Hardline Iranian judges have sentenced a reporter to 40 lashes for misreporting a government statistic.
An unnamed writer in Najaf Abad was handed the punishment earlier this month after publishing an erroneous figure for the number of motorcycles confiscated by local authorities.
The brutal punishment was reported by Amnesty International, which highlighted the dangers faced by citizens of the Islamic Republic.
It also highlighted the case of Mohammad Reza Fathi, who was sentenced to 459 lashes for “publishing lies” in another part of the country.
Under the Iranian criminal justice system, having limbs amputated and being blinded are considered valid forms of punishment.
Heat Street has reported on the brutal Iranian criminal justice system before – including a young woman who was imprisoned for suggesting adulterers should not be stoned to death, and featured video of the arrest of a screaming woman accused of violating Islamic dress standards in Tehran.
Readers who want to see Iranian repression first-hand can fly there courtesy of the New York Times, which offers guided tours for $7,400 per person.
