Iran hangs four criminals in new public execution

TEHRAN, Sep 5 (Reuters) Iran hanged four criminals in public today, an Iranian news agency said, the latest of a series of public executions that have been criticised by rights groups and European governments.

The offenders were put to death in the southern city of Shiraz after being convicted of banditry, smuggling, illegal weapons possession and armed confrontation with security forces, the Fars News Agency said.

A big crowd watched the hangings, Fars reported, adding that onlookers said executions should continue until ''all criminal activities had ended'' in the area.

A provincial justice department official said one criminal or smuggler had been executed each week in southerly Fars province since the start of the Iranian year on March 21. Shiraz is the capital of Fars province.

''This shows the efforts of the judiciary system in bringing about permanent social security and a serious confrontation with those people who are corrupt,'' Abdolnabi Najibi was quoted as saying by Fars.

The number of executions in Iran, many in public, has risen since July with the launch of a summer crackdown on ''immoral behaviour''. Police have arrested dozens of drug addicts, smugglers, rapists and murderers.

Amnesty International has protested to Iran over the number of executions, which it said in an April report had doubled to at least 177 last year. Before the latest series of hangings, Amnesty said at least 124 people had been put to death in 2007.

The European Union has criticised Tehran's human rights record and expressed concern about the use of death penalty in the Islamic state.

Murder, rape, adultery, armed robbery, apostasy and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Iran's Islamic sharia law, imposed after the 1979 revolution.

Iran routinely dismisses criticism of rights abuses, particularly from Western organisations or countries, saying it is acting on the basis of sharia.

REUTERS LPB BST1533