Iranian authorities carried out on Saturday a public execution of a man convicted of raping and murdering a young girl, the judiciary said.

The victim’s family, from the northwestern city of Bukan, had been involved in the legal proceedings and requested the public execution, according to the judiciary’s Mizan Online news website.

“The case was given special attention due to the emotional impact it had on public opinion,” Mizan quoted the provincial chief justice, Naser Atabati, as saying.

The death sentence was issued in March and later upheld by the Islamic republic’s top court.

Public executions, typically by hanging, are not uncommon in Iran but do occur in cases deemed especially severe.

Murder and rape are punishable by death in Iran, the world’s second most prolific executioner after China, according to human rights groups including Amnesty International.