Iran has carried out 40 executions since the start of 2014, according to Amnesty International, with at least 33 taking place in the last week. The human-rights organization released a statement Thursday detailing 21 executions acknowledged by Iranian officials, and another 19 that were reported through reliable sources.- Public hangings in Iran are typically a show of force: a crane is used to lift the person by a noose tied around their neck in front of a crowd.