Tehran - About 3,000 people gathered outside the Ibn Sina hospital in Tehran yesterday to pray for the recovery of Mr Said Hajarian, the reformer shot and seriously wounded six days ago. They lit hundreds of candles, while young people read verses from the Koran.
Mr Hajarian regained consciousness yesterday for the first time since the shooting. Doctors said a decision on whether to operate on his lungs had been postponed until tomorrow. The bullet that hit him was said to have lodged at the top of his spine. Mr Hajarian (47) is a close ally of President Mohammad Khatami. He was attacked after the surprise landslide victory of the reformers.