December 26th, 2011
12:12 PM ET

Iranian officials: Woman may be hanged instead of stoned

A woman sentenced to die by stoning will be executed, Iranian officials said Monday, but the method of execution is still being debated, according to an Iranian media report.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's case drew international attention after she was sentenced to die by stoning for adultery.

"This lady is accused of two crimes," Hojatoleslam Sharifi, the judiciary chief of Eastern Azarbaijan province, told reporters at a news conference on Monday, the semi-official Iran Student's News Agency reported. "One is adultery which is punishable by stoning to death, and the other is assisting in her husband's murder. She is currently serving 10 years for helping to kill her husband."

He said "we did not have the needed facility for stoning," so officials asked the then-head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, for advice, Sharifi said. "He was too busy at the time and this issue was left for his successor to handle."

The current judiciary head, Ayatollah Amoli Larijani, "is of the opinion that since the objective is execution, and since stoning is not practical, the execution should be done by hanging," he said. "However, (Larijiani) has decided to wait for now and discuss the issue with other Islamic scholars until a clear and accurate decision is reached."

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soundoff (45 Responses)
  1. Andreas Moser

    Hanging is where Iran is good: http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/iran-new-record-in-2011/

    December 26, 2011 at 12:17 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Joey Isotta-Fraschini

    It is hard to believe that humans could contemplate stoning another human in 2011.

    December 26, 2011 at 12:28 pm | Report abuse |
    • Kanageloa

      Joey, their mindset is still in the 6th or 7th Century. Their religion is ALL about man and man only. Women and children are to be tolerated just like farm animals. Sad that this incredible nonsense still exists in today's world.

      December 26, 2011 at 12:45 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Joey Isotta-Fraschini

    It is hard to believe that adultery is punishable by death anywhere today.
    Are these humans, really?

    December 26, 2011 at 12:30 pm | Report abuse |
    • Andreas Moser

      I am kind of glad I was only charged with espionage when I was in prison in Iran: http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/reports-about-my-trip-to-iran-in-junejuly-2009/

      December 26, 2011 at 2:46 pm | Report abuse |
  4. bobcat ( in a hat )

    I guess they want to see her do an air dance instead. Are they thinking this is more humane ? Adultery being punishable by death. It's just hard to wrap my mind around that.

    December 26, 2011 at 12:41 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Joey Isotta-Fraschini

    If I lived in a country like Iran, I would find a way to escape.
    How can anyone living there not want to escape or change the country?

    December 26, 2011 at 12:41 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Portland tony

    The law is the law! We send 12 year olds to prison for life. We arrest people because they look foreign. We let the wealthy walk when stealing people's life savings. Our system is not perfect, maybe just a little less barbaric!

    December 26, 2011 at 1:18 pm | Report abuse |
  7. banasy©

    I find it appalling that she only gets 10 years for being an accessory to homicide, but death for adultery.

    December 26, 2011 at 1:26 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Bill

    It's incredible in this day and age that people are still primitive to that extent, but that's the way of life in these primitive Islamic nations where they have no values that compare with the western world....and we keep trying to drag them kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Misguided efforts to force anything civilized on them have proven expensive and fruitless in every sense of the term....just look at the news from Iraq! Lots of re-thinking of our foreign policy needed here by our leaders.

    December 26, 2011 at 1:27 pm | Report abuse |
  9. melinda

    What happened to the guy she committed the adultery with?

    December 26, 2011 at 1:27 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Joey Isotta-Fraschini

    I cannot see that adultery should be punishable by anything more severe than divorce by the spouse.
    A twelve-year-old sent to prison for life has committed a heinous crime.

    December 26, 2011 at 1:29 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Joey Isotta-Fraschini

    @ banasy:
    Did you post anywhere under "banasy c," not copyright, during the last 24 hours?

    December 26, 2011 at 1:38 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Portland tonyl

    F *ckin' Troll...

    December 26, 2011 at 2:05 pm | Report abuse |
  13. the truth

    They like the stone age eh? Let's nuke them back to the stone age. NUKE IRAN! NUKE IRAN! NUKE IRAN!

    December 26, 2011 at 2:34 pm | Report abuse |
  14. banasy©

    No, JIF.
    The children *are* out on break right now.

    December 26, 2011 at 2:37 pm | Report abuse |
  15. THE ONE AND ONLY DRAKOREX1

    THATS PRETTY BRUTAL,IT WOULD BE HARD TO AMAGINE. THOSE PEOPLE HAVE SO MUCH ANGER.

    December 26, 2011 at 3:06 pm | Report abuse |
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