THE EXECUTION of a man was halted after 28 agonising seconds, only for the victim to be executed a second time months later.

Family of Iranian Ahmad Alizadeh, 26, was forced to watch on in horror as they begged “forgiveness“ for their dying relative.

However, this cry only prolonged Ahmad’s already crippling pain.

His “lifeless“ body was resuscitated and he had to go through the ordeal again over six months later.

In Ahmad’s case, he had to wait until November 13 to be hanged again.

This is a delay of 200 days.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) monitors executions in Iran.

IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam vehemently denounced the “execution machine of Iranian terror“.

“In addition to the inhumanity of the death penalty, and the lack of a fair trial in this case, Ahmad Alizadeh experienced this cruel and humiliating punishment once, and his re-execution is a crime according to all international standards.“

Mahmood also claimed that Ahmad’s confession was not legitimate.

He said: “Ahmad Alizadeh, a talented student, was hanged for the second time on charges of murder, which he denied and claimed he confessed to under torture.

Ahmad was arrested in October 2018 on a murder charge, which he denied.

He was then sentenced to death by hanging following the alleged illegitimate confession under torture.

His original execution date was scheduled for April 27  in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj outside Tehran.

In a potentially life-saving twist, the hanging was paused, but only after Ahmad was suffocated for 28 long seconds.

This was because of a barbaric law that isn’t particularly fair or logical in practice.

Under Iran’s sharia law, a victim’s family can ask for blood money to spare the life of the perpetrator or also decide to forgive.

But, in a cruel sense of irony, most families usually cannot take proper advantage of this loophole.

In many cases, families cannot afford the sum, so the execution is just moved to another day.

According to IHR, 2024 is seeing a new surge in executions, with at least 166 recorded in October alone.

This is the highest number recorded in a single month since the group began documenting executions in 2007.

Harrowing images show previous victims, who are hung from cranes.

This would make their death extra slow, as they are slowly hoisted up into the air whilst dying.

Crowds are heavily encouraged to come and watch the hangings take place, with the disturbing moments often being televised.

Iran executed a ‘staggering’ total of at least 834 people last year, the highest number since 2015.

On 2022, the number of executions rose a staggering 43 per cent.

The IHR say that this is only the second time in two decades that more than 800 executions were recorded in a single year.