Man escapes death penalty then dies of heart attack after getting pardoned

An Iranian man, who was put on death row after being convicted of murder around 18 years ago, suffered a cardiac arrest after he found out that he will not be executed. He had spent the last two decades in fear that one day he will be facing capital punishment.

According to state-run Iranian newspaper Hamshahri, the man identified as Akbar and his accomplice Davood, were convicted for premeditated murder along with four others.
While Davood had already been executed for his involvement in the murder, Akbar was awaiting a similar fate when he heard the news.

The country's dispute resolution board had spoken to the family of the victim to get him a pardon for the murder. The family agreed to forgive him after learning about his deteriorating health. Unfortunately, Akbar suffered a heart attack immediately after he was informed of the family's decision to grant him a pardon. He was taken to a doctor for treatment, but died an hour after the heart attack.

He had spent the last 18 years seeking mercy from the victim's family, but did not live long enough to see his efforts come to fruition and to enjoy his freedom.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Iran has some of the harshest criminal laws. A person who has been awarded the death penalty can only avoid it if the victim's family is willing to forgive them.

A report by Iran Human Rights Monitor revealed that the country executed as many as 250 people including at least four child offenders in 2020, and it had executed at least 350 people in 2021 alone

Iran was the top executioner in the Middle East in 2020, followed by Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, according to a report by Amnesty International.

Murder, rape, child abuse, homosexuality, drug trafficking, armed robbery, fornication, prohibited sexual relationships, and plotting to overthrow the Islamic regime are some of the offences which are punishable by death in Iran.