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Japan | Hakamada found religion, but then felt under attack by ‘the devil’

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Editor's note: This is the last in a four-part series on letters that Iwao Hakamada wrote while on death row. About a decade after cursing God, Iwao Hakamada was baptized Catholic at the Tokyo Detention House on Dec. 24, 1984. “Since I have been given the Christian name Paul, I am keenly feeling that I should be aware of the greatness of Paul.” (June 1985)

Iran hangs 6 drug traffickers

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Iran on Saturday hanged 6 convicted drug traffickers in a prison in Karaj, west of Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The report identified the men as Arsalan Asadi, Mohammad Ali Fakhri, Abbas Geravand, Rahman Biabani, Saeed Mikaili and Parviz Taghizadeh.

56 people have been executed in Iran so far this year, according to an AFP count based on news reports. Last year, at least 270 people were hanged.

Tehran says the death penalty is essential to maintain public security and applied only after exhaustive judicial proceedings.

Murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking and adultery are all punishable by death in Iran.

Source: Agence France-Presse, May 8, 2010


6 hanged in Karaj

Tehran's Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office announced today that 6 prisoners were hanged in Qezel Hesar prison in Karaj, west of Tehran. The 6 were identified as Arsalan Asadi, Mohammad Ali Fakhri, Abbas Geravand, Rahman Biabani, Parviz Taqi Zadeh and Saeed Mikaili according to the official news agency IRNA, May 8.

The crime attributed to the 6 was drug smuggling. Over the years many political prisoners have been executed as drug smugglers or ordinary criminals in order to cover up dissent and the regime's ploy to eliminate its opponents.

Source: National Council of Resistance of Iran - Foreign Affairs Committee, May 8, 2010
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20 Minutes to Death: Witness to the Last Execution in France

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