Iran Human Rights, October 15: A prisoner was discovered to be alive 24 hours after his execution was carried out and Iranian authorities declared him dead.
According to the official website of the Iranian State Broadcasting Jam-e-Jam Online, a 37-year-old man, identified as "Alireza M.", was executed by hanging on October 9, 2013. He is reportedly convicted of "Possession of one kilogram of crystal (a synthetic narcotic drug)" and held in Bonourd Prison (northeastern Iran).
According to the report, "the prisoner was very scared when he was walking toward the gallows". After the execution was carried out in reportedly 12 minutes, a forensic doctor confirmed the death and a death certificate was signed by a judge and other officials present. His body was transferred to the morgue.
On October 10, the World Day Against the Death Penalty, upon the mortuary staff reportedly discovering him breathing, the man was transferred to the hospital where he is reportedly in satisfactory condition.
A family member told the reporters they were in the process of preparing for the funeral and had come to the prison to retrieve the body when they heard the man had survived the execution. "We couldn’t believe that he is alive again; his daughters are the happiest right now," said the family member.
Regarding the fate of the man, the report cites Mohammad Erfan, a judge in the administrative Court: "The man has been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court and his death sentence will be carried out once the medical staff confirms his health condition is good enough."
Iran Human Rights (IHR) urges the international community to react. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR says: "We ask the international community to help save this man’s life. Mr. Alireza M. has already once suffered the torturous and dehumanizing process of execution. The world should not allow it to happen again."