TEHRAN – An Iranian lawyer has said that capital punishment does not have a deterrent effect, urging the authorities to seek other forms of punishment to fight drug-related crimes.

“So far, this type of punishment has not been successful in decreasing drug distribution, and unfortunately, the death penalty has been carried out regardless of its adverse effects on the society,” Hossein Ahmadi Niaz said in an interview with ISNA published on Saturday.

Ahmadi Niaz noted that the Iranian society has been extremely vulnerable to harms inflicted by narcotics, adding that the drug-related executions have backfired and led to more social harms.

“Harsh punishment, per se, would not lead to a decrease in crimes,” he stressed, calling for more appropriate planning in order to deal with drug-related crimes.

The lawyer also said that crimes may have different causes. “We should find the underlying factors that lead to crimes instead of dealing with crimes through carrying out harsh punishments.”

Such harsh punishments, he said, would only erase the problem temporarily and cannot act as permanent solutions.

MH/PA