Philosophy
It has been a couple of weeks since news about Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's execution. Here is the latest.
Iran has signalled for the first time that it may spare the life of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman whose sentence of death by stoning for adultery has sparked an international outcry.
Mohammad Javad Larijani, a top adviser to the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and the current secretary general of Iran's High Council for Human Rights told Press TV: "Iran's Council of Human Rights has helped a lot to reduce her sentence and we think there is a good chance that her life could be saved."
The unprecedented comments by Larijani, whose brothers are holding key positions in the Islamic Republic, one as the head of parliament and the other as the chief of judiciary, came after his visit to the UN last week where he extended an invitation during a meeting with Ban Ki-moon to the UN's human rights chief to visit Iran.
Should Mohammadi Ashtiani's life be spared it will be a victory for human rights activists and the media around the world who devoted a significant amount of time campaigning against her execution.
Once again, Larijani compared Mohammadi Ashtiani's case with that of Teresa Lewis who was executed by lethal injection in the US state of Virginia for arranging the murder of her husband and stepson.
"In the US, a woman killed her husband, with the aid of her ex-lover, and even though she was suffering from mental disorder, she was sentenced to the capital punishment and was executed … The same incident took place in Iran, and the woman was condemned to capital punishment, but her case is still open for further revision," Larijani told Iran's English language TV Channel, Press TV.
In previous months, Iran has tried to distract attentions from Mohammadi Ashtiani's initial adultery charge and stoning sentence by introducing new charges against her and portraying her as a murderous woman.
Larijani said: "Nothing is said about the American woman, but there are lots of criticism regarding our judicial system [and this shows] how biased, unrealistic and hypocritical and malicious [the media is when it looks at Iran]."
Larijani, whose rights body works under the direct guidance of the judiciary, denounced a recent UN resolution that criticises Iran for violating human rights. He described the US as a "mastermind" behind the resolution and said: "Washington's main reason behind the move was Iran's new model of democracy which is not a replica of secular Western democracy."
The campaign for the release of Mohammadi Ashtiani was initially launched by her 22-year-old son, Sajad Ghaderzadeh, who is in prison after giving interviews to foreign media in support of his mother. Mohammadi Ashtiani's campaign has since been publicised by several foreign governments and her plight for freedom has been backed by activists and celebrities around the world.
Last week, Iranian state TV broadcast a statement by Mohammadi Ashtiani who described herself as a "sinner" and accused Mina Ahadi, an activist of the German-based International Committee against Stoning (Icas), of spreading her story around the world. Since then, Iran has charged the two German journalists who were arrested following an interview with Mohammadi Ashtiani's son, with espionage.
Amid international attention to Mohammadi Ashtiani's stoning case, Iran has planned to execute Shahla Jahed, a mistress of a former footballer star on 1 December. She has been charged with murdering his wife although she said later that her confessions were taken under duress. Shahla Jahed's case is one of Iran' most highly debated criminal court dossiers.
Swift justice in Iran...Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani to be hung today
- Shahla Jahed Hanged...nothing On Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
"Iran hangs footballer's mistress Shahla Jahed" December 1st, 2010 BBC NEWS Iran has executed a woman sentenced to death for murdering the wife of a prominent footballer, her lawyer says. Abdolsamad Khoramshahi said Shahla Jahed, 40, was hanged...
- Global Pressure Is Changing Religious Legal Dogma For Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
Iran in the 1970s. Old men like Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei are stuck in tired, inflexible dogma of control, manipulation. Why such global outrage over the sentence of execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani? Is it because she is female, attractive,...
- Lashes Given...all 99
"The lashing of the woman...was carried out in the northern Iran prison where she is being held...." "Iranian Woman Is Said to Be Lashed Over Photo" by Ravi Somaiya September 5th, 2010 The New York Times A mix-up over a photograph led to a sentence...
- 99 Lashes For Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Prior To Execution
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, right, pictured in 2004 at a daycare in Osko, Iran. Her family says she worked there for two years. "Iran orders 99 lashes for woman facing execution, rights group says" September 4th, 2010 CNN An Iranian woman who'd...
- Iranian Woman Coerced To Confess?
If the following is true, I suppose Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani will be hanging from a rope soon executed not on adultery charges but on a more serious accusation...conspiracy in murder. The BBC posted a televised video of her confession. Mina Ahadi [Iran...
Philosophy
Justice is on hold...maybe
It has been a couple of weeks since news about Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's execution. Here is the latest.
