I read this truly shocking news item in today's Observer newspaper (UK). It referred to two cases recently highlighted by
Amnesty International .
One woman, referred to as Leyla M, is 18 years old, with a mental age of 8.
Leyla M was forced into prostitution by her mother when she was eight years old, according to the 28 November report, and was raped repeatedly thereafter. She gave birth to her first child when she was nine, and was sentenced to 100 lashes for prostitution at around the same time. At the age of 12, her family sold her to an Afghan man to become his "temporary wife". His mother became her new pimp, "selling her body without her consent". At the age of 14 she became pregnant again, and received a further 100 lashes, after which she was moved to a maternity ward to give birth to twins. After this "temporary marriage", her family sold her again, to a 55-year-old man, married with two children, who had Leyla's customers come to his house.
More below:
She is to be flogged before she is executed. It is still to be announced whether she will be stoned or hanged.
A second woman has already been sentenced to stoning for adultery.
The Iranian Penal Code is very specific about the manner of execution and types of stones which should be used.
Article 102 states that men will 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".
Her co-defendant, who was only 17 at the time of the "offence" has already been sentenced to be hanged.
In December 2002, the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi, reportedly sent a directive to judges ordering a moratorium on execution by stoning and for alternative punishments to be used instead. However, legal provision for execution by stoning remains, and in September 2003 a law was passed listing regulations for the implementation of particular sentences, including stoning.
Since the reported moratorium, Amnesty International is aware of at least one case in which a sentence of execution by stoning has reportedly been issued. According to a report on 8 January 2004 in the Iran newspaper, a criminal court in the city of Qazvin sentenced an unnamed man to 80 lashes and 10 years' imprisonment to be followed by execution by stoning. It is not known whether this sentence has been carried out.
As a party to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has undertaken not to execute anyone for an offence committed when they were under 18 years old.
The Iranian authorities are now considering legislation (the draft law on the Establishment of Children's Courts) that would prohibit the use of the death penalty for offences committed under the age of 18. Iran has executed at least three child offenders in 2004. In addition to this, at least eleven other child offenders are believed to have been sentenced to death.
YOU CAN HELP!
Amnesty International is asking for appeals to be sent, as soon as possible, to the authorities in Iran. Details are available on the website linked to above, including an email address.
Please join me in appealing against these barbaric sentences.