TORBAT HEYDARIEH, IRAN The man was sentenced by the court to 80 lashes. The corporal punishment was carried out in the middle of the square to serve as a warning to all other citizens. The flogging is carried out using proven procedures to cause as much pain as possible while minimising the lasting effects.
Iranian courts resort to corporal punishment in accordance with Islamic Sharia law. Corporal punishment is based on religious texts and is firmly enshrined in Iran’s tertiary code. Most often, this punishment is given for acts that violate the cultural and moral values of society, most commonly for alcohol consumption, extramarital relations, improper behaviour, blasphemy, theft and petty offences, homosexuality, or participation in demonstrations.
Iran has been criticised for its use of corporal punishment by many international human rights organisations, which claim that such punishments are inhumane and degrading. There is currently a great deal of international pressure on Iran to abolish such punishments.
