By David Badash
September 6, 2011

Religion: By Hanging, Iran Executes Three Men For Having Gay Sex

Iran has executed by hanging three men for the crime of having gay sex, early on Sunday morning, September 4th. The three men were officially executed for “forbidden acts against religion,” as Iran does not acknowledge the existence of homosexuality, which is also officially a crime.

AFP reports: Two convicted rapists and a drug smuggler were sent to the gallows in the same prison.

The latest hangings bring to 180 the number of executions reported in Iran so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on media and official reports.

Iranian media reported 179 hangings last year but international human rights groups say the actual number was much higher, ranking the Islamic republic second only to China in the number of people it executed in 2010.

Tehran says the death penalty is essential to maintain law and order, and it is applied only after exhaustive judicial proceedings.

Murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking and adultery are among the crimes punishable by death in Iran.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) also reports,The men were identified as: “M. T.”, “T. T.” and “M. Ch.” (age not mentioned for any of them) and besides being convicted of sodomy, had also committed other offences such as kidnapping and robbery, said the report.

Condemning the executions, the spokesperson of Iran Human Rights (IHR), Mahmood Amiry-​Moghaddam, said:”Yesterday’s executions for sodomy might be among the rare cases were the Iranian authorities admit to having executed men convicted of homosexual acts”. He added: “Iranian authorities normally present such cases as rape, but rape as not been mentioned in this case”.

IHR is currently investigating the case of the three men executed for sodomy.

According to ISNA, the three others executed in Ahvaz today, were “A. H.” convicted of keeping and trafficking of 6309 grams of heroin, and “J. N.” and “A. Sh.” convicted of rape and robbery.

The report didn’t mention the age of those who were executed.

Amiry-​Moghaddam warned about a new wave of executions scheduled for the coming weeks in Iran. He said: “After a short break in the executions due to the Holy month of Ramadan, we have received reports about many scheduled executions in the coming days and weeks in Iran”. Amiry-​Moghaddam added: “Many of the scheduled executions are planned to be carried out publically”.

The Advocate adds, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once famously told a reporter during a news conference that, ”In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country. We don’t have that in our country. In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don’t know who’s told you that we have it.”

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