47th person hanged in Iran

Iranian.ws:

Aug 12, 2005

An Iranian man who was convicted of murdering a soldier and is known only by his nickname, "The Runaway Shadow," has been hanged in Tehran, the Iran daily reported.

The 43-year-old man was hanged in prison for gunning down a soldier in 2001, the report said.So far this year, Iran has executed at least 47 people, according to an AFP tally based on witness and press reports.

In 2004 at least 159 people were executed in the Islamic republic -- the highest rate in the world after China -- according to Amnesty International.

Iran's capital offences include murder, rape, armed robbery, apostasy, blasphemy, serious drug trafficking, repeated sodomy, adultery or prostitution, treason and espionage.