Amnesty International condemns execution by stoning in Iran

In announcing the release of a report on Tuesday on the continued use of stoning as a means of execution in Iran, Amnesty International has “called on the country’s authorities to immediately abolish this grotesque punishment, which is specifically designed to increase the suffering of its victims.”

Iran’s penal code currently prescribes execution by stoning as punishment for adultery, and although there have been some moves towards amending the Penal Code, the practice has continued. Several stonings have taken place in recent years despite official claims to the contrary and the declaration of a moratorium on the practice in 2002.

According to the article, “The majority of those sentenced to death by stoning are women. Women are not treated equally with men under the law and by courts, and they are also particularly vulnerable to unfair trials because their higher illiteracy rate makes them more likely to sign confessions to crimes they did not commit.”

Human rights activists in Iran are defying pressure from the authorities in continuing their Stop Stoning Forever campaign, and believe that the international publicity generated will help their cause.

“We urge the Iranian authorities to heed our calls, and those of the Iranians who are striving relentlessly to obtain an end to this horrendous practice,” said Malcolm Smart, the director of Amnesty International’s Middle East Program.

For the full article, and to read the report, click here.