International rights group Amnesty International has condemned the Iranian regime on Friday for the “unspeakably cruel” blinding of a man on the grounds of retribution.
The man was forcibly blinded in his left eye on Tuesday based on the inhumane law of retribution (qisas) at a prison in Karaj, west of Tehran, Amnesty said.
The man had been convicted of throwing acid in another man’s face in 2009, leading to a 10-year prison sentence, an order to pay blood money to the victim and the act of retribution.
Amnesty International said in a statement: “Punishing someone by deliberately blinding them is an unspeakably cruel and shocking act.”
“This punishment exposes the utter barbarity of Iran’s justice system and underlines the Iranian authorities’ shocking disregard for basic humanity.”
The punishment of another male convict, who was scheduled to be blinded and made deaf in a similar act of retribution on Tuesday has been postponed until next month, Amnesty said.