ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iran has publicly executed a man convicted of raping two women in the northern Semnan province, the judiciary announced on Tuesday. 

“During the full investigation, it was determined that the defendant, by deceiving two women and with the aim of criminal intent, committed the heinous act of rape and coercion,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online said, citing Semnan Chief Justice Mohammad Sadegh Akbari. 

It added that the convict, who was executed in the town of Bastam, used “intimidation and threats” to instill fear in his victims by “creating fears and concerns of dishonor.” 

Iran typically carries out hangings in prisons, but public executions are rare. 

The Islamic republic ranks among the world’s top executioners, behind only China. Thousands of death penalties are carried out annually, but precise figures remain undisclosed due to state secrecy. 

In late September, Amnesty International called on the international community to take immediate action to halt executions in Iran, which it said had reached the highest rate in 15 years. 

It had already executed more people by September than 2024’s total.