Amnesty International reacted to news that Majid Movahedi, sentenced to blinding as retribution for an acid attack seven years ago in Iran, has been pardoned by his victim in exchange for compensation, with a call for legal reform in the country.
 
Movahedi’s attack led to Ameneh Bahrami sustaining serious injuries including loss of her sight.
 
Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said:
 
"Majid Movahedi committed a horrendous act which has ruined Ameneh Bahrami's life, and the state has a responsibility to bring him to justice and to ensure that Ameneh Bahrami receives recompense for the damage done to her.
 
“But deliberate blinding inflicted by a medical expert is a cruel punishment which amounts to torture, which is prohibited under international law.
 
"The Iranian authorities should review the penal code as a matter of urgency to ensure those who cause intentional serious physical harm, like acid attacks, receive an appropriate punishment - but that must never be a penalty which in itself constitutes torture."
 
Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui also called on Iran's police to take seriously Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's complaints of harassment and violence, a longstanding demand by Amnesty and Iranian Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's human rights defenders, and to review their procedures to ensure that Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights who fear harm as a result of domestic or other violence receive adequate protection.