Unit 1012 Cover Photo

Unit 1012 Cover Photo

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

THE BLACK VULTURES OF IRAN


When you hear the word, Black Vultures, your first impression is thinking of the Cinereous Vulture where they can be found in Iran…no, the Black Vultures in this post are the nicknames given to five rapists who were hung in Iran. JUST A REMINDER, I am not in favor of the way the Iranian government rules but I admire and respect the way they fight crime. I personally think that it is good that they put those rapists to death, as it is sign to the country and public that they are protecting the good innocent people. No death penalty abolitionists appealed on their behalf as the men's crime spree attracted such notoriety. If you were a raped victim, you will definitely thank the government for going tough. 

Read these two news: 

Sunday, 29 September, 2002, 16:00 GMT 17:00 UK
Iran hangs rapists in public


















Many of the crowd expressed approval of the hangings

Large crowds have attended public executions in the Iranian capital Tehran - a rare spectacle under reformist President Mohammad Khatami. 

Five men, nicknamed the Black Vultures, were hanged from cranes at two sites in the capital, watched by thousands of people. 

I feel relieved when I see this, it's good for the men to see it too so that they stop harassing women

Woman in the crowd
The five had been convicted of vicious attacks on women across Tehran. A sixth man was given a 20-year prison sentence. 

Correspondents say the men's crime spree attracted such notoriety that there were no last-minute appeals for clemency or protests by opponents of the death penalty. 

Public executions have been criticised by reformists who say they damage Iran's image abroad and reflect badly on Islam, but conservative hardliners argue that they act as a deterrent. 

At least 139 people were executed in Iran in 2001 - mostly out of public view - according to Amnesty International. 

Forgiveness plea
Three of the five - Payam Amini, Amir Karbalai and Majid Qasemi - were hanged in the north-eastern Lavizan district.


 











 No-one appealed for clemency for the convicts. In this photo, Amir Karbalai is being led to execution.

The other two - Amir Fakhri and Farhad Aqnarian - were executed at a bus station in the west of the city. 

Friends of the convicts set off grenades in Lavizan causing a temporary disruption. 

Payam Amini asked the crowds for forgiveness. He said: "We are guilty but we didn't kill anybody. We do not deserve to die, but I want everybody to forgive me." 

Relief and applause
A young woman who had travelled 200 km to witness the execution explained why she had come. 

Payam Amini asked the crowd for forgiveness
"I feel relieved when I see this," she told Reuters news agency. "It's good for the men to see it too, so that they stop harassing women."
Many of the crowd applauded after the execution. 

The five men were arrested in December 2001 after abducting, raping and robbing women in wealthy areas of Tehran. 

Officials have not indicated how many women the gang attacked. 

The country's Supreme Court upheld a lower court sentence last week, although the verdict was never announced publicly. 

Public hangings are only carried out in Iran if a court decides that the convict's crimes are offensive to public sentiment.

 
Five rapists hanged in public

Five men convicted of abducting, raping and robbing women were taken to the Tehran neighbourhoods they had terrorised today - and hanged in public.

Payam Amini, one convicted member of the gang dubbed the "black vultures" by police - asked for forgiveness.

"True, we are guilty but we didn't kill anybody. We do not deserve to die, but I want everybody to forgive me," he told reporters before the tow truck crane from which he dangled rose with a hydraulic hiss.

As he neared death another man, Amir Karbalaei, shouted his innocence to the huge crowd that had been gathering since dawn to see him hang.

Amir Fakhri and Farhad Aqnarian were hanged at a bus terminal in western Tehran.

Karbalaei, Majid Qasemi and Amini were hanged in north-eastern Lavizan district.

The five, all in their early 20s, were arrested in December 2001. Officials have not said how many women were attacked.

Friends of the convicts in the crowd at Karbalaei's hanging detonated home-made grenades, temporarily causing panic but resulting in no injuries.

Some people watched the hangings with their family from rooftops and others nibbled potato crisps as riot police circled.

The bodies were left hanging for at least half an hour.

The mother of one gang member fainted twice as she watched him hang and cried out that though he was guilty, it was unjust to execute him.

There had been no public announcement of the verdicts.

Iran's Supreme Court upheld a lower court's sentence last week.

"Public executions reduce occurrence of offences. Rape is punished by death in our laws. The presence of so many people (to watch the hangings) also proves that they want divine verdicts enforced," Judge Mohammad Erfan said before confirming the hangings today.

Convicts are hanged in public in Iran only if a court deems that their offences injured public sentiments. Iranian courts are controlled by hard-line proponents of Islamic law.

Iranian reformists say public executions hurt the country's international image and reflect badly on Islam.
 
            Philosopher, Louis Pojman was quoted in his book, "Why the Death Penalty Is Morally Permissible," from the 2004 book edited by Adam Bedau and titled Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment?: "Public executions of the convicted murderer would serve as a reminder that crime does not pay. Public executions of criminals seem an efficient way to communicate the message that if you shed innocent blood, you will pay a high price... I agree... on the matter of accountability but also believe such publicity would serve to deter homicide."
            But in this case, it is for rape! After reading this post, even if you are a death penalty opponent, I suspect you will never hold a candlelight vigil for the five Black Vultures, not even at the Iranian embassy in your own country.

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