Amnesty International Report condemns Iran’s practice of death by stoning

I'm sure the Iranians are shaking in their slippers. Thanks to Insight Into Today's Middle East an Simon Barrett

Amnesty International has issued a highly critical report highlighting the despicable practice of execution by stoning carried out by the Iranian regime.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been in the headlines for its controversial nuclear weapons program and state sponsorship of international terrorism. While the report focuses on the practice of stoning, Amnesty International has taken the Iranian regime to task for a wide range of human rights abuses including hanging people for being gay and torturing children.

The Amnesty International report states that currently nine women and two men in Iran are waiting to be stoned to death. The majority of Iranians who are sentenced to death by stoning are women who suffer disproportionately in comparison to men. According to the report, Iran’s Penal Code dictates that the “stones have to be large enough to cause pain but not too large to kill the victim straight away”. Article 102 of the Penal code says that men should be buried up to their waists and women up to their breasts for execution by stoning. This horrific style of execution is usually carried out for acts such as adultery which is a criminal offense in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The report highlighted the sad plight of one Iranian woman Kobra N., who is currently serving in Tabriz prison and waiting to be stoned to death. It is alleged that she was forced into prostitution by her husband who was a heroin addict and acted violently towards her. In 1995 after being severely beaten up she told one of her regular clients that she wanted her husband dead. Her client allegedly followed this up by murdering Kobra’s husband after she had taken him to a meeting place where he was killed. The client was sentenced to death but was later pardoned by the husband's family after blood money was paid. Korba was sentenced by the Iranian courts to eight years imprisonment to be followed by execution by stoning for being an accomplice in the murder of her husband.

Simon Barrett, Director of I-M-I-A International Media Intelligence Analysis said “I welcome this report published by Amnesty International and their campaign to stop stoning as a form of public executions in Iran. The practice of execution by stoning, which is mainly targeted at women, is barbaric and evil and we need to hear the voice of the international community condemning such actions. Iran’s human rights abuses speak to the character of this regime, one which continues to support terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as defy the international community’s will in a number of areas, including refusing to comply with legally binding Security Council resolutions regarding the enrichment of uranium which could be used to develop a nuclear weapon or produce a terrorist dirty bomb.”

London based Iranian Journalist Nazanine Ansari, said “In the past few months there has been a large increase in the levels of human rights abuses in Iran against women, students, journalists, ethnic and religious minorities. This report comes in the wake of recent amputations and public executions carried out by the Iranian authorities. There was a recent case where five criminals had their right hands and left feet amputated. As an Iranian women and journalist it pains me to see reports day after day of new human rights abuses carried out by the Iranian regime.”

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Comments

[human]

keep up the good job
thank you for what you write

[Layla]

Heh! Right. Pffffffft! Too little and too late. These folks are just gone.

[Angel]

AI..what a joke Deb!..pfftt!..great find!:)

[DD2]

Please stop over at my place and pick up your well deserved Award as well as a glass of Chateau Latour to celebrate.

[kevin]

Is it just me, or has Amnesty ignored Muslim nations for a long time now?

[John Ryan]

The worst offenders are Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia our allies. Why should we hope that our "enemies" will behave better than our friends ?

[heidianne jackson]

highly critical, yes, but not nearly enough.

besides, remember debbie that honor killings aren't happening because of islam, it's just domestic violence. sure.

[Rosemary]

And the beat(ings) goes on...it's a sad, sad situation. Then again, AI sure did take their time saying any darn thing against Iran, but they have not hesitated to criticize the USA. Are you aware that they think we are worse? I wish they would stick to Human Rights issues, rather than politics, but that's just me, I guess.

[Jack]

Stoning is such an inhumane and violent manner of capital punishment. It is truly cruel and barbaric.