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40% call for end to death penalty
Nearly 40 percent of people who took part in an Arabian Business online poll believe Middle East countries should no longer impose the death penalty.
Iran hanged 29 people on Sunday in the notorious Tehran prison of Evin after they were convicted of drug trafficking, murder and rape.
In the largest mass execution in the Islamic republic in recent years, the hangings bring to at least 155 the number of executions carried out in Iran this year.
But many poll respondents said the practice was inhumane and should be stopped immediately.
A further 10 percent said the death penalty should only apply to horrific crimes such as child killers.
In contrast, 27 percent of people approved on Iran's hardline stance and said they believed the death penalty was the most effective way of detering criminals.
They argued that the rest of the world should follow the laws of the Middle East and introduce the death penalty for certain crimes where it doesn't exist at the moment.
Amnesty International reported that in 2007 Iran applied the death penalty more often than any other country apart from China, executing 317 people during the year.
Capital offences in the Islamic republic include murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking and adultery.
In our poll, 22 percent of respondents thought it should be up to the individual country to decide whether the death penalty should be imposed.
At one time capital punishment was used in almost every part of the globe, but over the last few decades many countries have abolished it.
Approximately, 60 countries still maintain the death penalty in both law and practice while 92 countries have abolished it completely.
A handful of countries retain it, but only for crimes committed in exceptional circumstances (such as crimes committed in time of war).
About another 34 countries maintain laws permitting the use of the death penalty but have allowed the it to fall into disuse for at least 10 years.
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Posted by Paul, Dubai on 28 July 2008 at 15:04 UAE time
If Islam calls for the death penalty for adultery, then fine, Iran should implement the death penalty for that crime.
I challenge anyone to show me in the Holy Koran where it says it must be death by stoning though. Execution by stoning is against Islam.