Iranian Court Orders Acid Dropped in the Eyes of Defendant

Iranian justice reached a new low this week with a Sharia court ordering that acid be dropped in the eyes of a man who blinded a woman for spurning his marriage proposals. The man only identified as Majid will be blinded under a system of “qisas” or fair retribution in the medieval system.

One of the core requirements of a true system of law is that the state must remain better than the felons that it punishes. These qisas sentences reduce the law to little more than mob justice carrying out the very same acts of immorality as the culprit. This is why the Framers wisely prohibited cruel and unusual punishment — a recognition that law must be consistent, uniform, and regular to maintain the rule of law.

Such novel punishments obviously appeal to people around the world, not just Iranians. It is visceral and satisfying when dealing with horrible people like this defendant. Previously, Iranian Sharia judges ordered a child molester to be tied into a burlap bag and thrown down a cliff with sharp rocks.

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