Iran limits death penalty for drug crimes

Iran has started implementing new guidelines that will prevent thousands of convicted drug smugglers from being executed, media in Tehran have reported.

The new regulations, approved by parliament in October, would limit the death penalty to drug lords, armed dealers and those convicted of smuggling more than 50kg of opium or 2kg of heroin.

Previous law prescribed the death penalty for smuggling 20kg of opium or 30 grams of heroin.

The pro-reform Shargh newspaper and other dailies reported yesterday that Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of the coiuntry’s judiciary, has ordered officials to “quickly” review cases and implement the new regulations.

The report said the decision would affect more than 5,000 convicts.

Magdalena Mughrabi of Amnesty International said Iran “must stop using the death penalty for drugrelated offences with a view to eventually abolishing it for all crimes”.