Iranian Widow Sakineh Ashtiani Will Definitely Be Stoned Or Hanged

In Iran being an accessory to a murder garners only 10 years, adultery on the other hand gets you stoned to death. Or maybe hanged, if you're lucky. That's Shariah law for you.  Widow Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has been living with the knowledge that one way or another she's doomed to either hang or be stoned to death for something she didn't do.  After news of her pending execution became known last year (and the global outrage that ensued, including an offer of asylum from Brazil that was refused), her death by stoning was postponed for a while.  I think we all hoped that Iranian officials might have a change of heart; that with the spotlight of world attention shining on an utterly barbaric practice they might somehow decide to join the civilized world, but no. On Monday, officials said that Sakineh will definitely be killed, they just don't know how or when just yet.

"This lady is accused of two crimes," Hojatoleslam Sharifi, the judiciary chief of Eastern Azarbaijan province, said at a news conference Monday, the semi-official Iran Student's News Agency reported. "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."

According to Sharifi, the only reason that she wasn't stoned in 2010 was that  "we did not have the needed facility for stoning."  Apparently, the judiciary man in charge at the time ".. was too busy at the time, and this issue was left for his successor to handle." So now the new judiciary head, Ayatollah Amoli Larijani, is debating the best way to off Sakineh according to Islamic law. Choices, oh what fun.  Larijani

 "....is of the opinion that since the objective is execution, and since stoning is not practical, the execution should be done by hanging. However, (Larijiani) has decided to wait for now and discuss the issue with other Islamic scholars until a clear and accurate decision is reached."

So Ashtiani is languishing in jail waiting to learn her fate, along with one of her lawyers who was jailed for defending her, while another one fled with his family after fearing for his life. The third one, a female, better watch out.  That's Iranian justice for you, no-one gets a fair trial, if they even get one. And Sakineh will be stoned or hanged to death, when they decide which way is best. And more than likely in public, as they are apt to do.