Iran has stopped the blinding of a man as punishment for throwing acid on the face of a woman in 2004 that blinded and disfigured her.

Ameneh Bahrami, the acid attack victim who sought the punishment as permitted in the Sharia law, pardoned Majid Movahedi on Sunday before an eye specialist and court representative were to carry out the punishment on him in a hospital.

Bahrami said she only wanted the sentence punishing Movahedi to be issued by the court and never really wanted revenge.

Movahedi attacked Bahrami in 2004 when she refused his offer of marriage. Bahrami sued Movahedi, her classmate, and demanded qisas or “an eye for an eye” justice. In 2009, the court granted Bahrami’s petition sentencing Movahedi to 12 years imprisonment and ordering that he also be blinded in both eyes.

Bahrami had also demanded blood money from Movahedi to cover the expenses for her treatment.

Human rights group Amnesty International called on the Iranian government to not carry out the sentence, which it described as cruel, inhuman and torture.