Iran justice minister calls for fewer executions

Iran's justice minister has said the country should execute fewer people and revise its death penalty laws, local media reported on Sunday.

Mostafa Pourmohammadi called for "alternative penalties", but said it was not possible to abolish capital punishment entirely because "there are corrupt people in the country for whom there is no alternative but execution".

The United Nations says the Islamic republic executed close to 1 000 people last year. Iran does not provide figures.