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| Seconds from execution: An Iranian killer is slapped around the face by the victim's mother as he prepares to be hanged... but in an extraordinary act of clemency she chooses to let him walk free |
Last-minute reprieve: Incredible moment an Iranian killer is spared execution by his victim's parents while he had the noose round his neck
- Murderer was due to have chair kicked away by victim's mother and father
- But mother instead slaps him around the face and chooses to forgive him
- Convict's jubilant mother rushes over and embraces the grieving woman
- She had change of heart after her dead son appeared to her in a dream
As he prepares to take his last
breath, this is the incredible moment a murderer is spared the gallows
just seconds before he is due to be hanged after a dramatic reprieve
from the victim's mother.
Blindfolded
and with the noose tight around his neck, the Iranian killer was due to
have the scaffold chair kicked away from under him by the dead man's
parents.
But as these
compelling pictures show, the mother instead walks up to him, slaps him
around the face and chooses to forgive him in an extraordinary act of
clemency.
The parents
then remove the noose to the joy of the convict's mother who runs over
and embraces the grieving woman who let her son walk free.
Act of mercy: The victim's parents take the
noose off the convict's neck after sparing his life, however, under
Iranian law, the family does not have any say in the killer's jail
sentence
The killer, known as Balal, was sentenced to death for stabbing his victim during a street fight years ago
The Iranian man was due to have the chair that he was standing on kicked away from under him by the dead man's parents
He
said: 'Three days ago, my wife saw my elder son in a dream telling her
that they are in a good place and for her not to retaliate.
'This calmed my wife and we decided to think more until the day of the execution.'
The
father said her actions were even more remarkable because they had
already lost a son in a motorbike crash at the age of 11, according to
the Guardian which cited the semi-official state news agency Isna.
The killer, known as Balal, was sentenced
to death for stabbing 18-year-old Abdollah Hosseinzadeh Jnr, during a
street fight in the Iranian town of Royan seven years ago.
The victim's mother (pictured) had a change of heart after her dead son appeared to her in a dram
United by grief and joy: The convict's mother
embraces the sobbing woman whose teenager was stabbed to death by her
son after her incredible act of forgiveness
But Mr Hosseinzadeh Snr believes Balal did not mean to kill his son.
He said: 'Abdollah was offended and kicked him, but at this time the murderer took a kitch knife out of his socks.
'Balal didn't know how to handle a knife. He was naive.'
In
a literal application of the sharia law of retribution, known as qisas,
the victim's family are allowed to take part in the execution.
They also have a say in sparing the death sentence, but not the jail term. It is not clear if Balal will now be freed.
IRAN EXECUTES HUNDREDS A YEAR
Iran was one of the main drivers of a 15 per cent rise in executions
around the globe last year, according to Amnesty International.
Figures
released by the organisation suggested at least 369 people were put to
death, while, in February, it said nearly 100 had already been carried
out this year.
During
one weekend in October last year, the Iranian authorities carried out
20 executions, including of the Kurdish political prisoner Habibollah
Golparipour.
Golparipour was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to
death in a five-minute trial in 2010 for 'enmity against God' through his alleged cooperation with a banned armed group,
the 'Party For Free Life of Kurdistan'.
His family was not notified of
his execution beforehand, and after his execution the authorities
reportedly refused to hand over his body.
The crowds watch on as
the drama unfolds - Iran was one of the main drivers of executions
around the globe last year, according to Amnesty International
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