Some Things Never Change
Cyrus, a Persian prince, in about 400 B.C, …
was merciless to the last degree in punishing criminals, and one might often see along the travelled roads people who had lost feet or hands or eyes; thus in Cyrus’ country it became possible for either Greek or barbarian, provided he were guilty of no wrongdoing, to travel fearlessly wherever he wished, carrying with him whatever it was to his interest to have.
And today: Spate of Executions and Amputations in Iran - New York Times
According to a count by Agence France-Presse based on reports in local newspapers Iran hanged 298 people in 2007, compared with 177 hangings in 2006. If continued at the present rate, the number of executions this year would surpass 400.
Earlier this week, human rights groups in Iran expressed shock after judicial authorities disclosed they had amputated the left feet and right hands of five criminals convicted of armed robbery in the southern province of Sistan-Baluchistan.
A human rights group founded by Shirin Ebadi, the lawyer and Nobel peace prize winner, condemned the executions and amputations.
“Unfortunately, the violation of human rights in Iran has not only been expanded in some fields, it has also found new dimensions,” Ms. Ebadi’s group, which calls itself Defenders of Human Rights, said in a statement on Wednesday.
While amputation punishments are not new in Iran — they were revived after the 1979 Islamic revolution and enforcement of the Islamic penal code — the government has rarely publicized such sentences. Moreover, amputation sentences have been for either hands or feet — not both.
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