Tehran – Iranian authorities have cut off a hand of a man found guilty of two robberies in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, the ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday."This man took part in two robberies along with another man," Mohammad Zoghi, prosecutor general of Mashhad, was quoted as saying without naming him.
"We asked the judges to focus on amputations because we are responsible for protecting life and property of people," he said, adding that "there will be other cases (of amputations) in the future".
ISNA said the hand was cut off in front of other prisoners.
Last July, Iran amputated the hands of five other people charged with theft in the northwestern city of Hamedan.
Islamic sharia law in Iran allows amputation as a punishment for those accused of repeated thefts.
In recent years, cases of amputation have increased due to a rise in robberies on the back of rising poverty in the country.
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