Three Executed in Iran for Sodomy

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

AHVAZ, Iran — Last Sunday morning, three men were executed by Iran’s judiciary for sodomy.  They were put to death by hanging in the south western city of Ahvaz at Karoun prison.

Preparations made for a public hanging like the one used against three men convicted of sodomy (Photo courtesy of Queer Landia).
Preparations made for a public hanging like the one used against three men convicted of sodomy (Photo courtesy of Queer Landia).

A total of six individuals were executed on Sunday.  Two had been convicted for robbery and rape, and a third had been convicted of drug trafficking.  The prosecutor announced that the other three men were convicted of “lavat,” the phrase used in Islamic law for sodomy.  The official announcement did not reveal the names of the men who were executed only their initials.

This case is somewhat unusual because normally when such cases come before Iranian courts the charges involve acts such as sexual assault and rape — crimes that involve an element of force rather than consensual sex between willing parties.

These executions revolve around sections 108 and 110 of the Iranian penal code.  Section 108 defines sodomy a crime using Iran’s interpretation of Sharia law, and under section 110 the penalty for commission of the crime is death.  Prior executions quoting the penal code have referred to “lavat leh onf, “ or sodomy by coercion.

It is not unusual for Iran to frame sodomy cases as containing elements of coercion to make the executions more legitimate in the eyes of the public, and to avoid an international outcry.

In 2005, Iran was condemned for its execution of two teenagers who were publicly hanged from a crane in the city of Mashad.  Human rights groups claimed that the two were executed for having a consensual sexual relationship, but the offical charges were “lavat leh onf.”

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, a researcher at Iran Human Rights, notes that “this case is the only one in recent years where the only basis for the death sentence has been a sexual relationship between two men, with reference to the articles 108 and 110 of the Islamic Penal Code.”

In 2007, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed that there were no gay people in Iran, implying that homosexuality is a western “phenomenon.”  This attitude in Iran has been a major motivator for keeping any public references to homosexuality at a minimum.

It is very hard to confirm executions of gay men and women inside of Iran.  Prosecutors often only give small amounts of information about the killings, and families are reluctant to release information about executed family members and loved ones because of the cultural stigma attached to homosexuality.

Iran is run under a strict interpretation of Sharia law, and it remains one of the world’s largest executors.  Just this year, Iran has executed over 180 people.  Ahvaz has the highest rate of executions in Iran, and has gained some notoriety for the secret hangings carried out in Karoun prison.

For more information, please see:

The Independent Iran executes three men for sodomy — 7 Sept 2011

International Business Times — Iran Execution:  Three Men Hanged for Being Gay, Convicted of Sodomy — 7 Sept 2011

Huffington Post — Three Men Hanged For Having Gay Sex In Iran: Reports – 6 Sep 2011

Miami Herald — Three men executed for sodomy convictions, reports Iran Human Rights website — 5 Sept 2011

Iran Human Rights — Three men were executed convicted of sodomy — 5 Sept 2011

Author: Impunity Watch Archive