There were two hangings reported this date at the prison in the southern Iranian city of Kazeroun (or Kazerun).

One Kourosh was executed for murdering a 52-year-old in 2004.

And someone named Abolfazl — well, he was much, much luckier. The parents of his victim availed their right to pardon him, although they waited until after the hanging had commenced to do so.

I believe (because how often can this happen in one town?) that this is the failed/survived execution attributed by Amnesty International to 2 December — which Amnesty argues “illustrates the inherent cruelty of the death penalty.”

The original link given by the Amnesty press release is now dead, but this source links the same article and says it cites 7 December; this Persian news story positively attributes the event to dawn on 17 Azar on the Iranian calendar, which corresponds to 7 December.

Not seven seconds had passed when the murder victim’s mother gave her pardon. Moments later, the victim’s father gave consent. Thus, immediately the accused was brought down from the gallows and given CPR while he was transferred to hospital.

Abolfazl survived. This story sported the headline “the sweet end of an execution.”

On this day..

• 1900: A day in the death penalty around the world
• 1982: Charles Brooks, Jr., the first by lethal injection
• 1799: Francesco Conforti, regalist and republican
• 1683: Algernon Sidney, republican philosopher
• 1938: Anna Marie Hahn, serial poisoner
• 1323: Jean Persant, a black cat, and the body of Jean Prévost
• 1982: Dos Erres massacre
• 1989: Carlos DeLuna, "I didn't do it. But I know who did."
• 1869: Nicholas Melady, the last public hanging in Canada
• 1549: Robert Kett, rebelling against enclosures
• 1815: Michel Ney, the bravest of the brave
• 43 B.C.E.: Cicero