TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Officials say two men in Iran have been stoned to death for adultery and murder, while another escaped death only by digging his way out of the hole where he was buried to face a similar fate, according to media reports.

The sentences follow sharp criticism by human rights groups of Iran's use of such punishments.

Judiciary spokesman Alireza Jamshidi Tuesday told reporters about the stonings, which took place in the northeastern city of Mashhad about 20 days ago, the reports said. According to the Mashhad prosecutor, the men had committed various crimes, including adultery and murder, Jamshidi said.

In the practice, the men are buried up to their chests and people pelt them with stones until they die. A third was supposed to have been stoned to death, however he went free by climbing out of the stone hole. He still awaits punishment.

"Stoning is a horrific practice, designed to increase the suffering of those facing execution, and it has no place in the modern world," Amnesty International said last year.

Jamshidi said that Iran's judiciary chief, Ayatollah Heshemi Shahroudi, had made recommendations that would ban the practice and said that a measure has been introduced in Parliament stopping the punishment.

But "until this measure is approved and becomes law, the judges have the independence not to pay heed to the recommendations of the Judiciary chief," Jamshidi said.