Five hanged in Iran’s holy city

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Dec. 22 – Iranian authorities have hanged five men in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, state media reported.

Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Dec. 22 – Iranian authorities have hanged five men in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, state media reported.

Authorities hanged the men, identified as Alireza, 41; Esmaeil, 26; Hamid, 22; Hossein, 37; and Mohammad-Reza, 37, in a prison in Qom, the official state daily 'Iran' wrote on Sunday.

The report said that the five men had been convicted of drug smuggling, rape, and – in the case of Alireza – "promoting superstition".

Iranian authorities routinely execute dissidents on bogus charges such as armed robbery and drug trafficking.