Iranian Women in Imminent Danger of Execution

This past week Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have been highlighting the plight of two women sentenced to death in Iran. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, was convicted of “adultery while being married” and was sentenced to be executed by stoning. The second woman, Zeynab Jalalian is a 27-year-old ethnic Kurdish political activist. She was sentenced to death in early 2009 after being convicted of “Moharebeh” (“enmity against God”) and she is in imminent danger of execution by hanging at any time; her conviction was based on her alleged membership in a Kurdish armed opposition group.

Iran executes more people than any other country in the world, except for China. Iran executed at least 388 people in 2009 and has executed at least 126 people so far this year. Execution by stoning is abhorrent and rightly condemned, since, according to Iranian penal code, it is specifically designed to increase the victim’s suffering since the stones are deliberately chosen to be large enough to cause pain, but not so large as to kill the victim immediately. Further, Amnesty reported in 2008 that the majority of those sentenced to death by stoning in Iran are women.

Following a world-wide outcry that included human rights activists as well as Hollywood celebrities and high officials such as the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, the Iranian Embassy in London announced on July 8 that Ms Ashtiani would in fact not be stoned, although her ultimate fate is still unclear. The welcome announcement that the stoning will not be carried out demonstrates the effectiveness and the importance of vigorously protesting Iran’s human rights violations; despite some claims to the contrary, the Iranian government is not immune to international pressure and world opinion.

And while this may seem like cause for celebration, an uneasy cloud of uncertainty has shrouded this potential victory. According to our latest press release, we now fear that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani may be hanged, as charges against her have surfaced in connection to the murder of her husband. In Iran, if she is convicted of murder, the punishment is hanging not stoning; for adultery, the punishment is stoning. Changing the method of execution, however, does not change the injustice of the act. Amnesty International continues to urge Iranian authorities not to execute her by any method.

As all this uncertainty has come with the Ashtiani case, Zeynab Jalalian's life still hangs in the balance. Please consider joining Amnesty in our efforts by expressing your concern to the Iranian government to halt the execution of both these women.

For more information, please read the full story concerning these women and the plight they have and still continue to face from Elise Auerbach, AIUSA’s country specialist for Iran and Jordan.

Source: Amnesty International, July 14, 2010

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