Death by stoning sentence halted, Iranian couple spared

A man and woman charged with adultery in Iran have been spared from death by stoning after an outcry from the international community. According to reports by the Gulf-Times and Human Rights Watch, a judiciary official in the Qazvin province of Iran has announced that the planned stoning had been halted in an apparent step forward for anti-stoning campaigners in the country.

Mokarrameh Ebrahimi and an unnamed man were scheduled to be killed after having been imprisoned for the past 11 years after being charged with adultery and having a child out of wedlock. According to Amnesty International, the couple were to be placed in pits, with the man buried up to his waist and the woman up to her breasts, as stated under the Iranian Penal Code. The law goes on to say that stones used should “not be large enough to kill the person by one or two strikes; nor should they be so small that they could not be defined stones.”

This form of the death penalty has long been condemned by the international community, thus making today’s ruling appear to be a step in the right direction. However, reports have been circulating that a group of children, both boys and girls, under the age of 18 are currently on death row for actions against the government. These children have been sentenced to death by hanging and are reportedly meant to serve as an example for those who would consider standing up against the Iranian regime.

For the full Gulf Times report, click here.

For the full Amnesty International report, click here.