Background: The punishment is suspended for criminals temporarily or permanently by criminal authorities considering legal mechanisms. In this study we evaluated the frequency of punishment and punishment suspension among referring to Tehran legal medicine center during 2012.

Methods: In this retrospective study we evaluated the records referred to Tehran legal medicine center during 2012. The demographic data and forensic medicine reports about punishment suspension and punishment frequency were extracted and analyzed.

Findings: 300 records included 285 men (95 %) and 15 women (5 %) with age range between 18-65 years were studied. 95 people (31.7 %) were punished and in 82 (27.3 %) cases the punishment were suspended. Also conditional punishment was consider for 86 people ( 28.7 % )  and  in 37 ( 12.3 % ) of criminals ,the punishment were suspended conditionally. The frequency of punishments were as follow: 37 ( 12.3 % ) whiplash,  254 ( 84.7 % ) prison and both punishments were considered for 8 people( 2.7 % ) .Moreover one person sentenced to other punishments. The cause of punishment suspension in 62 cases ( 20.7 % )  were heart disease, 10 cases ( 3.3 %) renal disease , 67 cases ( 22.3 % ) mental disorders, 2 cases ( 0.7 ) skin disease  and 159 cases  ( 53 % ) other disease .

Conclusion: We indicated that a large number of offenders cannot bear the punishment because of medical reasons so, legal medicine representative must supervised the procedure to save the medical rights of sentenced person.