country’s death row prisoners said. Mohammad Mostafaei, who is campaigning to save 25 prisoners sentenced to death for crimes committed as minors, said he believes the true number of executions far exceeds estimates given by international human rights groups. “I have calculated there were at least 400 executions in 2008, but it could be 500 to 600,” he said.