Sakineh Mohamamadi Ashtiani, 43 year old mother of two from the city of Tabriz in the northwestern Iran was accused for having illegal sexual relationships with two men and killed her husband with the help of those two men.

Court issued death sentence by stoning only after two hearings but before her execution, the news leaked through a radio channel and reached all around the World.

The moment news reached the media, several international and Human rights organization voiced against the death sentence by stoning. The agencies include Human Right watch and Amnesty International was the leading organizations who opposed the act on international level. US Senate also discussed the issue of death sentence by stoning and strongly condemn it.

European Union, Foreign Ministers of different countries, High Commission for Human Rights of United Nations showed their worries. Even celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, David Hare, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Joliette Binoche and several others issued their statements against the issue of death sentence of Sakinah by stoning in Iran.

An Iranian official has said that the death sentence has not been canceled, but is under review.

The pressure started building on Iranian Government. They were already in the hot water as far as their international image is concerned so they needed to react very carefully to keep things intact.

Finally Iran announced that the decision of death sentence of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani will stand. The options of execution and appeal will be reviewed and at the same time authorities refused to accept that the international pressure forced them to review the parameters.

Mohammad Javad Karijani, the Chief of Iran High Council for Human Rights stated that Iranian Judges or Courts can never be influenced by the Western or Media Pressure.
On the other side Pashad Husseini, Lawyer for International Committee against stoning stated that it’s a victory for the people of the world. He further showed his doubt about the reviewing of the case. He said there are examples in the past when Court decided to review the death sentence by stoning but later on executed in the same way.

Apart from this case, Article 83 of the Laws of Islamic Punishment in Iraq allows the death sentence by stoning for infidelity cases. Infidelity is totally illegal in Iran. According to Law the stoning must take place in Public and the relatives of the accused lady must watch the stoning. The witness or the Judge is asked to start the stoning and then it nearly takes half an hour to kill the person. From 2009 till now, including Ashtiani, six people have been issued death sentences by stoning.

Sakineh Mohamamadi Ashtiani