Iranian authorities carried out a public execution on Saturday of a man found guilty of raping and murdering a young girl, according to the country’s judiciary.
The execution took place in the northwestern city of Bukan. The victim’s family had been involved in the legal process and formally requested the execution be held in public, the judiciary’s Mizan Online news outlet reported.
Naser Atabati, the provincial chief justice, said the case received special attention because it deeply affected public sentiment and generated widespread outrage.
The man’s death sentence was initially handed down in March and later upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court.
While public executions are not an everyday occurrence in Iran, they are used in cases authorities deem particularly heinous. Hanging remains the most common method.
Under Iranian law, murder and rape are crimes punishable by death.
Rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have long criticised Iran for its use of capital punishment. The country ranks as the world’s second most prolific executor, behind China.
The case once again highlights Iran’s strict penal system and the continued debate over public executions as a form of deterrence and retribution.