Iranian Doctors Refuse To Carry Out ‘Eye For An Eye’ Sentence

A man sentenced by an Islamic court to have his eyes gouged out for blinding a co-worker could escape the punishment because no doctor will agree to carry it out, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The daily Iran said that three years ago, a man identified as Vahid Abdollahi blinded fellow worker Gholamhossein Maafi by splashing acid in his face during a quarrel over less than 25 cents.

Shortly after the attack, a court in Tehran ordered that Abdollahi should have his eyes gouged out under the principle of “an eye for an eye,” which Islamic law has incorporated from the biblical teachings of Moses.

The paper said the victim has demanded that the Abdollahi lose his eyes.

“But officials in charge of implementing it have been stalling, saying that the sentence must be carried out by a physician and that they haven’t been able to find one who will do it,” the paper quoted the victim as saying.

Convicts awaiting punishment are usually imprisoned, and it was unclear what would happen to Abdollahi if the sentence cannot be carried out.