Iran halts death by stoning sentences
Published: Tuesday, August 05, 2008
12:27GMT—8:27AM/EST
IRAN – STONING – EXECUTIONS
Washington, 5 August (IranVNC)—Iran’s Judiciary Spokesperson Ali Reza Jamshidi announced today that the Islamic Republic would place a moratorium on death by stoning sentences, pending a review of individual cases.
“The issued verdicts for all these cases will not be carried out,” Jamshidi was quoted by the semi-official ISNA news agency as saying.
Jamshidi further told reporters that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has commuted the stoning sentences for two individuals to approximately ten years in jail. Two other individuals were issued lashing sentences instead of death by stoning following a judicial review, he added.
Iran’s Judiciary chief, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, imposed a moratorium on the practice in 2002, but judges have continued to occasionally issue this punishment.
During a trip to Qatar in April 2008, Shahroudi confirmed that Iran stones some offenders to death, but explained that a judge “has the option” to designate a different punishment if he believes the stoning sentence “will be to the detriment of Islam”, ISNA reported.
Last month, eight women and one man in Iran were sentenced to death by stoning. The charges against the women included prostitution, incest and adultery, while the man was convicted of having an illegitimate relationship with a student.
The European Union issued a statement on 24 July calling on Iran to commute the sentences against the nine, and urged the Islamic Republic to abolish this “cruel and degrading” punishment. It noted that Iran has pledged to end this sentence.
International rights groups say Iran is violating its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which forbids cruel and inhumane punishment.
Under Iranian law, men sentenced to death by stoning are buried up to their waists and women up to their chests. The public then throws stones – not big enough to kill the person immediately – at the convicted.
Sources: Iranian Students’ News Agency, Amnesty International, Presidency of the European Union website
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