Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani FREED; Iran Stoning Woman Let Go, German Campaign Group Says [UPDATE: Iran Contradicts Report; Ashtiani's Status Unclear]

UPDATE: Iran state television now denies that Ashtiani has been released. Developing...

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Iran has reportedly freed Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman sentenced to death by stoning, after global outrage spurred campaigns around the world. The AFP is reporting that a German rights group is claiming she is at home.

"We have got news from Iran that they are free," Mina Ahadi, spokeswoman for the Anti-Stoning Committee, is quoted as saying. According to the Guardian, rumors of the decision have been floating since a televised appearance:

Images from state-run Press TV showed her meeting her son Sajjad at her house in their hometown of Osku in northwestern Iran, boosting supporters' hopes that she had been released.

The move came just weeks after Iran signalled for the first time that it might spare the life of Mohammadi Ashtiani, 43, a mother of two who has been in Tabriz prison since 2006 and faced execution by stoning for "having an illicit relationship outside marriage."

In November, Iran's human rights council stated that Ashtiani might be spared, leading to renewed hopes that she would not be killed.

Ashtiani was first sentenced in 2006 for "adultery while being married" and given 99 lashes.

Had the sentence gone as planned, she would have been buried up to her chest and then pelted with stones, according to Amnesty International. The stones should "not be large enough to kill the person by one or two strikes; nor should they be so small that they could not be defined as stones, " according to Iranian law, the group reports.

This sentence was met with revulsion in much of the world, with protests from Italy to Ukraine and an official condemnation from the Vatican.

The Guardian quoted Ahadi as saying:

This is the happiest day in my life. I'm very happy for her son, Sajad, who fought single-handedly and bravely in Iran to defend his mother and tell the world that she is innocent. I'm sure that this day will be written in Iranian history books, if not the world's, as a day of victory for human rights campaigners.

Comments

[Behind the Tweed Curtain]

06:40 PM on 12/10/2010

From the Guardian piece:

Embarrassed by international condemnation of the stoning sentence, Iran has tried to distract attention from Mohammadi Ashtiani's initial charge of adultery by introducing new charges against her and portraying her as a murderer who killed her husband.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/10/iran-sakineh-mohammadi-ashtiani

[persianadvocate]

03:52 AM on 12/11/2010

LMAO okay... there's a WRITTEN RECORD called a "charge sheet" that you can go read. How come the Guardian doesn't elaborate on the actual facts of the case for you and the various judicial opinions along with the names of the judges like for ANY OTHER criminal trial?

Guess it's easier to just believe what the Guardian TELLS you is true than to vet the information for yourself. Tweed Curtain indeed...

[GSR]

05:40 AM on 12/11/2010

Actually the Guardian would be my first port of call in search of facts.

[Behind the Tweed Curtain]

07:46 AM on 12/11/2010

I would accept the information published by investigative journalists in a reputable newspaper before I would give much credence to the unsubstantiated claims of an anonymous poster who has such a blindingly obvious bias.

Expressing such haughty contempt for my screen name makes you look even less informed.

[Behind the Tweed Curtain]

06:29 PM on 12/10/2010

She was only taken home to be coerced into acting out the murder of the husband on video, which was then shown on state television. She is in prison, convicted of adultery and murder.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/10/iran-sakineh-mohammadi-ashtiani

[persianadvocate]

06:32 PM on 12/10/2010

"coerced" - proof for this beyond anecdotal evidence or mere statements?

[Behind the Tweed Curtain]

06:39 PM on 12/10/2010

Don't be silly.

[GSR]

05:43 AM on 12/11/2010

Well mate because it happened in Iran which is run by mad leaders and mad mullahs the onus of proof rests with you not us.

