Sentencing Issued for Three Defendants in Child's Stitching Case

The head of the judiciary in Isfahan province announced the issuance of a sentence for three defendants in the case of the stitching of four-year-old Sadra Zahedpour at 'Ashrafi Isfahani' Hospital in Khomeini Shahr, while stating that due to the 'non-final' nature of the ruling, he is not allowed to disclose details. According to the official news agency of the judiciary, Mizan, Ahmad Khosravi Vafa announced on Saturday, January 5, that the convicted individuals in this case can request a review. Khosravi Vafa had previously stated that the doctor, nurse, and the head of the relevant department at 'Ashrafi Isfahani' Hospital have been charged with failing to assist the injured. Under the law, failing to assist the injured and mitigate life-threatening risks can lead to prison sentences ranging from 6 months to 3 years. Meanwhile, Rasoul Bani Hashemi, head of the Medical Council of Khomeini Shahr, had previously predicted that the defendants would be sentenced to one to two years in prison and suspended from work. On December 7, the newspaper 'Isfahan Ziba' reported that the medical staff at 'Ashrafi Isfahani' Hospital had stitched a child's chin but later, due to the family's inability to pay for treatment, they proceeded to remove the stitches. This incident received significant backlash and resulted in the dismissal of the hospital's director. Meanwhile, Iran's Minister of Health, in a television program on Saturday evening, referred to reports from committees sent to investigate the incident, stating: 'The doctor says... it was said in jest, and the nurse took it seriously.' According to Fars News Agency, Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi added: 'There were 3 stitches, 2 of which were removed, and one remains. However, the total incision is no more than 2 centimeters, which could have been managed with one stitch.' The accused doctor had previously stated that he had 'jokingly' asked the nurse to remove the stitches from the four-year-old child's chin, while the nurse responsible for the patient's care claimed that the 'stitches' were removed elsewhere. Nevertheless, Youssef Karimi, the deputy prosecutor of Khomeini Shahr, announced on Wednesday, December 18, that the doctor's crime had been 'proven' and that he and the accused nurse in this case were released on 'bail' and both had been 'suspended from work.' Abbas Rahimi, the Friday prayer leader of Khomeini Shahr, on December 22, called for action against those responsible for the publication of the news regarding the removal of the child's stitches at 'Ashrafi Isfahani' Hospital and stated that no one 'has the right to publish negative news' about this city. In this context, the Minister of Health stated: 'One should not ask about the religion, beliefs, and money of patients.' The Friday prayer leader of Khomeini Shahr claimed that the publication of the news about the child's stitches was political.