Iranian faces execution for drinking alcohol

[Doctor Cynic]

Source: AFP

TEHRAN -- A young Iranian man has been sentenced to hang for repeatedly drinking alcohol which is strictly banned in the Islamic republic, the Etemad newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old, identified only as Mohsen, was handed down the death penalty by a criminal court after being found guilty of drinking alcohol for a fourth time, the daily said.

"The defendant in this case has been sentenced to death and the official notification will be given soon," it quoted Judge Jalil Jalili as saying.

"According to article 179 of the Islamic penal code, if someone drinks twice and is punished for it on each occasion he should be executed on the third offence," Jalili said.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20080206-117193/Iranian-faces-execution-for-drinking-alcohol----report?isntthatnice

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Let's see how many posts this gets...

[LostinVA]

1. I wonder if any of the cultural relativists will show up

[tabasco]

3. A Kansas jury sentenced a man to 99 years in prison for growing pot in his basement.

It seems we don't need cultural relativists.

[ohio2007]

20. I bet he gets to appeal the verdict. btw, got a link ?

at least the Kansas pothead won't lose his head and you know he won't do 9 years let alone 99 years.

[tabasco]

23. He appealed and sentence was reduced to 50 years but there are many others that were not reduced.

Here's a 99-year sentence from Texas for ten pounds of pot: (many other examples at the site)

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6098

btw - You don't get out in nine years on a 50-year sentence unless the governor intervenes. The guy from Kansas was in his 40s and will probably die in prison. I'd rather get my head chopped off.

Here's a case with a life sentence for a pound of pot.

http://www.november.org/thewall/cases/gray-d/gray-d.html

Here's a court that gave a guy 55 years for selling small amounts of pot, then the same day gave a 22 year sentence for beating a woman to death.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/363/angelos.shtml

They have appeals in Iran, too. The sensationalist headlines are nice for ginning up the hate though. No doubt, they are backwards, but we have little room to preach when we lock up more people (proportionally and absolutely) than any country in the world. We need to establish freedom and justice in this country before we take our crusade on the road.


Educate yourself with google. It's amazing someone at DU is ignorant of the injustice done in this country due to the "war on drugs."

[DavidDvorkin]

5. Maybe someone will post sarcastically that this justifies bombing Iran

[Doctor Cynic]

7. They're not bombed out enough, so we need to do it for them?

:nuke: :scared:

[DavidDvorkin]

8. Um, I wasn't recommending bombing Iran

I was referring to the kind of kneejerk post one sees in threads about injustices in Iran.

[ButterflyBlood]

22. That's been bugging me too

Some people here seem to think that anyone who doesn't think things are perfectly fine in Iran supports bombing it and that no nuanced position is possible.

[DavidDvorkin]

30. Yes, exactly!

There's no need to assume that criticism of Iranian actions stems from a sinister, warlike agenda. It may well just be criticism.

[fascisthunter]

9. That is the intent of Posting about Iran, Isn't It

To forment more righteous indignation towards a nation already caught in the cross hairs of neo-nut cases in this country and elsewhere. Otherwise we probably would never see this posted on DU....

[DavidDvorkin]

17. I'm outraged by this death sentence

Bombing has nothing to do with it. I don't know what the original poster's intent was, but I have no reason to assume that it was to encourage or assume bombing Iran.

[nels25]

33. Oh come on now

I do not in any way shape of form support the start of any military move against Iran unless they fire the first shot and that first shot can be independently verified.

And then any military response should be calibrated accordingly.

But still I no stupid when I see it and the way the Iran government treats its citizens to large degree strikes me as stupid.

We all know we never in a nano second put up with that kind of crap in this nation, and pointing out the dumb nature of their actions does not automatically mean we support bombing them into the stone age.

:hi:

[Igel]

12. Under no circumstances is it ok for Iran to get bombed.

Had to be said.

[ohio2007]

18. Iran can't even get a lil "tipsy" it seems . nt

[ozu]

36. ha

This comment deserves more love.

Well played.

[Dr.Phool]

2. My wife was ready to execute me last night for drinking alcohol.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[reggie the dog]

6. another example

of how religion is bullshit. I would have been killed before I was 13.