[persianadvocate]

03:56 PM on 12/10/2010

She's never going to be executed. She was an accomplice to murder of her husband along with the guy who is actually charged and convicted of murder. Adultery has never earned stoning under ANY variation of the Islamic Model Penal Code. In 2002, Iran officially announced a moratorium on the stoning penalty. In 2005, it was proposed that it be taken out of the model penal code but never fully ratified due to other issues, like Israel's trumpeting that they want to attack Iran (along with Bush, Rumsfeld, et. al. enforcing sanctions). In 2009, they reconvened and are now revising the entire model penal code, which takes some time.

For this verdict to have ever occurred, the local judiciary would have to appeal to a central body for final approval. That approval would never come as per the above. This story has been piped with propaganda from day 1. This woman was not as young as pictured and her story and the facts never established properly for the public.

Instead, campaigns were formed to "Save Sakineh", and new jokes formed against Iranian-Americans as if we are a primitive people. So for people like Enric Teller above, the only one you should pity are people like Kevin Cooper in California, who is an African-American due to be executed shortly that 5 Federal Judges are on record saying has been framed by the police (with ample evidence to support it).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/opinion/09kristof.html

[GirlUsingBrain]

05:36 PM on 12/10/2010

Stoning still occurs in Iran. Particularly rural Iran.

I feel as if you are being defensive. Please don't misinform people about the truth of this human rights violation.

This case and story is not personal and I have not heard any jokes about Persian Americans. And yes, I know a number of Persian Americans and I have discussed this case at length with them. They never said what you have just stated.

Sakineh's story doesn't have anything to do with Kevin Cooper.

Stoning is torture. And it still occurs. The world needs to know that.

[persianadvocate]

05:45 PM on 12/10/2010

Please show us one instance of that happening. One instance. Your anecdotal information is no good here.

[persianadvocate]

05:47 PM on 12/10/2010

Why is America not relevant? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx4_gFY-Zn0
Larijani explaining the judicial posturing of this woman, who was an accomplice to murder. In many States, she would receive capital punishment with the added charge that she conspired to premeditated murder. Unlike the mentally handicapped woman in America who hired men to kill her family, Sakineh is fully competent, and carried out her deed in cold blood. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, the Federal Government and the US Military would all likely sentence this woman to death for being an accomplice to premeditated murder and, additionally, conspiracy to premeditated murder.

I'm a licensed lawyer in several jurisdictions in the States. Please take me to task. I will enjoy the debate.

[GSR]

05:48 AM on 12/11/2010

Listen weasel, her sentence to be stoned was handed down because she had sex with a man who was not her deemed owner. Your attempts to draw moral equivalences with the US are laughable.

[persianadvocate]

10:12 AM on 12/11/2010

Okay, because your mongloidass says so.

[Whinger]

03:35 PM on 12/10/2010

Looks like I'll have to withdraw my favorable comments concerning Iran....

Until such times as they actually deserve them!

[persianadvocate]

06:35 PM on 12/10/2010

The Iranian people still love you.

[rougebaisers]

01:17 PM on 12/10/2010

Well is it true or not? WTF.

[persianadvocate]

10:13 AM on 12/11/2010

Nawt. :)

[Real Indy]

12:07 PM on 12/10/2010

You mean the american media doesn't understand the iranian legal system or this case, but choose to print unverified stories anyway?
I'm shocked

[GirlUsingBrain]

05:38 PM on 12/10/2010

It was reported by a German amnesty group. I guess they command a certain degree of credibility.

[persianadvocate]

10:13 AM on 12/11/2010

Nope, same "activists" were preaching for sanctions which are DIRECTLY hurting the Iranian people.

[fairwayhill]

12:04 PM on 12/10/2010

No one in the US would release a person formally accused of murder.

[SparklingWater]

12:15 PM on 12/10/2010

Her Lawyer says she was aquitted of the murder charge:

"Mostafaei is an acclaimed lawyer who volunteere­d to represent Sakineh when he heard her story.

Sakineh received 99 lashes, but was subsequent­ly accused of adultery during the trial of a man accused of murdering her husband. Iran’s judiciary has said Sakineh faces execution by hanging “because she is convicted of murder”.

