A man sentenced to death for murder in Mashad, northeastern Iran, was granted mercy at the very last moment just as he was being hung from the scaffold.
According to Iranian Mehr news agency, Vahid Zare had been charged with killing a young person doing his military service.
He was granted mercy by the victim's family when he started choking, seconds after the executioner pulled the gallows from beneath his feet.
Once the members of the victims' family confirmed that they were pardoning the culprit, the officials took Zahe down and sent him to the hospital.
Source: Hurriyet Daily News, May 8, 2013
Tolerance on the scaffold
Universal Tolerance- Iran - In the morning of 8th May of 2013, The scaffold did not take a life this time and the cord rested around the criminal’s neck for few second without taking his life. Unlike always, the gallows brought pity to the hearts of plaintiffs. Not much time has passed since the sun set on 7th of December 2012 when the gallows buried a body, and saved another life this time.
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Source: Universal Tolerance, May 9, 2013
Photos of the execution (Warning: Graphic Content)