"Iran executed two gay men on Sunday for the crime of 'perversion' and has sentenced a third individual to death for 'insulting the prophet,' according to human rights activists tracking the situation...The executions come less than two months after Iranian authorities publicly hanged 40 individuals in a two-week period. Iran is executing at least two people a day, according to activists. Executions in Iran have surged over the past year with well more than 500 being killed for crimes ranging from 'waging war against God' to misdemeanor drug charges that would carry minimal penalties in Western countries. State-sanctioned killings have spiked since the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who initially vowed to address the issue."