Iran has reportedly decided to spare the life of a convicted criminal who survived a hanging.
On October 23, the official IRNA news agency quoted Justice Minister Mostafa Purmohammadi as saying that "the convict who survived will not be executed again."
He added that the government had received a "positive response" to its efforts to prevent the man from being hanged again.
The minister implied that a second execution would damage Iran's global image.
The 37-year-old drug smuggler -- identified only as Alireza M. -- was pronounced dead last week after being hanged for 12 minutes in the northeast city of Bojnord.
But the next day he was found alive in a morgue.
IRNA reports that the man has since fallen into a coma.
Iran is one of the leading practitioners of capital punishment in the world.
On October 23, the official IRNA news agency quoted Justice Minister Mostafa Purmohammadi as saying that "the convict who survived will not be executed again."
He added that the government had received a "positive response" to its efforts to prevent the man from being hanged again.
The minister implied that a second execution would damage Iran's global image.
The 37-year-old drug smuggler -- identified only as Alireza M. -- was pronounced dead last week after being hanged for 12 minutes in the northeast city of Bojnord.
But the next day he was found alive in a morgue.
IRNA reports that the man has since fallen into a coma.
Iran is one of the leading practitioners of capital punishment in the world.