y Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
TEHRAN, Iran – Two sisters are facing execution by stoning for adultery in Iran. On Thursday, Amnesty International called on the authorities to commute the sentences immediately, while both the EU and the US have already expressed their disapproval of Iran’s apparent human rights violation.
Iranian police arrested the two sisters, Zohreh and Azar Kabiri-niat, in February 2007 after Zohreh’s husband filed a complaint against her, her sisters, Azar’s husband, and another man. Zohreh’s husband claimed that they had ‘illicit relations’ and submitted as evidence video footage from a camera he had secretly installed in his house.
In March 2007, An Iranian court sentenced the five to flogging for “having illicit relations.” Zohreh also received five years’ imprisonment for forming ‘a center of corruption.’ But after the sentence was carried out, fresh charges of “committing adultery while being married” were brought against Zohreh and Azar mere three months later. A court found both sisters guilty and they were sentenced to death by stoning.
A new lawyer representing the sisters believes the trial was unfair. “The case has fundamental problems, since a person can not be tried twice for the same crime. Yet these two sisters have been tried twice in the same case, and two sentences have been issued for them,” he said. Furthermore, the prosecution was unable to satisfy the circumstances that are required to prove adultery under the Iranian law – confession by the accused on four different occasions that can be corroborated by the testimony of four eyewitnesses to the alleged crime.
As local and international clamor to halt execution by stoning became louder, both the EU and the US have expressed their concerns on Iran’s current human rights record. The EU was particularly “dismayed” that Iran is again carrying out execution by stoning despite the moratorium ordered by the Head of the Judiciary Ayatollah Shahroudi in December 2002. The US was also concerned that Iran has already executed at least 36 people since January of this year.
Iran regime’s ambassador, however, criticized the reports on abysmal record of human rights violations in Iran and called on the rights groups to respect such inhuman punishments as “local traditions.” “Our laws establish that we amputate a hand of those who steal. It is not accepted in the West, but local customs must be respected,” he said.
For more information, please see:
NCRI – Iran regime’s ambassador defends amputation and hanging – 9 February 2008
The Times of India – US concerned at upsurge of executions in Iran – 7 February 2008
M & C News – EU “dismayed” by human rights violation in Iran – 7 February 2008
Amnesty International – Two sisters face execution by stoning – 7 February 2008
Human Rights Watch – Judiciary must prevent imminent execution by stoning – 6 February 2008
