A KILLER seconds away from being executed was saved when the mother of his victim stepped forward to save him from death.
Balal was blindfolded on the gallows when the mother of the 18-year-old he stabbed to death ran forward, slapped him round the face and her husband removed the noose from his neck.
Seven years ago Balal, who is in his twenties, stabbed Abdollah Hosseinzadeh during a fight in a bazaar in the small town of Royan in Mazandaran Province, Iran.
Father of the victim, Abdolghani Hosseinzadeh, said: “My 18-year-old son Abdollah was taking a stroll in the bazaar with his friends when Balal shoved him.
“Abdollah was offended and kicked him but at this time the murderer took an ordinary kitchen knife out of his socks.”
In the Islamic republic of Iran the sharia law of retribution means the victim’s family can participate in the execution of the perpetrator.
Balal was led to the gallows as crowds gathered to watch his last few breaths on this earth.
After Balal was saved his mother hugged Abdollah’s mother and they sobbed into each other arms – one weeping for her dead son, the other because hers had been spared death.
It later emerged, according to Isna news, that Abdollah was not the only son the mother had lost. Her younger child Amirhossein was killed in a motorbike accident at the age of just 11.
It was a startling dream that prompted the sudden forgiveness. Mr Hosseinzadeh said: “Three days ago my wife saw my elder son in a dream telling her that they are in a good place – and for her not to retaliate.
“This calmed my wife and we decided to think more until the day of the execution.”
The case became very high profile in Iran with popular cultural figures calling upon the family to spare the victim.
Despite walking away from death Balal may still be imprisoned as the law states the family are to only be involved in an execution, not a jail sentence.
Iran puts more people to death than any country in the world apart from China. Figures show it has held 199 executions already this year.
Amnesty International state that almost two executions per day take place in Iran with hundreds more people being put to death in secret.