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

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

The verdict followed a mental health evaluation of the defendant and the Supreme Court upholding the sentence, the judiciary said.

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

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

Most executions take place in prison, although there are occasional public hangings.