AFTER the Ayatollah Khomeini and other mullahs took control of Iran in 1979, they vowed to create "the government of God on Earth" - but they actually created a stunningly cruel regime.

Bahais were hanged for refusing to convert to Shiite Islam. Women were stoned for adultery. Gays were put to death. Torture, flogging and chopping off hands and feet under Islamic law became rampant. Amnesty International counted 5,195 Iranian executions in the first four years of the new government. "60 Minutes" reported that, because the Islamic code forbids execution of virgins, some condemned young women were raped by guards before being shot.

Today, almost three decades later, Iran still is a repulsive place where Islamic courts sentence hundreds to death, mostly for murder or drug-trafficking, but sometimes for sexual straying.

Early this month, 24 human rights groups protested that Iran executes teens for crimes committed when they were as young as 14.

Last week, the European Union formally denounced Iran for holding 10 public executions in a week.

"Iranian authorities have doubled the number of executions from 2006 to 2007, without achieving anything but a worsening crime rate," the EU said. It warned that Iran's parliament is pondering a bill to add new death penalty grounds, including for creating Web sites that criticize the state.

The death penalty is a barbaric relic from medieval times. Most modern democracies have abolished it as uncivilized. It continues only in brutal places like Iran, China - and, sadly, the United States.

Last week, the World Court in Holland asked Texas to delay the execution of five Mexicans awaiting death. Some Americans complained that the international court was intruding on U.S. sovereignty. Evidently, they think it's nobody's business if Texas aligns itself with Iran, China and such ilk.

Thank heaven, West Virginia joined enlightened places long ago and stopped putting people to death.

Bahais were hanged for refusing to convert to Shiite Islam. Women were stoned for adultery. Gays were put to death. Torture, flogging and chopping off hands and feet under Islamic law became rampant. Amnesty International counted 5,195 Iranian executions in the first four years of the new government. "60 Minutes" reported that, because the Islamic code forbids execution of virgins, some condemned young women were raped by guards before being shot.

Today, almost three decades later, Iran still is a repulsive place where Islamic courts sentence hundreds to death, mostly for murder or drug-trafficking, but sometimes for sexual straying.

Early this month, 24 human rights groups protested that Iran executes teens for crimes committed when they were as young as 14.

Last week, the European Union formally denounced Iran for holding 10 public executions in a week.

"Iranian authorities have doubled the number of executions from 2006 to 2007, without achieving anything but a worsening crime rate," the EU said. It warned that Iran's parliament is pondering a bill to add new death penalty grounds, including for creating Web sites that criticize the state.

The death penalty is a barbaric relic from medieval times. Most modern democracies have abolished it as uncivilized. It continues only in brutal places like Iran, China - and, sadly, the United States.

Last week, the World Court in Holland asked Texas to delay the execution of five Mexicans awaiting death. Some Americans complained that the international court was intruding on U.S. sovereignty. Evidently, they think it's nobody's business if Texas aligns itself with Iran, China and such ilk.

Thank heaven, West Virginia joined enlightened places long ago and stopped putting people to death.