One eye of a prisoner was gouged off yesterday as part of “an eye for an eye” punishment for an acid attack. Iran Human Rights (IHR) condemned the inhumane and brutal punishment by the Iranian authorities and urges the international community to react.
Iran Human Rights, March 4, 2015: Iranian state media reported about a blinding punishment of a man in the Rajaishahr prison of Karaj. According to Hamshahri newspaper a man who was not identified by name was blinded in the left eye on Tuesday March 3. According to this report the eye was gouged off. It is not known whether the blinding was conducted by the medical staff or by the offended.
The prisoner was convicted of pouring acid on the face of another man, leading to blindness in both eyes. He was sentenced to blindness in both eyes, payment of “Diyeh” (blood money) and 10 years in prison. Blindness of the right eye was postponed according to the report.
Iran Human rights (IHR) strongly condemned the barbaric punishment by the Iranian authorities. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR said: Iranian authorities have shown yet another side of their brutality and inhumane practice. Lack of condemnation by the international community is a sign of accept for such inhumane acts”. “Medical staff who cooperate with the Iranian authorities in this act have broken the Hippocratic oath and cannot call themselves doctors”.
Blinding punishment of another prisoner was scheduled to take place yesterday but it was postponed for two months. This prisoner was convicted of an acid attack leading to blindness in one eye and loss of one ear of another man identified as Davoud Roushanaei. However, while everything was ready for implementation of the blinding, Davoud Roshanaei agreed to postpone the sentence until the first month of the Iranian news year starting on March 20. This is the same case that was postponed due to unwillingness of the medical staff in January 2015.
