Iran says it has 89,500 prisoners

Iran has about 89,500 prisoners, more than half drug traffickers or addicts, AFP reports from Tehran. It was the first official figure for jail inmates in Iran since the 1979 revolution. Assadollah Lajevardi told the Tehran Times that prisoners included 3,776 Afghans and fewer than 10 other nationals but he gave no other details on foreign convicts. Women comprise 5 per cent of total inmates.