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An Iranian man who permanently disfigured another in an acid attack has had his eye gouged as punishment. The man, only identified as Hamid S, poured acid over victim Davoud Roshanaei in 2005, causing him to lose an eye and an ear. An Iranian court sentenced him to qesas, “retribution in kind” and he has now had his eye and ear surgically removed at a prison in Karaj,

Hamid S was reported to have been sedated in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, 60km west of the Iranian capital Tehran, on Thursday. A team of doctors then removed his left eye, but postponed the removal of his right, state-owned Hamshahri newspaper reported according to the New York Daily News.

In addition to his qesas, Hamid S must pay a fine to Roshanaei and serve a ten-year jail sentence.

The surgery was meant to have been carried out in January, but was postponed after medical staff at Rajai Shahr prison refused to carry out the qesas.

“The delay is from the medical side and isn’t our fault,” a judge later told the state-run Iranian Fars news agency. “We had a meeting with the forensic medicine and they will let us know once there is a doctor who is willing to carry out the sentence.”

An international Iranian human rights organisation based in Norway has condemned the punishment, calling it “barbaric”.

“Removal of inhumane punishment in law and practice must be a prerequisite for any improvement of relations between Iranian authorities and the international community,” Iran Human Rights’ spokesperson Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddan said. “Participation in such punishments are serious violations of the Hippocratic oath and anyone who takes part in carrying out such sentences can’t be called a doctor.” – Daily Mail