Jordan News

A 55-year-old man from the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran has spent 18 years in prison on death row, his life constantly hanging by a thread.

A local court had sentenced the prisoner “Akbar” to death in 2003 for the “premeditated murder” of an acquaintance, and Akbar’s life turned into a permanent waiting to face the gallows.

The agonizing wait took a heavy toll on his mind and body inside the prison, but what prompted him to move forward was a small glimmer of hope: pardon from the victim’s family.

Last week, like any other day, while the inmate was sitting quietly in his cell, prison staff informed him that the victim’s parents had pardoned him.

The long, agonizing wait ended bitterly, and Akbar was relieved that he would not face the gallows of which he so feared most.

But the scale of the joy was so great that he suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the prison hospital. Hours later, the 55-year-old breathed his last.

Painful waiting

Akbar was arrested from his hometown of Bandar Abbas on the southern coast of Iran in 2003, because of what the indictment described as “premeditated murder.”

His three other accomplices were also arrested in the same case, and after a lengthy trial, Akbar and another partner, Daoud, were sentenced to death for being the “mastermind”, while the other defendants were given life sentences.

Lawyers for the two accused men alleged that they committed the murder “in defense of their honour,” which is often invoked when women are physically assaulted or harassed. The court dismissed the case, according to people familiar with the case.

Under Islamic law, the crime of murder, which means retribution, is punishable by death, unless the victim’s close family or the perpetrator’s parents pardon the offender.

Since two people had to face execution for killing one person in this case, the victim’s family was required to pay “blood money” to one of them, according to Iranian law.

David was the first to be executed after the approval of the Supreme Court, which made Akbar’s hopes of survival even bleaker.

The victim’s elderly parents, who are from the central province of Isfahan, were adamant that their son’s killers would not be forgiven. They have been contacted several times by Akbar’s family as well as Bandar Abbas prison officials, but they have always held their position, according to those familiar with the case.

However, since they were unable to pay the blood money, which was required to carry out the sentence, Akbar’s execution was delayed.

death relief

As the countdown to his execution began, Akbar’s health condition also deteriorated, prompting prison officials tasked with resolving disputes in such cases to contact the victim’s family again.

A team traveled all the way from Bandar Abbas to Isfahan recently, traveling some 1,000 kilometers, to meet the victim’s family and make a new plea for Akbar’s pardon.

The 55-year-old, who was arrested at the age of 37, has spent a better part of his youth behind bars, waiting for a miracle to happen. During this time, he was affected by several health problems.

When the victim’s family learned about the inmate’s health and years of ordeal in prison, they showed their willingness to pardon their son’s killer.

Then the victim’s family was asked to sign the consent paper, and when the prison staff informed the inmate that he would be released, he was shocked, had a heart attack, and was taken to hospital, where the doctors considered his condition critical.

A few hours later, 18-year-old Akbar’s ordeal ended, not in life, but in perpetual silence with the death that preceded his freedom.