Mohammed Bijeh <!-- Do NOT add a birthday here without a reliable source; all news articles point to Bijeh being 23-24 at the time of his death, not in his 30's -->(; died 16 March 2005) was an Iranian serial killer. He was convicted of raping and killing around 20 children, mostly boys, and was sentenced to 100 lashes followed by execution. All the boys were between 8 and 15 years old. The murder of children around Tehran was recognized as the largest criminal case in contemporary Iranian history and provoked national outrage. Bijeh's execution, which was witnessed by over 5,000 people, including children, sparked debates on whether public executions should continue within the country.
Crimes
Bijeh committed the crimes between March and September 2004. Bijeh would lure his victims into the desert and said they would hunt animals. He would proceed to kill the children, and burn or bury their bodies to dispose them. Several victims came from poor Afghan refugee families, who did not report their children missing to avoid deportation. The number of victims varies; the BBC reported he was found guilty of murdering between 19 and 22 people; however, the local population estimates the number to be higher. According to a lawyer in Bijeh's trial, Farideh Ghairat, he was caught after two of his attempted victims escaped and reported him and an accomplice, Ali Gholampour. The trial was held in private in respect for the victims' families. Bijeh confessed to the crimes and recounted them in detail. A brother of one of the victims managed to get past security and stabbed Bijeh. The mother of one of the victims put a blue nylon rope around his neck, and he was hoisted about 10 metres in the air by a crane until he died. Several bystanders chanted "Marg bar Bijeh" (Death to Bijeh) and "Allahu akbar" (God is great).