Azeri boys hang themselves, said influnced by Saddam

BAKU, Jan 16 (Reuters) Two boys in different regions of Azerbaijan who hanged themselves at the weekend may have been influenced by Saddam Hussein's execution, a source in the security authorities told Reuters yesterday.

According to a preliminary conclusion by the investigators, Naig Gasanov, who was almost eight-years-old, hanged himself out of curiosity and Shakir Sunchelyeyev, 12, did it ''to show his protest'', the source said.

Before his death, Gasanov had been asking his parents about the process of hanging and tried out the technique when they were out.

Earlier this month a Saudi boy hanged himself, possibly to mimic Saddam, and an Algerian boy was hanged by his friends in a playful re-run of the execution, newspapers reported.

REUTERS PKS BST0424