Iran’s prohibition of the drinking and selling of alcohol has led to a flourishing underground market. But even officials have acknowledged a wave of hospitalizations and deaths in recent months.
Iran is still meting out harsh punishments on those suspected of involvement in mass protests, including "chilling" executions, a UN fact-finding mission said on July 5.
Iran executed three men on July 4 who were convicted of raping women they had lured to a fake cosmetic surgery clinic and injected with anaesthetic drugs.
Iranian authorities have stepped up their monitoring of commercial and recreational venues, shutting dozens of cafes, restaurants, and other businesses across the country they say were failing to comply with the mandatory head-scarf law.