Iran hangs three men in public for raping 12 women

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran hanged three men in public on Thursday for raping and robbing twelve young women, most of them university students, Iranian media reported, in the latest of a series of executions in the Islamic Republic.

Hadi Jafartabar, Mirhadi Mirtaghi and Seyyed Shoja Mousazadeh were executed in front of thousands of spectators at a sports complex in the northern city of Babol, the state broadcaster said on its Web site.

Babol Public prosecutor Fazlollah Vakilirad said they began their "immoral acts" three years ago, Fars News Agency said.

"They would deceive the girls, rape them and steal their belongings," he said.

The men were hunted down after one girl gave her attackers large sums of money so they would not rape her, and then went to the police, Fars said. A fourth man had also been sentenced to death in the case, but was awaiting a ruling on his appeal.

Activists say many Iranian rape cases go unreported because of social stigma attached to the crime in the Islamic state.

The number of executions in Iran, many in public, has risen since July with the launch of a summer crackdown on "immoral behaviour". Police have arrested dozens of murderers, rapists and drug traffickers.

At least 60 people have been put to death since mid-July, including 21 on September 5 alone, according to a count based on Iranian media reports.

The European Union said last month it was "deeply concerned about the series of collective public executions" in Iran.