THE CANADIAN PRESS -- Iran’s supreme court has quashed the death sentence for a Canadian man.
Saeed Malekpour, a 35-year-old Canadian web programmer, was facing execution on charges of developing and promoting porn websites.
His supporters, including his wife who now lives in Richmond Hill, Ont., said he was arrested in Iran in October, 2008 after a trip to visit his ailing father.
His wife, Fatima Eftekhari, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper that the court decision is a “sigh of relief” and that she is “very pleased that his life is finally saved.”
Defence lawyers said the conviction was quashed after they provided the court with expert evidence.
Malekpour will remain in jail while a judicial review into his case is held.
He was convicted of designing and moderating adult materials online although his family said he was a web programmer whose photo uploading software was used by a porn website without his knowledge.
According to Eftekhari, a campaign by human rights groups in support of her husband was crucial in saving Malekpour’s life.