Yahoo – AFP,
31 March 2014
An Iranian judiciary staff member ties ropes prior to a hanging in Tehran on September 29, 2002 (AFP Photo/Behrouz Mehri) |
Tehran
(AFP) - An Iranian film director is to hold a private screening of his latest
movie on Saturday to raise funds to save the life of a 26-year-old on death
row.
Mostafa
Kiaei, director of "Special Line", said he had learnt by accident of
the young man's case and wanted to help raise the "blood money" to be
paid to the family of a murder victim.
"I
didn't know the convict before and I learned about the case through a contact
in the judiciary," Kiaei told AFP.
According
to Mehr news agency, the unnamed convict and two of his friends were involved
in a street fight which led to the murder, but he did not kill the victim.
The case
became more complicated after his accomplices died in a car accident, leaving
him the only person accountable for paying the blood money.
The convict
has been in jail for the past seven years.
Under the
country's interpretation of Islamic sharia laws in force since its 1979
revolution, murder is punishable by death.
However,
the victim's family has the right to spare a convict from the hangman's noose
in return for blood money.
"The
blood money (in this case) amounts to three billion rials ($100,000) and so far
we have collected one third of it," Kiaei said.
Kiaei said
he has invited scores of VIPs to the fundraising event in Tehran, including
artists and athletes.
"Since
this is a case of a precious human life, it requires our outmost efforts.
Whatever we do is valuable as this spreads positive energy to society and helps
a family see their child again," he said.
"Considering
that he is not guilty, the judiciary has a positive view on his case and is
willing to pardon him," he said. "The fewer executions, the
better."
UN chief
Ban Ki-moon in March voiced alarm over the high number of hangings in Iran,
saying at least 500 people had been executed last year, including 57 in public.
.
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