Iran Mulls Death Penalty For Internet Crimes

According to ISNA news agency.Iran's parliament is set to debate on a draft bill which could see the death penalty used for those deemed to promote corruption,prostitution and apostasy on the internet.
Last month,parliament members,voted to discuss as a priority the draft bill which seeks to "toughen punishment for harming mental security in society".The text lists a wide range of crimes such as rape and armed robbery for which the death penalty is already applicable.The crime of apostasy (the act of leaving a religion,in this case Islam)is also already punishable by death.
However,the draft bill also includes "establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption,prostitution and apostasy",which is a new addition to crimes punishable by death.According to the text,those convicted of these crimes "should be punished as "mohareb'(enemy of God)and "corrupt on the the earth".Under Iranian Law,the standard punishments for these two crimes are "hanging,amputation of the right hand and then the left foot as well as exile."



The bill which is yet to be debated by lawmakers also stipulates that the punishment handed out in these cases "cannot be commuted,suspended or changed".The internet is widely used is Iran despite restrictions on access and the blocking of thousands of websites with a sexual content or deemed as insulting religious sanctities and promoting political dissent.Blogging is also very popular among cyber-savvy young Iranians,some openly discussing their private lives or criticizing the system.
Human rights groups have accused Iran of making excessive use of death penalty but Tehran insists it is an effective deterrent that is carried out only after an exhaustive judicial process.