Trigger warning: This article discusses sensitive topics such as sexual assault.
Iran publicly executed a man last Tuesday who was accused of raping two women in the Senman province, the judiciary’s official outlet Mizan Online reported.
The unnamed man was killed in the town of Bastam following a guilty verdict by the Supreme Court.
The man was said to have “deceived two women and committed rape by force and coercion,” then using “intimidation and threats” to keep the victims silent about the crimes.
Evidence against the executed rapist
He had disguised himself as the driver of a private car, according to ILNA, and collected the women from a station before changing routes and isolating the pair. The report claimed the man threatened the women at knifepoint, one of whom was pregnant at the time of the attack, and forced them to commit sexual acts.
The man was found guilty based on DNA evidence, CCTV footage of the car’s route, and the victim’s testimony, according to ILNA.
Mohammad Akbari, provincial head of the judiciary, reportedly “confirmed and enforced after precise review by the Supreme Court.”
The man was hanged publicly only two weeks after the last public execution.
Iran usually carries out executions in prisons, but has recently seen an increase in the number performed openly.
Both murder and rape are punishable by death in Iran, though execution has been applied to those found to have committed a number of other offences.