TEHRAN, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Iran's chief justice banned executing convicts in public unless there are approved "social necessities," state-run Iran Press TV reported.
A spokesman for Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi said the decree was issued Tuesday.
"Based on an order from the judiciary chief on Jan. 29, executions in public will only be carried out with the approval of Ayatollah Shahroudi and based on social necessities," the spokesman said. "Publishing pictures and footage of executions in the media is prohibited."
Wednesday, five men convicted of murder were hanged at Tehran's Evin prison, the Fars news agency said.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran said on its Web site that Iran hanged at least 30 prisoners in January.
