public execution in Saudi Arabia
(source)
The Saudis executed several Iranians (not in the image above) for drug possession and trafficking, and Iran is not at all happy. Never mind that it has the worst record in the world for executing drug offenders, both Iranian and foreigner.
On June 12 the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s official media outlet, reported that Foreign Ministry officials in Tehran had summoned a Saudi diplomat to protest the reported execution of several Iranians for drug possession and trafficking. An Iranian official denounced the executions as “anti-humanitarian” and in conflict with Saudi Arabia’s “human rights standards” and the “principles of Islam,” IRNA reported. (source)
More detailed numbers about executions are here, but in short: Iran executed more than 600 people in 2011, second only to China, and China is obviously much more populous. On a per capita basis, Iran rules the world, and certainly beats Saudi Arabia. Iran, like Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries, is also very happy to provide the death penalty for crimes that are obviously less serious than homicide, such as drug dealing. Even “crimes” such as alcoholism and homosexuality are capital crimes in Iran. So the thinking Iranian would be squeamish when criticizing the sins of others and would certainly avoid the language of human rights when doing so. Or he would not.
More ironic human rights violations here.
