IRAN: JUVENILE OFFENDER GIVEN LAST-MINUTE FORGIVENESS BY VICTIM’S FAMILY

a convicted killer was saved from public execution at the last possible moment, after the family of the victim decided to spare his life. Twenty-year-old Balal Abdullah was found guilty of murdering Abdollah Hosseinzadeh during a fight in the street seven years earlier when they were both 17.
Abdollah’s mother and father, who have also lost an 11-year-old son to a motorbike accident, had repeatedly asked for Balal’s execution to be delayed until a final date was set.
Screaming for his life, Balal was dragged out to the gallows by officials and had his head placed in the noose.
Yet instead of sealing his fate, Abdollah’s mother slapped Balal’s face and then signalled her forgiveness. Then, the victim's father, Abdolghani Hosseinzadeh, removed the noose. He said that his wife had had a dream three days earlier in which their son told her not to retaliate for his death. He added they reconsidered Balal’s fate, and decided he did not deliberately try to kill their son.
“Abdollah was taking a stroll in the bazaar with his friends when Balal shoved him,” he said. “Abdollah was offended and kicked him but at this time the murderer took an ordinary kitchen knife out of his socks.” He added that Balal was “inexperienced and didn't know how to handle a knife… he was naïve”.
Balal was returned to jail – the system of qisas gives victims’ families control over the administering of death penalties, not prison sentences.