Woman condemned to be stoned to death for adultery

UPDATE: A glimmer of hope for Ashtiani comes from Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with an offer of asylum in his country for the condemned woman.

Ashtiani son's Sajad is hopeful with the country's unexpected offer. "No countries in the world can have such impacts that Brazil and Turkey can have on Iran now. These two countries can save my mother's life," said Sajad.

When making his announcement at a rally in southern Brazil Lulu added, "I find myself imagining what would happen if one day there was a country in the world that would stone a man because he was cheating. Nothing justifies the state taking someone's life. Only God gives life and only He should take it away."

It is unclear at this time what Iran will do with this offer, but Ahadi of the Iran Committee against Stoning says the move "will change the way Iran sees Sakineh's (Ashtiani's) case," and has urged the country to use its influence to lobby for the release of at least 12 other women awaiting execution by stoning.

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Like the international community, over at Care2 we have been following the tragic story of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a mother of two sentenced to death by stoning in Iran for allegedly committing adultery – very closely.

It wasn't long ago that our very own Judy Molland delivered some bright news in the case – Ashtiani had been rescued from her stoning sentence – but since then Iran's judiciary has changed her sentence to execution by hanging because they now say she committed murder.

Documents detailing the stoning sentence, however, make it clear that Ashitani was convicted of adultery – a crime she only admitted to after receiving 99 lashes, a crime she later retracted completely.

New details, however, reveal that after the lashings her case was reopened when a court in Tabriz suspected her of murdering her husband. She was acquitted of murder by the court soon after and the adultery charges were reinstated. After review the death penalty sentence was handed down for adultery – not murder.

So why are the murder charges coming up again?

Mina Ahadi, of the Iran Committee against Stoning (ICAS), has the following insight: "In adultery cases, women are sentenced because of the complaints from their husbands or families generally, but surprisingly, Sakineh (Ashtiani) is sentenced to death by stoning not because the family of her husband have made a complaint against her, but because the Tabriz prosecutor has made a complaint. In other words, it's the authorities in Iran who want Sakineh (Ashtiani) to be stoned to death.”

Or as the case is now execution by hanging.

How the judiciary is able to change Ashtiani's conviction after all this time with no evidence is beyond me. It seems clear that as Ahadi says the authorities are the ones who want to punish Ashtiani – and will do so in with whatever means they can. In addition to the lashings she already received, recent reports from Ashtiani's cellmate reveal that she has been tortured and severely beaten by several guards while in prison too.

As if this case couldn't get any worse, Human rights attorney Mohammed Mostafaei, who up until recently represented Ashtiani, is believed to be in hiding now from officials as a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

His crime? Making Ashtiani's incredibly unjust case too public. In fact, given the great international attention that the case has received local media have been banned from reporting on the case.

Mostafaei's wife and brother-in-law have been arrested in his absence and have been told that they will not be released until Mostafaei presents himself.

"Other attorneys have been arrested similarly when they have tried to advocate for certain people," said Ahadi. "This is something the government of Iran has tried over and over again -- to hush, using fear and intimidation tactics and also imprisoning anyone that they feel is threatening."

Only time will tell what will happen to both Ashtiani and Mostafaei and his family but it is certain that the international community at large will be watching and waiting for justice