The Times of Israel reports today that a man was hanged in Iran last week for insulting the prophet Jonah:
Iranian prisoner of conscience Moshen Amir-Aslani was executed last week after being found guilty of heresy and insulting the prophet Jonah, according to human rights organizations.
Aslani, 37 was hanged at Rajaei Shahr Prison after eight years of imprisonment for “spreading corruption on earth” and making “innovations in the religion.”
Aslani was initially sentenced to four years in prison eight years ago. Before he was released, he was arrested on new charges “including ‘spreading corruption on earth,’ ‘making innovations in the religion,’ insulting the prophet Jonah, and rape.” According to the group Iran Human Rights, Aslani never confessed to the rape charge and “little evidence” was presented to support it. The Iranian judiciary denies that the execution was carried out for religious crimes.
Iran just executed a man for insulting the prophet Jonah. Seriously. Those who sucked-up to Iran's president in NY should know.
— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) September 30, 2014
Another execution was reportedly delayed. Rayhaneh Jabbari, who was informed that she would be executed today for killing the man who attempted to rape her, has had her execution postponed for ten days. It is unclear if the unfavorable publicity this planned execution has brought to Iran was responsible for the postponement. Jabbari’s case prompted the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed, to demand that her execution be cancelled.
Executions have spiked in Iran under the administration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, prompting concern from the United Nations and the State Department. Earlier this year, it was reported that under Rouhani executions averaged 66 a month, a significant increase over the execution rates in the two years before he assumed office.
One of Rouhani’s earliest appointments was Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi to the post of justice minister. Pour-Mohammadi is known as the “minister of murder” for his role in thousands of summary executions at the behest of Ayatoallah Ruhollah Khomeini in the late 1980’s.
[Photo: ThePersianworld / YouTube ]