Stoning case: Iran to reject Brazil offer
Iran is likely to reject Brazil's offer to give refuge to a woman convicted of adultery and initially sentenced to death by stoning, officials said today.
The case of 43-year-old Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani triggered an international outcry which prompted Iran to withdraw the stoning part of her sentence. But the mother of two could still face execution by hanging.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that Brazil, which has tried to negotiate a solution to Tehran's controversial nuclear programme, could give her political asylum.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, said today that Mr Silva's offer reflected his "humane and emotional personality" but that the Brazilian leader probably has insufficient "information about the case".
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Michel Camilleri
Aug 3rd 2010, 15:30
It is indeed very sad and revolting to experience this kind of brutality in this day and age. I was shocked and totally disgusted when I recently watched a DVD called The Stoning of Soraya M. based on a true story. The husband falsely accuses his wife adultery so that he can get rid of her and marry a younger female. It is beyond comprehension how even the clerics and mayor simply decide the fate of these woman simply by asking God that is they are deciding the wrong fate for these woman..for God to send a signal. I cannot understand how the international community allows these murders. And very cruel indeed.
Howard Hammond-Edgar
Aug 3rd 2010, 16:11
"I cannot understand how the international community allows these murders"
Oil.
But once it's all gone, and we don't have to be nice to them anymore (in particular the Saudis, who do almost all of the financing, and murdering of women), then I think there really will be the mother of all batlles.
The Arab world generally, with some honorable exceptions, should realise that it is surrounded by countries that hate what it does, and won't need a lot of excuses to destroy it. I don't mean with weapons. But it could be the case, for example, that every time someone becomes the leader of a faction, or even a government, they never seem to live very long.
Howard Hammond-Edgar
Aug 3rd 2010, 15:14
The death penalty is bad enough, but it's what they have the penalty for that is truly awful. Adultery? But that's Islam for you. A medieval religion that still wants to set the world back 2000 years.
Remember that woman in Saudi Arabia who protested that women should be allowed to drive, and drove her car along with a few other people in front of the world's media in Riyadh? I presume it was only lack of space that prevented the media from mentioning that the same evening she was paraded in front of her family and mudered by her father for bringing dishonour.
So the Brazilians never had a chance. These people want to kill her. It's how they get their kicks. This is the barbarity we are dealing with.
Henry J Bonett
Aug 3rd 2010, 14:48
A religion that treats female humans worse than animals while men get about breaking the same rules with impunity, does not honour a God, but gratiifies the same men who rule.
Jesmond Micallef
Aug 3rd 2010, 13:56
Humans should not be executed at all, let alone stoned to death !! Please abolish this systematic murder of human beings once and for all. Its no justice whatsoever.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and all other countries which have the death penatly should refrain from executing human beings. Again, please abolish the death penalty altogether.