Iranian officials said on Monday that a woman sentenced to die by stoning will be executed, but the method of execution is still being debated, according to a report on CNN.
The woman is Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who was convicted in 2006 of adultery and of being an accomplice in the murder of her husband.
The plan to execute her by stoning earned international condemnation by the United States, the European Union, international human rights groups, and Britain. British Foreign Secretary William Hague called the sentence “medieval,” and said it would “disgust and appall” the world if carried out. Individual public figures, including former politicians, actors, and a Nobel peace laureate, called for a stay of execution as well.
Following the international outcry, the stoning was put on hold several times. She has received several lashings. Last year Iran said it would reconsider the stoning sentence for what Malek Ajdar Sharifi, head of the judiciary in East Azerbaijan province, called “humanitarian reservations.” Later, Iran claimed there was no final decision in the case and that it was still “under review.”
The stoning was later scheduled for November of last year but was once again delayed, likely due to the international campaign in favor of Ashtiani.
At one point, reports from Iran indicated that the Islamic Republic might spare Ashtiani, but the latest reports seem to indicate the country has not yet backed off from the plan to execute her – and is just debating over which method to use to do it.
“This lady is accused of two crimes,” Hojatoleslam Sharifi, the judiciary chief of Eastern Azarbaijan province, was quoted by CNN as having said at a news conference Monday. “One is adultery, which is punishable by stoning to death, and the other is assisting in her husband’s murder. She is currently serving 10 years for helping to kill her husband.”
Sharifi added that “we did not have the needed facility for stoning,” so officials asked the then-head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, for advice. “He was too busy at the time, and this issue was left for his successor to handle.”
The successor is Ayatollah Amoli Larijani who, according to Sharifi, “is of the opinion that since the objective is execution, and since stoning is not practical, the execution should be done by hanging.”
He added, “However, (Larijiani) has decided to wait for now and discuss the issue with other Islamic scholars until a clear and accurate decision is reached.”
Officials have decided to await Larijani’s decision but Sharifi said that Ashtiani will be executed as soon as decision is reached.
“What I can tell you now is that we are waiting to see if someone who has been sentenced to be executed by stoning could be executed by hanging instead,” he added.