Cuffed prisoner hung from ceiling loses hands

An Iranian prison governor has been sacked after an inmate lost his hands after being suspended from a ceiling in handcuffs.

The 21-year-old man, identified only by the first name Afshin, was handcuffed to the ceiling last month as punishment for starting a fight with another inmate at the prison in Dezful, 375 miles south-west of Tehran, said Sharq newspaper.

When he was released, doctors at a local hospital found his injuries to be so severe that they decided to amputate his hands to save his life, reported the paper.

The prisoner’s family complained to the Prison Authority, and the head of the prison was fired, it added.

It said the Prison Authority has offered Afshin the equivalent of €20,000 in compensation for the maltreatment.

It was not revealed for how long Afshin – a drugs smuggler – dangled from the ceiling.