Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, Iran Mother, Could Be Stoned To Death At Any Moment

A 42-year-old mother of two faces the punishment of death by stoning in Iran after authorities convicted her of adultery. And according to Mina Ahadi, who heads the International Committee Against Stoning and the Death Penalty, only international pressure can help save her.

As Ahadi told CNN: "Legally it's all over. It's a done deal. Sakineh can be stoned at any minute."

The woman, Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, who is from Tabriz, was convicted of "adultery while being married" in 2006 and has already received a punishment of 99 lashes. Should the execution go forward, Ashtiani will be buried up to her chest (for men it is to the waist) and then pelted with stones that are large enough to inflict severe damage but no so large as to kill the person instantly, says Amnesty International, citing Article 104 of Iran's Penal Code.

Here's how Ashtiani's case reached this point, as reported in the Guardian:

Sakineh already endured a sentence of 99 lashes, but her case was re-opened when a court in Tabriz suspected her of murdering her husband. She was acquitted, but the adultery charge was reviewed and a death penalty handed down on the basis of "judge's knowledge" - a loophole that allows for subjective judicial rulings where no conclusive evidence is present.

Mohammad Mostafaei told CNN last week that Ashtiani may not have been fully capable of understanding the court proceedings due to the fact that she speaks Turkish and not Farsi.

Her son Sajad told the Guardian recently, "She's innocent, she's been there for five years for doing nothing."

Amnesty International, citing Ashtiani's case among others, called for Iran to halt all executions last week.

Comments

[Channe]

10:09 AM on 07/10/2010

Only in religion does evil become moral and the immoral permitted. I hate religion and the relgious.

[socialbuzz]

03:51 AM on 07/10/2010

Military has punishment for adultery.....Reduction of Rank(of at lease 1 pay grade), Forfiture of Pay(2/3's of base pay for 2 months), Confinement to the Barricks(minimum of 7 days).

[Rubiconski]

05:29 PM on 07/09/2010

Cointelpro anti-Iranian propaganda hit piece!

Stone me !! Beware of Sock puppets

Dont believe the propaganda - I hear they eat babies

[Behnaz Tavakoli]

06:34 PM on 07/09/2010

I agree with you.

99% of all news regarding Iran is propaganda against Iran, this one included.

There was no stoning to begin with. There is not even an indication about death penalty. Also she was involved in killing the husband I think.

[Shandroid]

11:10 PM on 07/09/2010

What is wrong with you two women? Iran, like many Islamic countries are abusive to women and consider than less valuable than men. Honestly, less valuable? I would love to see men continue to create more little muslim babies without them!
Do you honestly think Ashtiani has been given a fair trial without witnesses and AFTER being thwacked 99 times? How many times does this woman need to be punished?! Regarding the murder of her husband: show me the evidence!! Oh, sorry, real, viable evidence is for civilized countries, sorry.

[Richard Colley]

03:59 AM on 07/12/2010

Rubiconski, you would totally change your opinion that this article is anti-Iranian propaganda if you were to put your mis-belief (that there is no stoning for adultery in Iran) to a reality test. There is a foreign film, "The Stoning of Soraya M." ("M." stands for Mozhan Marno.) This film (2008, in Farsi but with English subtitles) tells the true story of Soraya Mozhan Marno, a 42-year old Iranian woman stoned in 1986. The film is R rated and would probably be more emotional than you would be able to bear. The film is available from Netflix and can be viewed online if you are a member of Netflix. The synopsis from Netflix says, "...[H]er husband plots to have here falsely accused of adultery so he can divorce her and marry a young girl." If you have it in you to find out what is real in this world, I strongly commend the film to you. There is a light shining in this darkness, so have no part in it.

[Hallwayy]

03:44 PM on 07/09/2010

We would lose a quarter of our population if this was law here. Not sure it shouldn't be...

[Guy Michaels]

09:32 AM on 07/09/2010

it seems Iran has been away from the stoning at this point!
http://americasnewsnow.com/sakineh-mohammadi-astiani-iran-backs-away-from-stoning-case-of-sakineh-mohammadi-astiani.html

[Behnaz Tavakoli]

10:49 PM on 07/08/2010

The stoning law will be abandoned by Iran's parliament soon.

As for this case it might been another attempt to put Iran in a bad light.

Iran denies the whole story of stoning.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38140909/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

[graciesgra]

05:46 PM on 07/08/2010

So, if the woman is buried up to her chest, then they can only throw the rocks at her head? How civilized.

[Channe]

10:12 AM on 07/10/2010

It is evil. But the Bible says the punishment for adultery should also be stoning so any Christian, Jew, or Muslim is inherently wicked.

[graciesgra]

04:16 PM on 07/10/2010

However, why is it I only hear about them doing this to the woman?