Mostafaei has issued a statement saying that Sakineh has been acquitted of murdering her husband...­"

http://mis­sionfreeir­an.org/tak­e-action/s­olidarity-­with-women­/sakineh-a­shtiani/mo­stafaei-as­htiani-acq­uitted/

[wereeverywhere]

01:53 PM on 12/10/2010

http://missionfreeiran.org/take-action/solidarity-with-women/sakineh-ashtiani/mostafaei-ashtiani-acquitted/

Maybe that link will work.

[persianadvocate]

10:18 AM on 12/11/2010

her lawyer is seeking amnesty for himself and doesn't care what happens to her. sad that you're martyring a murderer lol

[wereeverywhere]

12:41 PM on 12/10/2010

It was adultery that got her the sentence of stoning. Do you agree with IRI's war on adultery?

[persianadvocate]

05:54 PM on 12/10/2010

A lie. http://69.56.188.98/en/resources/legislation/nationallaw/iran

Check out Article 86's FIRST draft: "Adultery of a permanently married man or a permanently married woman who does not have access to his or her spouse, due to travel, incarceration or similar impediments, shall ---NOT--- require stoning" (emphasis added).

And that site is actually an organization called the Women's Learning Partnership. http://69.56.188.98/en/about

[Bergen2]

11:07 AM on 12/10/2010

If she did manage to get out of prison, I hope she gets the heck out of Iran as soon as possible. Seems like many have had luck getting over the border into Turkey. Good luck Ms. Ashtiani!

[tallen]

09:25 AM on 12/10/2010

My comment from yesterday

"tallen
Commented 16 hours ago in World

“Before everyone gets to ecstatic, we should wait to see if this preliminar­y report is true."

[Rosarita]

11:51 AM on 12/10/2010

The truth is that she was released with her son last week for a filming at her former house to be aired on Iranian TV tonight. In the film, she will reenact her part in the murder of her husband. I fear that this means Iran plans to execute her very soon and first wants to justify it by televising her admitting to her guilt and demonstrating how she took part in the murder for all to see. I hope am wrong.

[Real Indy]

12:09 PM on 12/10/2010

I'm glad you are beginning to realize that american media stories about Iran usually are not factual and can typically not be believed

[tallen]

01:06 PM on 12/10/2010

What I have seen is that most reports of egregious behavior on Iran's part are nearly always true, while reports of some moderation or benevolence on Iran's part are usually not true...such as this story.

[wereeverywhere]

03:37 PM on 12/10/2010

I'm beginning to see that your posts about Iran are not factual and can typically not be believed.

[black series]

09:09 AM on 12/10/2010

Media Fail.

[Shirley Fisk]

08:46 AM on 12/10/2010

12/10/10
8:50am
Arlington, VA

Please have mercy on this woman and her son.

[JtownesquireAgain]

08:33 AM on 12/10/2010

Why would they release her? Even if you set aside the "stoning for adultery" aspect, she was also convicted of conspiring in the death of her husband. They aren't going to let a convicted murderer walk out of prison. No more so than the US Government would let someone walk out of prison just because there was outrage from Iran or any other foreign country.

[black series]

09:08 AM on 12/10/2010

Right on.

[SparklingWater]

09:52 AM on 12/10/2010

She was acquitted of the murder charge - "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"

http://www.iranian.com/main/2010/jul/sakineh-mohammadi-ashtiani

[Magic 62]

11:57 AM on 12/10/2010

She wasn't acquitted of the murder charge. Prosecution decided to drop the charge in favour of Adultery in order to go for maximum possible penalty.

[jcarterla]

07:29 AM on 12/10/2010

Everyone who is so up in arms about taxes right now should think about how much worse things could be. Stories like this really make me examine my own plight and see that no matter how low my life gets, it could be so much lower.

[mickydean]

09:17 AM on 12/10/2010

I would rather think how much better things should be. We shouldn't even be reading stories like people getting stoned in this day or age, talk about primitive.

