Iran increases punishment for acid throwing
The Islamic Republic’s Guardian Council approved of the parliament’s bill to “increase punishment for acid throwing and support its victims” after certain amendments were made.
According to Iranian news agencies, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, the spokesman for the Guardian Council announced on Wednesday that the bill’s accordance with Sharia law and the constitution has been confirmed and announced to the parliament.
Previously, the parliament was asked by the Guardian Council to change some parts of the bill. The Guardian Council had asked for the word “interests” to be added to the bill.
The bill now reads: “Anyone who purposefully throws acid or any other chemicals with any content level causing harm to life, body parts, or interests of a person, will be condemned to lose life, body part, or profit by the request of the victim or the guardian or the heir of the victim in accordance with Sharia law.”
According to official statistics, each year between 60 to 70 people are victims of acid throwing in Iran. After a series of attacks on four women in Isfahan in 2014, the issue was more seriously discussed by women’s rights activists and the parliament finally passed the bill this year in the presence of several victims.
Women are the majority of victims of acid throwing in Iran.