There are unconfirmed reports that the Iranian government has reversed the stoning sentence meted out to a mother of two.

Under Iranian law, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was to have been buried to her chest in a pit of sand, then pelted with medium sized stones until she died.

43-year-old Mohammadi Ashtiani has already received 99 lashes for alleged adultery.

Her son, risking his own life, had written to the head of the judiciary, begging the judges to spare her life.

"I, as an Iranian citizen who has not succeeded in getting an audience with your office, say to you, the head of the judiciary, who tells television networks day in, day out, that justice must prevail and officials guilty of misconduct must be punished, that there is no justice in this country."

He has reportedly written hundreds of letters to the Supreme Leader and other power figures in Iran, and has never received an answer.

The story is complicated. Mohammadi Ashtiani was allegedly in an abusive marriage. One of the two men she is accused of having adultery with murdered her husband. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, because the family of the slain man did not seek retribution. She also got ten for being an accomplice. There was never any firm evidence of her alleged adultery but according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, two of the five judges in her case deemed there was insufficient evidence to prove the charge of adultery. But the other three, based on their “knowledge and evaluation”, decided such an act had taken place and sentenced her to stoning, on top of the 99 lashes she received, while her son watched. He said of course he did not want to watch that inflicted on her, but was afraid to leave his mother alone. Mohammadi Ashtiani has been in jail now five years.

World leaders from London to Washington have condemned the sentence.

Senator John Kerry said "stoning is an appalling and barbaric punishment. The government of Iran should abolish this act as a legitimate form of punishment."

The UK Foreign Office called on Iran "to put an immediate stay to the execution of Ms. Mohammadi-Ashtiani on the charge adultery, and review the process by which she was tried, and her sentence. She has already faced the disgraceful punishment of ninety-nine lashes for adultery; her execution would disgust and appal the watching world,” said Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights says “in countries which have not abolished the death penalty, the sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes” and that “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” Iran is a signatory to that covenant.

According to Amnesty International, executions in Iran, as well as human rights abuses, are up since last year’s disputed elections.

http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/07/08/stoning-may-have-been-stopped/?test=latestnews

When this regime is taken our of power the same thing that happened to Saddam and the the trials after WW2 will happen to leaders of this regime. They will be tried, conviced and sentanced to death for crimes against humanity.

The ICC would have a field day with things like this.

yeah, let's bomb them, so they won't die by stoning, but depleted uranium shots. You didn't care about what Iran was doing before, why the sudden interest?

China leads by the death penalty, followed by Saudi-Arabia, where death by stoning is also used.
Interestingly, those are the "allies" of USA.

perhaps someday we will be rebuked for our barbaric poisoning, electrocution, and shootings too


I think its sad, justice means different things to different people,, I feel that everyone in favor of death penalties should sign a registration(similar to voters) and when THEY commit a crime, they should get the punishment they agreed was appropriate

those who dont sign such a registration should be free from the death penalty to serve some other fate,,

Yes, bom the MILITARY targets back to the stoneage. Take the leadership out of power. These humane rights violations cant go on. Come on, throwing rocks at a woman until she dies for having sex AND on top of that when there is no proof.

I think Saudi Arabia and anyother country that does this is dispicable, BUT they are making efforts to change these inhumane treatments.

I'm not opposed to the death penalty, im opposed to someone dying by means of torture for a so called crime that isn't even a crime.

There are plenty of places that would need to be "bombed" if we go by where there are medieval style punishment is still at large. I would have to say, most underdeveloped countries, including Africa, where they will put a burning tire in your neck and burn to death if the tribal chieftain accuses you committing a witchcraft, such as cooking a herbal tea.

exactly I admire your intellectual honesty

Oh we have plenty of reasons. Let's see there's the Nuclear part, then theres the taking hostiges in International Waters then parading them on TV(anyone remember the british sailors?) then there grabbing US citizins right over the Iraqui border, then there's the human rights violations including the election aftermath and massacre, then there is the harboring, protecting and granting Asylum terrorists, then theres providing support to known terrorist orginizations and regimes. Then there's the constant threats against Israel and western Allies. I can keep going if you want.

Not to mention taking the British sailors hostage could be considered an act of war, and on a NATO member which technically mean the UK could attack along with NATO following suit.

Africa has fifty countries,, it is a continent.

Under Sharia Law, there needs to be three eyewitnesses to the alledged adultery.

we don't condone stonings, mercy killings, or extrajudicial or sham
trials no matter where it occurs.

iran is probably the leading state sponsor of terrorism. it is a
theocratic regime which justifies killing based solely on religious
affiliation.

there is no reasonable defense for the heinous iranian policies
under which they sponsor and support the indiscriminate murder of
innocent civilians through their proxies hezbollah and hamas. iran is also implicated in suppression of secular or moderate or any non shia political movement in syria and lebanon and iran may also shelter taliban and al-quaida operatives.

iran is as repugnant an international pariah as n korea and that's saying a lot. they do not deserve any special accommodation from
the u.n. security council or anyone else. they openly quash political and religious dissent by unjustly imprisoning their own people with torture and even killing them openly in the street with no hesitation whatsoever. they are not like china or saudi arabia or any other country on earth. the idea that they should be entitled to pursue nuclear dual-use research and development is both terrifying and sickening. every effort must be made including military force to prevent such a regime from getting access to the worst weapons of mass destruction.

And what Christianity done in the name of God?? Rome?? England?? US?? We are not the first to target Muslims...........and for what purpose........Russia had nuclear technology under communism and never deployed and weapons of mass destruction......but yet how long were the US and the USSR at each others throats to become allies in the end.......remember WW3 according to Nostradamus would be when the Eagle and the Bear fight.......what happened to that......people feared China and the US in battle....China allies.......how do we condone fighting for our allies......isn't it there fight......the US should only deploy in instances of genocide and world domination.......to only protect the lives of those in jeopardy of annihalation.....What gives us the right to judge others and tell them what they do remains right or wrong........doesn't our own bible say judge not lest ye be judged all the harder? Did not Jesus himself say those without sin cast the first stone? According to the bible? Can we say propaganda motivates anger and all out murder and do we not carry the sins of our forefathers? People came to the USA to be free from oppression.......how can we create oppression of others by our own standards?

Just for the record, this practice is known as 'necklacing', and was first popularized by the then-wife of Nelson Mandela, the oh-so-popular Winnie Mandela. Did she know how to keep her supporters happy or what ... ? This is almost as good as the way the Ton-Tons Macoute used machetes to mete out 'justice' ... 'Know justice, Know peace' ... right.

Since the Iranian episode described here is but one small aspect of the 'fairness' of Sharia 'law', mebbe this would be a good time for all the peeps who want to see it imposed HERE to re-think their position. Like the old sayin' goes, y' better watch what y' wish for - you might get it.

China is not an ally.... *sigh*....

$.02

Okay not necessarily allies but economically in it with the US...and has supported and bascially in debt enough to them that they could own the US through financials if they so desired......each child of the US is born owing over 100000 each now

don't leave out giving NUKES TO THE TERRORISTS...but that doesn't seem important to anyone... the same terrorists that flew 4 planes into buildings, killing 3000 civilians, same terrorists that burned down a school in russia, killing 400 kids and their teachers. i may be wrong, but terrorists with nukes doesn't sound very good to me.

Don't forget the same terrorists that on the Gaza strip us kids as human shields............

and the same the blew up embassy's, malls churches, schools.....
and the list goes on

love the lies..keep em coming. Iran doesn't do stonings anymore.