On March 16, 2005, Iranian serial killer Mohammed Bijeh was lashed 100 times and hanged in front of a crowd of 5,000 bloodthirsty residents in Pakdasht, Iran.
Between March and September of 2004, Bijeh raped and murdered 16 boys between the ages of 8 and 15.
The 23-year-old was sentenced to one death penalty for each murder he confessed to and 100 lashes for the rapes.
His accomplice, Ali Gholampour, was acquitted of involvement in the murders but was convicted of participating in some of the kidnappings. Gholampour was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 100 lashes.
Bijeh’s punishment was carried out in Pakdasht, a small, impoverished town about 19 miles southeast of Tehran, the same town where the murders took place.
Approximately 5,000 spectators, including women and children, gathered to watch the execution.
Although riot police held back the angry crowd, the brother of one of the victims managed to break through and stab Bijeh in the back.
After the 100 lashes, the mother of one of the victims put a blue nylon rope around his neck, and a crane hoisted Bijeh into the air until he died.
Hanging by a crane, which is still a common form of execution in Iran, does not result in a swift death, as the condemned prisoner’s neck is not broken.
After about 20 minutes in the air, the lifeless body of Mohammed Bijeh was lowered, and a doctor confirmed that the demented killer was dead.
The case provoked national outrage in Iran. Sixteen police officers were reprimanded for dereliction of duty, and the Interior Ministry criticized the police for failing to catch the suspects after the first crime.
Although many people in Pakdasht supported the hanging, one spectator told the media that public executions only promote violence.
“Many criminals have been hanged, but offenses have never reduced. It’s an ugly scene that a human being is hanged even if he has committed many crimes. Revenge is not the solution,” said Dariush Merhraban, who watched the hanging.