"Life of woman sentenced to death by stoning could be spared"
Adviser to Iran supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, signals that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's life could be saved
by
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
November 23rd, 2010
guardian.co.uk
Adviser to Iran supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, signals that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's life could be saved
by
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
November 23rd, 2010
guardian.co.uk
Iran has signalled for the first time that it may spare the life of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman whose sentence of death by stoning for adultery has sparked an international outcry.
Mohammad Javad Larijani, a top adviser to the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and the current secretary general of Iran's High Council for Human Rights told Press TV: "Iran's Council of Human Rights has helped a lot to reduce her sentence and we think there is a good chance that her life could be saved."
The unprecedented comments by Larijani, whose brothers are holding key positions in the Islamic Republic, one as the head of parliament and the other as the chief of judiciary, came after his visit to the UN last week where he extended an invitation during a meeting with Ban Ki-moon to the UN's human rights chief to visit Iran.
Should Mohammadi Ashtiani's life be spared it will be a victory for human rights activists and the media around the world who devoted a significant amount of time campaigning against her execution.
Once again, Larijani compared Mohammadi Ashtiani's case with that of Teresa Lewis who was executed by lethal injection in the US state of Virginia for arranging the murder of her husband and stepson.
"In the US, a woman killed her husband, with the aid of her ex-lover, and even though she was suffering from mental disorder, she was sentenced to the capital punishment and was executed … The same incident took place in Iran, and the woman was condemned to capital punishment, but her case is still open for further revision," Larijani told Iran's English language TV Channel, Press TV.
In previous months, Iran has tried to distract attentions from Mohammadi Ashtiani's initial adultery charge and stoning sentence by introducing new charges against her and portraying her as a murderous woman.
Larijani said: "Nothing is said about the American woman, but there are lots of criticism regarding our judicial system [and this shows] how biased, unrealistic and hypocritical and malicious [the media is when it looks at Iran]."
Larijani, whose rights body works under the direct guidance of the judiciary, denounced a recent UN resolution that criticises Iran for violating human rights. He described the US as a "mastermind" behind the resolution and said: "Washington's main reason behind the move was Iran's new model of democracy which is not a replica of secular Western democracy."
The campaign for the release of Mohammadi Ashtiani was initially launched by her 22-year-old son, Sajad Ghaderzadeh, who is in prison after giving interviews to foreign media in support of his mother. Mohammadi Ashtiani's campaign has since been publicised by several foreign governments and her plight for freedom has been backed by activists and celebrities around the world.
Last week, Iranian state TV broadcast a statement by Mohammadi Ashtiani who described herself as a "sinner" and accused Mina Ahadi, an activist of the German-based International Committee against Stoning (Icas), of spreading her story around the world. Since then, Iran has charged the two German journalists who were arrested following an interview with Mohammadi Ashtiani's son, with espionage.
Amid international attention to Mohammadi Ashtiani's stoning case, Iran has planned to execute Shahla Jahed, a mistress of a former footballer star on 1 December. She has been charged with murdering his wife although she said later that her confessions were taken under duress. Shahla Jahed's case is one of Iran' most highly debated criminal court dossiers.
Swift justice in Iran...Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani to be hung today
- Shahla Jahed Hanged...nothing On Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
"Iran hangs footballer's mistress Shahla Jahed" December 1st, 2010 BBC NEWS Iran has executed a woman sentenced to death for murdering the wife of a prominent footballer, her lawyer says. Abdolsamad Khoramshahi said Shahla Jahed, 40, was hanged...
- Global Pressure Is Changing Religious Legal Dogma For Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
Iran in the 1970s. Old men like Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei are stuck in tired, inflexible dogma of control, manipulation. Why such global outrage over the sentence of execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani? Is it because she is female, attractive,...
- Lashes Given...all 99
"The lashing of the woman...was carried out in the northern Iran prison where she is being held...." "Iranian Woman Is Said to Be Lashed Over Photo" by Ravi Somaiya September 5th, 2010 The New York Times A mix-up over a photograph led to a sentence...
- 99 Lashes For Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Prior To Execution
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, right, pictured in 2004 at a daycare in Osko, Iran. Her family says she worked there for two years. "Iran orders 99 lashes for woman facing execution, rights group says" September 4th, 2010 CNN An Iranian woman who'd...
- Iranian Woman Coerced To Confess?
If the following is true, I suppose Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani will be hanging from a rope soon executed not on adultery charges but on a more serious accusation...conspiracy in murder. The BBC posted a televised video of her confession. Mina Ahadi [Iran...