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Report: Iran hangs 22 men for drug trafficking

An Iranian state-owned newspaper says authorities have hanged 22 people convicted of drug trafficking.
/ Source: The Associated Press

An Iranian state-owned newspaper says authorities have hanged 22 people convicted of drug trafficking.

The report by IRAN daily says the executions were carried out Sunday in Tehran Evin prison as well as a prison in the city of Karaj, some 25 miles (45 kilometers) west of the capital, Tehran.

It says all the men, who were only identified by their first names, had previous criminal convictions.

While Iranian authorities do not officially publish the number of executions in the country, human rights groups say scores of people have been hanged in Iran since the start of the year.

The country allows for a strict enforcement of Islamic law.

Crimes that are punishable by death penalty in Iran include drug trafficking, murder, rape, armed robbery and kidnapping.