Amputations
The punishments carried out in Iran are extreme compared to the criminal punishments enforced here in America. Here, a pair of socks costs a few bucks. In Iran, its costs a hand and a foot. Literally.
A common form of punishments in Iran is by amputation. These amputations occur in public squares, while citizens are welcome to come and watch. Masked men dressed in all black lead the criminal up to an electric saw. They then place their limb on the board, and stay there while the men cut off their arm or leg in a bloody and painful manner. There is no form of care or help for these men and women who lose their limbs; they are forced to cope with life in an even harsher way than before.
For the crime of stealing, the most common punishment is losing both the right hand and the left foot. For less severe cases, a person may lose a few fingers, usually leaving only the palm and the thumb on the hand.
A common form of punishments in Iran is by amputation. These amputations occur in public squares, while citizens are welcome to come and watch. Masked men dressed in all black lead the criminal up to an electric saw. They then place their limb on the board, and stay there while the men cut off their arm or leg in a bloody and painful manner. There is no form of care or help for these men and women who lose their limbs; they are forced to cope with life in an even harsher way than before.
For the crime of stealing, the most common punishment is losing both the right hand and the left foot. For less severe cases, a person may lose a few fingers, usually leaving only the palm and the thumb on the hand.
Stonings
Customary to ancient law, stoning is a very gruesome and frequent punishment. For stoning, the criminal is placed in a pit of sand. If it is a male, they are buried up to their waist. If it is a female, they are buried up to their neck. The criminal's family and friends gather around the pit, and pick up large stones. They throw the rocks at them, not stopping until the criminal is dead. Graphic as it is, this form of punishment is quite common, and used for many different types of crimes. Some of the crimes include: rape, adultery, cursing God, giving away your child, and breaking Sabbath (religious) rules.
The idea behind the stoning is for guilt. Their is no one person who is blamed for the killing of the family member, yet everyone has to bear the weight of taking part in the killing. Because of this, the criminal's family also feels the repercussions of what their relative did, and is discouraged from doing the same.
The idea behind the stoning is for guilt. Their is no one person who is blamed for the killing of the family member, yet everyone has to bear the weight of taking part in the killing. Because of this, the criminal's family also feels the repercussions of what their relative did, and is discouraged from doing the same.
Hangings
Hangings have been a common form of punishment for centuries, and in Iran, they might be sticking around for a few more. Public hangings and executions are a successful and easy way to teach lessons, and get rid of criminals. Most hangings are reserved for those who have murdered. The way these hangings are set up, is one or more people stand up on a chair, and get a noose tied around their neck, usually hanging from a crane or a pole. The family members of the victim from the particular criminal's crime are allowed, and encouraged, to pull the chair away from the criminal, forever sealing their fate.