[Tim Ostrander]

03:13 PM on 07/08/2010

The "authority" of Islam will be used to justify the stoning of "rebellious" people as long as people ascribe supernatural infallibility to books written by men of barbaric ideals. The Hadith claims that stoning was ordered by Muhammad. The Bible also ordains if for various crimes (eg. Ex 19:12-13, Lev 20:27, 24:13-16, Deut 21:20-21). Christians will no doubt describe the story of Jesus saving the woman about to be stoned. They balk at suggestions that The LORD of the Old Testament should have known better back then. Anyone with sense knows it's barbaric, unjustifiable, and without excuse. Anyone who makes excuses for those who espouse it are guilty of condoning it as well. I don't care what you might say about cultural relativism. It's inhumane in any culture and there is no excuse.

[AmratheLion]

01:03 PM on 07/08/2010

Where are all of the people who regularly defend islam as a religion of peace? pfffttt......

[RockydaDog]

02:18 PM on 07/08/2010

I think they are busy throwing red herrings and using the fallacy of distraction.

[Bobby Breeze]

12:54 PM on 07/08/2010

Islam: The Religion of Peace.

More like 14th century barbarity.

[rajan nadar]

11:29 AM on 07/08/2010

please stop this barbaric execution and let Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani be with her lovely childrens who are pleading for her life....god will bless iran

[Das Hirschenhofer 11]

09:49 AM on 07/09/2010

Fanned for being human and Humane! Empathy is a good thing....silence is just wrong...."The inaction, or the indifference of the silent witness's is staggering!

[Curtis inSF]

10:52 AM on 07/08/2010

Aint religion grand? Such a beautiful life affirming human experience. It justifies war, hatred, homophobia, racism, holocausts and that ultimte glory to God/Allah on the highest: stoning your shameful relatives to death, especially when they're a stanky women with all that nasty haunting sexuality and stuff. It just makes you feel warm inside that religions glowing track record in human history has been so deeply and firmly embraced and just still keeps chugging along. You go God!

[beherenow54]

11:59 AM on 07/08/2010

I agree with everything you're saying, except for the "you go God" part. God is not to blame, human beings and religions we create are to blame. We have interpreted, created if you will, "God" to be whatever we want him/her to be, usually in a way that will scare others into submission. Religion is the ultimate scare tactic. This is why I'm anti-religion. But I never attribute atrocities to God. It's all the doing of humans.

[Tim Ostrander]

02:52 PM on 07/08/2010

Does God (however you define him/her/it) not have a moral imperative to speak to those who claim to act in his name? What's he doing on the sidelines?

[Das Hirschenhofer 11]

05:22 AM on 07/08/2010

http://freesakineh.org/#signatures if you want to help go here...

[kurd55]

04:10 AM on 07/08/2010

Hey, according Warren Farrell, women having less power than men in the world is a big fat myth. So this can't be true! It's must be a man that's being stoned for adultery---RIGHT?

[S Fbege]

03:17 PM on 07/08/2010

Picking one radical example in a radical country does not necessarily discount a lot of research about a completely different society. This is a really dumb post. It's like saying that the idea that there is racism against the blacks is untrue because there was a crime in Zimbabwe where blacks attacked a white person because of racism

[Richard Colley]

02:10 AM on 07/08/2010

Some comments here show difficulty with reading for detail and lack of the ability to respond to the topic of concern in the article. The article is unsettling because the stoning is being practiced in a relatively primitive culture having no enlightenment. In our American culture, as various and complicated as it is, sees no justification for cruel and unusual punishment. But the real stickler is realizing that part of the world continues in stark contrast to the principles of human rights. Realism prompts us to ignore the problem or to minimize it beyond recognition. Idealism emboldens us to denounce and to strive to overthrow the evil. But the highest standard of Christianity urges us to overcome evil with good. Perhaps those who are skilled in dialog can begin to turn the situation around.

[theseusofaustralia]

05:15 AM on 07/08/2010

Oh please christianity is bat shit crazy too.

[MolliBlum]

05:41 AM on 07/08/2010

Richard: "The article is unsettling because the stoning is being practiced in a relatively primitive culture having no enlightenment"
No -- it is unsettling especially because it is being practised in a relatively sophisticated culture of great enlightenment, in complete contrast to the repressive tactics of its current ruling regime.

[Richard Colley]

10:59 PM on 07/08/2010

Is it "great enlightenment" to stone a mother accused of adultery in a justice system without due process of secular law? Is religious judgment with disregard to secular authority in the matter an example of "a relatively sophisticated culture of great enlightenment?" Well, yes, the ruling regime has used "repressive tactics" -- including primitive attitudes toward women and barbaric attitudes toward imposing the the death penalty by stoning. Can you understand what an outrage it is to stand a mother in a hole with her arms bound, buried to her chest, and defenselessly pelted with stones thrown by her male accusers until death?!! That was the norm 2000 years ago, but hasn't justice advanced at all by the 21st century?!!