Iranian man may have eyes gouged out over acid attack

Daily Mail

4 Mar, 2014 11:17 PM2 mins to read

An Iranian man has been sentenced to having his eyes gouged out for throwing acid over a girl's face. Photo / Thinkstock

An Iranian man should be sentenced to having his eyes gouged out after pouring acid over a young girl's face leaving her blind, an Iranian court has ruled.

Opposition group, The National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the man could have his right ear and nose cut off as punishment for attacking the girl with acid, causing her to lose her eyesight and right ear.

The man was convicted last October of intentionally attacking the girl, haartez.com reported.

The national council said Iran's high court defended cutting off the body parts of those found guilty of a crime, and removing eyes, as part of the country's judicial system.

Last month, the state-run Mehr news agency, reported another Iranian man was sentenced to have one hand and one foot cut off as punishment for an unspecified crime.

As many as 95 people are thought to have been executed in Iran this year.

The dramatic rise in the use of the death penalty has dashed hopes for human rights reform under President Hassan Rohani, the United Nations said earlier this year.

President Rohani won a surprise election last year, after pledging more openness with the West.

In September, the country released dozens of political prisoners, prompting hopes Iran would improve their human rights record.

"There were some encouraging signs last year where political prisoners were released ... But it appears at least in the past seven weeks that in fact executions have been scaled up," UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a news briefing.

"We regret that the new government has not changed its approach to the death penalty and continues to impose capital punishment for a wide range of offences. We urge the government to immediately halt executions and to institute a moratorium."

Last year Iran executed between 500 and 625 people, including at least 28 women and two children, Ms Shamdasani said.