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Iran increases blood money 8-fold
TEHRAN. May 3: Iran s Chief Justice has sparked controversy by announcing a sharp increase tn traditional * blood money" compenaa tlon which must be paid by anyone causing death, reports Reuter
Under an ancient Islamic custom written Into Iranian law. " Dtyeh" or blood money W paid to the victim s family
Tehran's bus drivers staged a go slow follow tng the April 8 announcement that the payment was to be raised more than eight-fold to 70 mil lion riyals ( dollar 50.000 at the floating ex change rate).
A bus driver could now lose a lifetime s earn Ings if he kills a pedestrian in a traffic accident.
Dtyeh always applies in cases of manslaugh ter. including traffic accidents, the amount Is defined as one of the following 100 camels, 200 cows. 1.000 sheep. 200 silk dresses. 1.000 gold coins or 10,000 silver coins.
In cases of murder, relatives of the victim-called ' Guardians of the blood" In Islamic legal (argon— have the choice of having the killer ex cutcd or exacting Dtyeh Instead
"Drive carefully— 70 million-railmen are lurk Ing in the street,' ran a recent headline in Tehran's Abrar Dally.
The controversial highlights the touchy question of adapting age-old Islamic laws to 20th century conditions _ what leaders like (“resident Akbar Hashmi Rafsanjani say Is a main takes of Iran's Islamic revolution.
But much of the debate has centered on the effaces of yet another price rise In an Inflation ridden society.
Commentator All Akbar Kasaelan. writing In the best-selling Dally Kayhan. said that Instead of reducing traffic deaths the new Dtyeh would make drives more nervous and accident-prone people could not afford it.
"Don't the Judicial officials know how many drivers arr lingering tn jail because they cannot pay even the old Dtj^hT he added.
"A person who has 70 million riyal but is a
self at such risk."
The Diyeh was previously set at eight million riyal (dollar 57001. the value of 10.000 stiver coins
Blood money for a woman is half the Diyeh for a man. Compensation for various Injuries is set al fractions of the full diyeh.
Abrar said bus drivers were worried that the some people might be tempted to cause acci dents to win the Dtyeh-- a fortune for many In a country where the average government salary is roughly dollar 150 a month
Salam newspaper said the Increase was prompted by a recent case in which the guardians of the blood, taking advantage of a Ie gal point overlooked by others, demanded actual silver coins Instead of the cash equivalent.
The murderer could not produce the silver coins— there arc none in circulation— akd had to settle for the cheapest of the other Items: 1 OOO sheep, which cost about dollar 50.000.
It was this attention to detail which led to the increase in Dtyeh without any change tn the law. " said the paper which gave no other details about the precedent making case
Announcing the increase in dtyeh. Chief Justice Ayatollah Morteza Moqtadaci said the compensation for injuries at the old rate was so low ft often did not even cover hospital bills
Three days later. Tehran city bus drivers who transport 2 5 million people In the capital each day delayed services on some routes to press their concerns about the rise, Kayhan said.
The stale run Tehran Uni fled Bus Company pro mised the drivers It would pay for their Dtyeh insurance, the paper said
After a few days of confusion. Insurance companies announced an approximate eight fold In crease in Dtyeh Insurance rates to 30.000 to 50.000 rials (dollar 2 2 to dollar 36) per year for passenger cars.
The rates for buses and trucks are to be announced later.