Iranian authorities carried out a public execution on Tuesday of a man convicted of killing a physician in the southwest of the country, the judiciary confirmed.

“The qisas (retribution) sentence for the murderer of Dr Davoudi… was carried out in public this morning in Yasuj,” the capital of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, the judiciary’s official outlet, Mizan Online, reported.

The execution followed a mental health evaluation of the defendant and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the sentence, the judiciary stated.

Provincial prosecutor Vahid Mousavian was quoted by Mizan as saying, “The implementation of this sentence is a message to those who seek to disturb the security of society and citizens.”

Iran, which carries out executions by hanging, is the world’s second most prolific executioner, after China, according to rights organisations such as Amnesty International.

While most executions take place in prison, there are occasional public hangings, which are intended to serve as a deterrent.