Iranian woman facing stoning: 'I'm afraid of dying'

[Strongbow]

Iranian woman facing stoning: 'I'm afraid of dying'

London, England (CNN) -- In a room thousands of miles from her prison cell in northeastern Iran, the fear that has gripped Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani for years was clear and almost palpable.

"The day I was given the stoning sentence, it was as if I fell into a deep hole and I lost consciousness," said a human rights advocate, reading aloud from a letter attributed to Ashtiani. "Many nights, before sleeping, I think to myself how can anybody be prepared to throw stones at me; to aim at my face and hands? Why?"

Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, was set to be stoned to death for allegedly committing adultery in Iran. Members of the International Committee Against Executions, who have launched a public campaign for her freedom, held a news conference Friday to share a letter they said was from Ashtiani, who is being held in a Tabriz prison, and court documents from her case.

"I thank all of you from Tabriz prison," the letter said. Referring to advocate Mina Ahadi, Ashtiani wrote, "Mrs. Ahadi, tell everyone that I'm afraid of dying. Help me stay alive and hug my children."

The group also presented court documents it said refuted a July 8 statement from the Iranian government that denied Ashtiani would be executed by stoning.

Ashtiani was convicted of adultery in 2006 and was originally sentenced to death by stoning, but the sentence was put on hold earlier this month after an international outcry. Protesters rallied worldwide on July 24 in support of her, pushing for her release.

Next week, the Iran judiciary may release their final judgment in the Ashtiani case, deciding whether to reinstate her sentence of death by stoning, execute her by another means, or possibly even grant her a reprieve, according to human rights groups.

Earlier this month, her attorney Mohammad Mostafaei told CNN that his client confessed to the crime after being subjected to 99 lashes. She later recanted the confession and has denied wrongdoing, he said.

"I am now quiet and sad because a part of my heart is frozen," Ashtiani's letter says. "The day I was flogged in front of [my son] Sajjad, I was crushed and my dignity and heart were broken."

Mostafaei himself has gone into hiding since last weekend after being interrogated by Iranian authorities, human rights groups say. Advocates says his wife and brother-in-law are being held by Iranian authorities.

"I think it is a very dangerous situation for Mr. Mostafaei," Ahadi has said. "If he were to present himself to the authorities he might receive 10 to 15 years in prison, and I think we must put pressure on the Islamic regime so that his wife and brother will be released."

Iranian woman facing stoning: 'I'm afraid of dying' - CNN.com

 

[maycocksean]

Iranian woman facing stoning: 'I'm afraid of dying' - CNN.com

Wow, that is just awful.

 

[financeguy]

Yes, it is awful. But it's also awful that numerous Iraqi and Afghani kids have been killed in the so-called 'GWOT'.

Time magazine recently published a front page cover of an Afghani woman who had had her nose hacked off as punishment for fleeing her abusive husband - and that, too, is, of course, awful - but they, and most of the rest of the MSM in the US never, not once, published any graphic photos of civilian victims of the US-led invasions.

Also worth noting that Saddam - apologies, Strongbow, for drawing attention to some inconvenient facts - improved the rights of women during his tenure as Iraqi President, improvements which since the US-led invasion have been rescinded.

 

[Liesje]

Well, we can always find one awful thing and find something else that's even more awful.

I for one am absolutely sickened by these stonings. I think I've become somewhat desensitized to a lot of things but when I watched The Stoning of Soraya M. I had to fight to not vomit. It's just so completely inhumane I don't even know what else to say.

 

[cobl04]

thank god i don't live in a country like that.

 

[financeguy]

Also worth noting that Saddam - apologies, Strongbow, for drawing attention to some inconvenient facts - improved the rights of women during his tenure as Iraqi President, improvements which since the US-led invasion have been rescinded.

Just to add: don't get me wrong, I accept Saddam was an evil bastard, and in terms of the improvements that he made to Iraqi society, it was probably only for cynical political reasons, I am just making the point that while we all agree that Islamist societies are in the dark ages regarding womens' rights, invading the countries and removing the governments by force doesn't particularly seem to work.

 

[A_Wanderer]

You're absolutely right.

 

[Strongbow]

Yes, it is awful. But it's also awful that numerous Iraqi and Afghani kids have been killed in the so-called 'GWOT'.

Time magazine recently published a front page cover of an Afghani woman who had had her nose hacked off as punishment for fleeing her abusive husband - and that, too, is, of course, awful - but they, and most of the rest of the MSM in the US never, not once, published any graphic photos of civilian victims of the US-led invasions.

Also worth noting that Saddam - apologies, Strongbow, for drawing attention to some inconvenient facts - improved the rights of women during his tenure as Iraqi President, improvements which since the US-led invasion have been rescinded.

Please take your Saddam lover comments some place else.

 

[Strongbow]

Just to add: don't get me wrong, I accept Saddam was an evil bastard, and in terms of the improvements that he made to Iraqi society, it was probably only for cynical political reasons, I am just making the point that while we all agree that Islamist societies are in the dark ages regarding womens' rights, invading the countries and removing the governments by force doesn't particularly seem to work.

There are a multitude of facts that show that Iraq and Afghanistan are far better off today than they were under their previous regimes, not to mention the fact that the region and world are far safer with those regimes removed. If you want to defend keeping Saddam in power in Iraq and the Taliban in power in Afghanistan, start another thread.

 

[Diemen]

Please take your Saddam lover comments some place else.

What the hell??

I seem to remember someone lecturing others for getting personal instead of sticking to the issues. You can choose to refute his statement if you'd like, but making childish comments like that are out of line.

 

[Strongbow]

What the hell??

I seem to remember someone lecturing others for getting personal instead of sticking to the issues. You can choose to refute his statement if you'd like, but making childish comments like that are out of line.

Well, maybe I should have said "postive comments about Saddam" which they were. Either way, it was in reference to the comments, not them.

By the way, I have seen hundreds of comments in here made specifically about other people in the forum that are indeed childish but never were mentioned or noticed by the mods. I hope there is not a double standard, intentionally or unintentionally, based on members political views. But when obvious cases are overlooked and borderline cases are picked up, it makes one wonder.

 

[Diemen]

When the childish comments come from someone who often lectures others for getting personal and not sticking to the topic, yes, they do stick out a bit.

 

[Strongbow]

When the childish comments come from someone who often lectures others for getting personal and not sticking to the topic, yes, they do stick out a bit.

Well the "childish" comments in this thread are not what got it off track.

 

[indra]

Well the "childish" comments in this thread are not what got it off track.

Now you need to flip your tail and stalk off in a huff.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I thought this thread was about women being stoned and other atrocities..but I guess it's about man drama

 

[The_Pac_Mule]

I am just making the point that while we all agree that Islamist societies are in the dark ages regarding womens' rights, invading the countries and removing the governments by force doesn't particularly seem to work.

I'm not trying to justify invading a country that has done us no wrong, but what do you propose should be done? Because I for one think that the rest of the world sitting by while this happens is almost as sick as these countries practices.