Tehran, Jan. 13 – Iranian authorities on Thursday hanged five men in Khoramabad, western Iran, a day after hanging eight others in the capital Tehran.
The five men were accused of drug smuggling, the state broadcaster reported on its website. They were not named.
Seven of the men hanged on Wednesday were also accused of drug smuggling while an eighth man, hanged in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, was accused of rape, the official news agency IRNA reported.
Authorities routinely execute dissidents on bogus charges such as armed robbery and drug trafficking.
At least 20 prisoners were hanged in the first eight days of 2011.