The city of Yazd, 400 miles south-east of Tehran, where the amputation took place.
Iranian authorities have amputated the hand of a convicted thief in front of other prisoners, in a possible step towards restoring the punishment to common use and carrying it out in public, state radio reported today.
Cutting off the hands of thieves – allowed under the Iranian judiciary's strict reading of sharia law – has been rare in Iran in recent years, but the amputation was the second this month. A week ago, a judge ordered the same punishment for a man who stole from a sweet shop, though he can still appeal against that ruling.
The 32-year-old convict whose hand was cut off at a prison in the central city of Yazd had committed four robberies and other crimes. Iranian state radio did not elaborate or identify the prisoner by name.
There were no details on how the punishment was carried out. There have been conflicting reports in the past, with some saying amputations were done in the early 1980s without medical supervision. A recent news report said they would now be carried out with anaesthetic.
An audience of fellow inmates was assembled to witness the amputation, which could be a sign that such punishments will be done before the public in future.
The punishment has been part of Iran's penal code since 1980, a year after the country's clerical leaders came to power.
The reporting of the punishment on state radio indicated it had approval from senior Iranian leaders, although there has been no official government comment about any push to resume more frequent implementation of the punishment.
Critics say amputations and public executions and floggings hurt Iran's image and reflect badly on Islam.
Resource from: Guardian
