IRAN: Man convicted of theft loses hand

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An Iranian man convicted of theft had his hand chopped off in front of other prisoners in the Yazd province central prison, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported Sunday.

The sentence was carried out against 32-year-old ‘M’, whose full name was not revealed, after allegedly committing four robberies.

It is not clear whether this man is the same man dubbed the ‘chocolate thief’ by some media outlets after he was sentenced to lose his hand for robbing a sweets shop. The punishment of hand amputation, while uncommon, is not unheard of, and has already been carried out at least once this year.

The sentence is usually given to repeat offenders. M’s sentence was upheld by the state supreme court after the judiciary’s amnesty committee rejected his appeal. News reports said the punishment was carried out in accordance with Iran’s strict interpretation of Islamic law.

-- Meris Lutz in Beirut