November 01-2013
The head of the Judiciary, Sadeq Larijani, has handed down his decision in the case of the hanged man who survived the gallows. The man will not be hanged again.
But the state news agency says the formerly condemned man, Ali-Reza M., 37, remains in a coma more than two weeks after his failed execution and may never come to again.
The state news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying, “The executed smuggler has about 6 percent awareness, according to the attending physicians, and is in danger of brain death.”
However, the very next day, another unnamed source was quoted in the Khorasan Daily as saying Ali-Reza M. had come out of his coma and was on his way to recovery.
The government has said nothing to clear up these contradictory stories.
But if Ali-Reza M. does recover, he will walk free.
Judiciary Chairman Larijani said the man will be granted a pardon. Only Supreme Leader Ali Khamenehi can grant pardons so Larijani has presumably spoken with the Leader about this case, which has riveted public attention.
Larijani said the man should not be hanged again because of the high “emotion” surrounding his case, .
Ali-Reza M. was arrested three years ago for drug smuggling. He was hanged October 16 and declared dead after 12 minutes. But the next morning, when his family arrived at the morgue to collect the body, he was found to be breathing.
