Iranian doctors say no to eye punishment

Reports from Iran say a man sentenced by an Islamic court to have his eyes removed for blinding a colleague in an acid attack may escape the punishment because no doctor can be found to carry out the operation.

The victim of the attack, which happened three years ago, insisted that the punishment be carried out in a literal interpretation of the eye-for-an-eye principle.

A Tehran newspaper Iran quotes the victim as saying he believes that officials are trying to avoid carrying out the punishment by saying no doctor is willing to do it.

Correspondents say the convicted man is likely to remain in prison if the sentence is not carried out.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service