London 'horrified' by hangings in Iran

LONDON, July 25 (UPI) -- London is "horrified" by the images of three Iranians hanged from a bridge before a crowd of onlookers, the British foreign secretary said.

A video clip provided to Amnesty International shows what appear to be three men hanged from a bridge near the central square in Kermanshah. In the video, guards secure ropes around the necks of three men standing on top of buses. The video footage ends as the buses start to drive away.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement the public executions are barbaric.

"I am horrified by the public execution of three men in Iran," he said in a statement. "Hanging from a bridge, in front of a crowd of onlookers, is shocking and barbaric."

Hague said Tehran was called on to ensure it met international standards on the use of capital punishment.

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said that public executions are degrading for society.

"These public displays of killing perpetuate a culture of acceptance of violence and bloodlust, rather than a belief in justice," he said in a statement.

The three men were accused of rape.