IRAN'S NEW DRUG LAW

TEHRAN: New Iran  drug law saves thousands from the noose.

Thousands on death row for drug crimes in Iran will escape hanging as new softened anti-narcotics law is enforced, local media reported on Wednesday.

Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijanni on Tuesday ordered judges to halt death sentences for concerned convicts and review their cases., the judiciary's Mizanonline news agency said.

The new law retroactively ''clarifies the fate of some 5,000 sentenced to death for drug trafficking '', the Iran daily newspaper quoted Larijani as saying in a directive.

Most convicts will see their death sentences commuted to jail terms of between 25 and 30 years, he said.

Iran does not provide official figures on executions, but human rights group Amnesty International  says it was the world's top executioner in 2016 after China, with most of the hangings related to drug trafficking.

Parliament passed the amended drug law in August after years of internal debate between police, the judiciary and lawmakers.

The new law raises the amount than can trigger the death penalty from, 30 grams to two kilos for the for the production and distribution of chemical substances such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamines.

For natural substances such as opium and marijuana, the levels have been raised from five to 50 kilos.

The amendment maintains the death penalty for those who lead drug-trafficking gangs, exploit minors below 18 years old in doing so, or carry or draw firearms while committing the drug-related crimes.