Wave of Mutilation

Iranian authorities appear to be presiding over a surge of brutality, with hangings way up over the past several years. Meanwhile, "human rights groups in Iran expressed shock after judicial authorities disclosed they had amputated the left feet and right hands of five criminals convicted of armed robbery in the southern province of Sistan-Baluchistan." Optimistically, one can perhaps view this kind of activity as reflecting a regime that knows it's in crisis.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2008/01/wave-of-mutilation/47858/