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Azerbaijani woman sentenced to be stoned to death in Iran can be hanged instead

26 December 2011 08:02 (UTC +04:00)

Prosecutor of the East Azerbaijan province Malek Ajdar Sharifi told journalists that the execution of the sentence was suspended due to the international pressures.
â€œAt that time we appealed to former chairman of Iranâ€™s Supreme Court Hashimi Shahrudi, but could not get a neat reply. New chairman of Iranâ€™s Supreme Court Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani said the woman sentenced to be stoned to death could be hanged instead. Islamic experts are holding consultations. For the moment Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is in prison.â€

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, 43, is from Tabriz. She has been in prison for five years. In 2006 Iranian court convicted Ashtiani of having an "illicit relationship" with two men, after her husband was murdered. Tabriz court first sentenced her to 99 lashes and the sentence was executed. Later, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani faced new charges. She was accused of being involved in her husbandâ€™s murder and adulterating her husband when he was alive. She was sentenced to be stoned to death.

The Azerbaijani woman admitted guilt, but later she refuted all the accusations saying she admitted guilt under pressure.