[Magic 62]

11:59 AM on 12/10/2010

Electrocution is so much more humane .. *Sarcastic tone*

[No War With Iran]

04:13 AM on 12/10/2010

Appears she was just let out in order to film some more propaganda about herself.

Terrible shame.

[pinkibus]

04:05 AM on 12/10/2010

All over the world women are treated unfairly. They are victims. But stoning is a Jewish tradition and has nothing to do with what was written in the Koran. As to death penalties for various crimes - well the punishment of death is still meted out in America and the methods used until the recent past are worse than stoning. Electrocution - wow. Your hair catches fire and sometimes the top of your head is blown off. Or gas - definitely terrible. Present punishments are also deploable. IHowever, there is a trial in an open court and a charge. And in America women don't ride at the back of the bus.

[WBMD]

05:43 AM on 12/10/2010

When have you ever heard of Jews stoning a woman to death?

And you are not saying it is OK for Iran, "because others do it", are you?

[pinkibus]

06:35 AM on 12/10/2010

WBMD - I have only read about Jews stoning anybody to death and I read about it in the bible. Eighteen crimes were to result in being stoned. Like if a woman didn't scream loudly enough while being raped or stoning disobedient sons. But I noticed stoning is not mentioned in the Koran. I cwetainly do not tthink if it is okay in Iran it is okay elsewhere. Similarly I don't think capital punishment is okay because it is okay in America. And I don't think it is okay to make women ride in the back of the bus in America or elsewhere just because it is allowed in Israel. And I don't think because Israel holds men in prison without charge or trial in an open court it is okay for others to do the same thing. I think it is medieval.

[tallen]

09:28 AM on 12/10/2010

>>"because others do it"

Except that no others do it, despite pink's desperate attempt to exonerate Iran.

[Tajeetah]

08:26 AM on 12/10/2010

"And in America women don't ride at the back of the bus."

Not anymore. But 50 years ago they still did. Remember Rosa Parks?
I don't like what's happening to this woman like everyone else, but one must remember that societies don't evolve at the same speed. It wasn't that long ago that blacks were property to be treated any way their owners liked in America. Have we forgotten that already? Women in many countries were only allowed to vote less then a hundred years ago, some only 50.
When judging other nations because of their "barbarism" we have to remember that they are where we were not that long ago, and just like we have given ourselves the chance to work our way out of our own barbarism, other nations also should have the same right. There is no rule that says that every single nation on Earth has to develop and get enlightened at the same speed. Iran will come out of the dark ages just like the rest of us had, except that while we could do it on our own, Iran is being bullied into change which I don't think is conductive to their own development.
Change must come within. The Iranian people have to make this change themselves, not get pushed into it by the self righteous West that always thinks it knows better and judges others without taking a good look at itself and its very own history, and sometimes even its present.

[mickydean]

09:26 AM on 12/10/2010

You don't need to be self righteous to know stoning someone to death is not exactly equal to committing adultery. As far as working their way out of barbarism , I'd say they have had plenty of time to work that out.

[pinkibus]

01:58 PM on 12/10/2010

Rosa didn't ride in the back of the bus because she was a woman. She was expected to ride in the back of the bus because she was black and black men rode in the back of the bus with black women. In both cases riding in the back was to show that the people in the front were superior to the people in the back. And yes it is true that it is ridiculous to expect a "modern" socieety to be like a poor backward society. Iran once had a democracy but they elected a man who promptly nationalized oil. He was assasinated and the shah was put in place. The CIA was involved with the assasination and America armed the shah but he had to let go of the control of oil. Sound sort of familiar? Anyway, the rise of Khomenie is a direct result of American not liking an elected leader. That sounds familiar too. The Taliban was armed by America too. And since the Saudis never stop the oil from flowing to the West, nobody seems to be worried about their regime which is every bit as bad as that of the Taliban.