Is it too harsh?

[Sythe]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4353449.stm

[Sir Degrader]

They were right to execute him, but my mind is undecided as to the method.

[VulcanRider]

From the article:

The crimes of Mohammed Bijeh and his accomplice Ali Baghi had drawn massive attention in the Iranian media. They reportedly tricked children to go with them into the desert south of Tehran by saying they were going to hunt animals. They then poisoned or knocked their victims out, sexually abused them and buried them in shallow graves. They were found guilty of the murders of between 19 and 22 people, but local people believe the toll to be higher. Mohammad Bijeh, 24, dubbed "the Tehran desert vampire" by Iran's press, was flogged 100 times before being hanged. A brother of one of his young victims stabbed him as he was being punished. The mother of another victim was asked to put the noose around his neck. The killer was hoisted about 10 metres into the air by a crane and slowly throttled to death in front of the baying crowd. Hanging by a crane - a common form of execution in Iran - does not involve a swift death as the condemned prisoner's neck is not broken.

They poisoned, abused, and murdered at least 19 children. Too harsh? Nah. Sounds about right.

[Felix The Assassin]

The folks of that area are different, very different from people who frequent this forum. Notice the article states "barb-wire, and about 100 police officers to keep the crowd held back". That would be 'normal' for that area. I have not been to Iran, but me tinks the difference is minimal bewteen all of the desert dwellers in that region. Therefore, this punishment is common, and far from harsh, in their eyes. Notice they wanted him flogged harder, and he collapsed (only) twice.

Different, very different.

[Aerich]

Too harsh? Nah.

I know that here in the West we are supposedly against cruel and unusual punishment, but I have a difficult, nay impossible, time trying to muster any sympathy for a serial rapist and murderer. His death was, after all, relatively quick; a matter of hours, at most.

His guilt was not in doubt, so I don't have any qualms.

One of the positives to the method used in the above article is that it gives a sense of closure to the victims' families. One of the frequent criticisms of the Western justice system, even in countries/states that use the death penalty, is that the nastiest of criminals are not seen to be "punished" in a timely manner, hence the families of victims have a hard time dealing with and moving past their grief and anger.

[Jorath Calar]

Too harsh?
Sheesh, the man killed 22 children by luring them into desert and then sexually abuse their bodies... I think it's the exact right method for rapers and child murderers, should even be harsher, somehow...

As I understand the good old US of A also executes murderers (often innocent ones but thats beside the point) for much "less of a crime" (if you can ever call murder that). And keep them waiting on deathrow for more than 20 years waiting for their time, that is harsh, at least in Iran they do it right after the trial.

[Timber Loftis]

I wish we flogged criminal before execution here. Damn, thanks for putting a smile on my face!! Best news I heard in at least 3 hours!!

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

I like their honestly. They're getting victims' family members and the community to participate. It's not about justice, it's about revenge. Since they're honest about it, I say good for them.

I doubt I'd be thrilled if "Rape victim and now nonvirgin" was replaced with "Molester and murderer", though...

Yes! I'm going to rock this cat goddess thing like woah.

[ 03-28-2005, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Illumina Drathiran'ar ]

[shamrock_uk]

I too am in favour of his punishment.

As long as guilt is irrefutable, I think capital punishment is fitting for serious crimes like this.

The involvement of the relatives (provided it is optional) in deciding punishment is also something I support fully - I believe it was trialled in Britain in certain areas and was by all accounts a success (minus the whipping of course ) with punishments being surprisingly rational and meeting the perpertrator often giving a sense of closure to grieving relatives. If memory serves, reoffending rates were lower also - the criminal explaining his actions to the family and seeing their suffering first-hand appeared to have a positive effect in some cases.

As for the 'spectacle factor' of doing it in public, well if I was running a dictatorship I think it would be an avenue I would explore as it no doubt fulfills a couple of useful social functions: sets an example to other would-be criminals, provides a non-destructive outlet for public anger and frustration and implicitly associates the idea of state justice with what the public considers the 'right thing' making dissent less likely in other areas.

[ 03-28-2005, 12:14 PM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]

[Ziroc]

They NEED to do this here in the USA. Nasty sick people. god....