Iran executes man convicted of rape

TEHRAN: Iranian authorities on Sunday executed a man convicted of raping a young woman in the northern province of Semnan, the judiciary said.

The convict, who was not identified, “was executed by hanging,” said the judiciary´s Mizan Online website, without providing further details on the incident. Mizan reported that the case went through “the necessary legal formalities.”

The Islamic republic maintains the death penalty for several crimes, including rape and sexual assault. Iran carries out the highest number of executions globally after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International. In December, Iranian authorities executed a man convicted of assaulting dozens of women in Tehran.