90 people executed by IS in Syria this month — monitor

Witchcraft, homosexual acts are among ‘crimes’ punishable by death; a third of those executed by Islamic State are civilians

By AFP 30 August 2015, 2:46 pm

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A man accused of homosexuality is led to the edge of a tall building by Islamic State fighters before being hurled down to his death in January (screenshot)

BEIRUT — The Islamic State jihadist group has executed more than 90 people, a third of them civilians, over the past month in areas of war-torn Syria under its control, a monitoring group said Sunday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 32 civilians were among 91 people executed for “crimes” in the jihadist group’s self-proclaimed caliphate between July 29 and August 29.

The toll included IS members, rebel fighters and forces loyal to President Bashar Assad.

Witchcraft, homosexual acts and working with the US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria are among “crimes” punishable by death for the group.

Since it announced its “caliphate” in June 2014, IS has swept across Syria, seizing swaths of land in central Hama and Homs provinces, Deir Ezzor and Hasakeh in the east, and the north’s Raqa and Aleppo.

According to the Britain-based Observatory, the latest monthly toll has brought to 3,156 people the number of IS executions in Syria since the caliphate was announced.

The number includes 1,841 civilians.

IS has become notorious for its gruesome displays of violence, including beheadings, stoning and pushing victims off rooftops.