URGENT ACTION

Demand judiciary halts stoning

Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi is at risk of execution by stoning in Tabriz Prison, western Iran. She was convicted in 2006 or 2007 of “adultery while being married”. She was previously flogged for “having an illicit relationship”.

Sakineh Mohammadi was convicted on 15 May 2006 of having had an “illicit relationship” with two men. She received flogging of 99 lashes as her sentence. She was subsequently accused of “adultery while being married" in September 2006 during the trial of a man accused of murdering her husband. In this trial, Sakineh Mohammadi retracted a “confession” that she had made during her pre-trial interrogation, alleging that she had been forced to make it under duress, and denied the charge of adultery. Two of the five judges found her not guilty, noting that she had already been flogged and adding that they did not find the necessary proof of adultery in the case against her. However, the three other judges, including the presiding judge, found her guilty on the basis of “the knowledge of the judge”, a provision in Iranian law that allows judges to make their own subjective and possibly arbitrary determination whether an accused person is guilty even in the absence of clear or conclusive evidence. Having been convicted by a majority of the five judges, Sakineh Mohammadi was sentenced to death by stoning.

Her death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court on 27 May 2007. Her case has been sent to the Amnesty and Clemency Commission twice, but her request for clemency was rejected on both occasions.

Sakineh Mohammadi’s lawyer again asked the Amnesty and Clemency Commission to review her case three months ago. It is not known how long this will take, but if rejected she would be at immediate risk of execution by stoning.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English or your own language:

• Urging the authorities not to execute Sakineh Mohammadi;

• calling on the authorities to order an immediate and effective moratorium on executions by stoning and the use of other forms of execution and cruel and inhuman punishments, including flogging.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE DD/MONTH/YEAR TO: