Iran hangs three convicted murderers

The report identified the men sent to the gallows as Mehdi 27, Javad 34 and Ali 38. It gave no details of the murder they were found guilty of but said they were caught with 1,080 kilos (2,370 pounds) of opium.

The latest hangings bring to at least 163 the number of executions in Iran this year, according to an AFP count.

Amnesty International reported that in 2007 Iran applied the death penalty more often than any other country apart from China, executing 317 people during the year.

Capital offences in the Islamic republic include murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking and adultery.