The Daily Telegraph, Feb 09 – Iran’s ambassador to Spain has compared chopping off the hands of thieves to a “surgeon amputating a limb to prevent the spread of gangrene”.

In a defence of Iran’s tough implementation of Islamic law, Seyed Davoud Salehi called for “the traditions, religion and economic development” of Iran to be taken into account by those monitoring human rights in the country. He also argued that the death penalty was necessary “to preserve the health of society as a whole”.