Iran: Two at imminent risk of stoning to death for 'adultery'

The society for human rights in Iran, Southern California, urges Iranian authorities to immediately halt execution of Sarymeh Ebadi. Sarymeh Ebadi, 30 and BoAli Johnfeshani, 32 are at imminent risk of stoning to death after being convicted of “adultery” in the city of Orumiyeh, West Azerbaijan province. According to the recent news, their sentences have been approved by the province court on January 6 (Day 16) without representation by a lawyer. Despite the moratorium imposed in 2002, stoning sentences continued to be implemented in Iran.

Iran's Penal Code prescribes execution by stoning. It even dictates that the stones are large enough to cause pain, but not so large as to kill the victim immediately. Article 102 of the Penal Code states that men should be buried up to their waists and women up to their breasts for the purpose of execution by stoning. Article 104 states, with reference to the penalty for adultery, that the 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 as stones".

Society for human rights in Iran, Southern California, urges Iranian authorities to immediately halt execution of Sarymeh Ebadi, and BoAli Johnfeshani by stoning. We also urge the authorities to ensure that the moratorium on stoning is implemented immediately and effectively. We are calling on Majlis to urgently reform the law on stoning, and any new legislation permits neither nor any other form of execution for “adultery”