[superconnected]

27. Religion

has nothing to do with it. If you took away religion this facist controlling state would still be a facist controlling state. They'll do it to support their flag for pete sakes. Or to support the "good old days", or to "protect" everyone, or any other reason. Religion is a vehicle no different than convincing people to kill others becuase they have the wrong gang colors(flag) or have squinty eyes etc. It's nothing more. Don't blame religion. Blame man.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

34. I don't recall anybody being executed for drinking in the USSR. -nt

[Parche]

10. Lets Nuke Them

And Kill all the Iranians so they cant do this ridiculous religous crap again.....:hi:

[denverbill]

11. I share your outrage at this barbarity.

You might want to consider supporting Amnesty International, or one of the many other liberal groups which have been fighting the death penalty for the last hundred years or more.

I hope you will urge your Congressman to support efforts to abolish the death penalty in all states and countries. I say we start right here first, where we can have the most impact. Perhaps setting a shining example to the rest of the world would inspire backward enemy nations like Iran, and our good friends and major business partners in Saudi Arabia and China, to stop executing people for relatively minor crimes like adultery and drug trafficking.

Just as liberals dragged conservatives kicking and screaming out of the Dark Ages, when Christians executed people for witchcraft, bestiality, adultery, and heresy, so too we will eventually prevail over the forces of darkness in Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, and Texas.

In the meantime, I suggest you trade in your gas-guzzler for an economy car and bike to work once or twice a week to stick it to the oil producers in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Texas, and stop buying cheap lead-laden Chinese crap at Wal-mart.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Oh, the Iranians. They're just the pits, aren't they? God, I hate'em.Let's open some whup-ass on 'em

You can never get enough stories like this to fill my day, that's for damned sure.

I'm still steaming after reading about the soldiers throwing the Iraqi babies out of their incubators. That country can't be bombed nearly enough!

And what about all those WMD's? Sheesh.

[postulater]

14. I just finished a nice ale and I feel like starting a jihad.

That one just pushed me over the edge.

Someone execute me before I have another.

[bahrbearian]

15. Lets bring them Freedom and Alcohol

after a few years of a Shock and Awe, and our spreading Democracy they might need a drink.

[RantinRavin]

16. I'm sure this is just a bad translation

it seems we don't know how to get it correct.

[ohio2007]

19. Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3321637.ece

AN american woman was drinking coffee at a Starbucks in Saudi Arabia.

...everbody knows that is strictly prohibited in the koran ;)

[Fedja]

21. It's likely true.

Iran treats alcohol according to the Sheriat laws. It's strictly prohibited.

Now... I'm generally opposed to the death penalty in general. However, what would the US justice system do if they convicted someone of heroin posession for the 4th time? Yessir, massive prison sentence.

So Iran treats alcohol as a dangerous drug. Look around your neighborhood, you'll find ample proof of them having a point. :)

[struggle4progress]

24. " ... Karim Fahimi, who had been sentenced to death for drinking alcohol, reportedly ...

had his death sentence commuted after he signed an undertaking not to drink alcohol for the rest of his life. He was released at the end of May ..."

Iran: Further information on Death penalty/imminent execution: Karim Fahimi, also known as Karim Shalo (m)
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/069/2006
<2006>

[eib1]

25. I seriously hope the man isn't alcoholic.

nt

[superconnected]

26. WOW, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!! THEY JUST STARTED THIS NOW!!!!

OH WAIT!!!


THEY DIDN'T!!!

They're just reporting it now, cause you know it's propaganda to go liberate (kill and rape) them.

Yes iran is a problem but so is propaganda to make us hate them.

Any minute after all the human attrocities the news is going to add 'And they probably have nukes and are going to send them over'. Just like they did with iraq.

Yes iran is bad on human rights. But if afghanistan is any example, then us occupying the country isn't going to change that. Neither is bombing them and throwing them into absolute chaos while der furher rapes their resources.

[kurth]

28. Bomb them with ALCOHOL

maybe bacon.

[davidinalameda]

31. I've been called a drunken pig before

just saying

[ConcernedCanuk]

29. Does this mean that the whole Iranian Government is SOBER?

.
.
.

Well then

The USA has met it's match.

Think about it.

[struggle4progress]

32. It's probably a safe bet that a former coke-head like our King George won't get

to power and that no high government official shoot a "friend" in the face, as "Bigtime" Dick did. But, like the ruling class in the US, the ruling class in Iran seems saturated with a triumphant belief its own inerrancy -- and their bloodlust towards their official enemies seems uncomfortably familiar to me

[BadGimp]

35. Iran is a nation ruled in part by Savages

Barbaric Savages imo