Save Iranian mother Sakineh from death by stoning for adultery

Click here to Sign the petition at gopetition.com
Click here to Visit www.FreeSakineh.org and sign the petition. (Scroll down on the page to see the petition.)
www.amnesty.org (Amnesty International) appeals to you on behalf of Sakineh to save her from execution in Iran. 
 
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, English or your own language:

Urging the authorities not to execute Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani by stoning orany other method;

Calling on theauthorities to initiate a comprehensive review her case;

Urging theauthorities to ban stoning, enact legislation ending the deathpenalty and prohibiting the use of flogging; and to decriminalize"adultery".

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 20 SEPTEMBER 2010 TO:

Leader of the IslamicRepublic

Ayatollah Sayed'Ali Khamenei,

The Office ofthe Supreme Leader

Islamic RepublicStreet – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street

Tehran, IslamicRepublic of Iran

Email:info_leader@leader.ir;

via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.aspx

First starred box:your given name; second starred box: your family name; third: youremail address

Salutation: YourExcellency

Head of the Judiciary

Ayatollah SadeghLarijani

Office of theHead of the Judiciary

Pasteur St.ValiAsr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri,Tehran 1316814737

Islamic Republicof Iran

Email: Viawebsite: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/81/Default.aspx(1st starred box: your given name; 2sd starred box: your familyname; 3rd: your email address)

Salutation: YourExcellency

And copies to:

Secretary General, High Council forHuman Rights

Mohammad JavadLarijani

Howzeh Riassat-eGhoveh Ghazaiyeh

Pasteur St, ValiAsr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri

Tehran1316814737

Islamic Republicof Iran

Fax:+98 21 3390 4986

Email:bia.judi@yahoo.com (In subject line: FAO Mohammad JavadLarijani

Also sendcopies to diplomatic representatives of Iran accredited to yourcountry. Please check with your section office if sendingappeals after the above date. This is the third update of UA:211/09 Index: MDE 13/082/2009, 7 August 2009. Further information:http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/mde 13/082/2009/en
URGENT ACTION
"REVIEW" OF STONINGDEATH SENTENCE
Additional Information
During her trial,Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani retracted a"confession" that she had made under interrogation ahead of hertrial, saying she had been forced to make it, and denied the chargeof adultery. Two of the five judges found her not guilty, notingthat she had already been flogged and adding that they did not findthe necessary proof of adultery in the case against her. However,the three other judges, including the presiding judge, found herguilty on the basis of "the knowledge of the judge," a provision inIranian law that allows judges to make their own subjective andpossibly arbitrary determination whether an accused person isguilty even in the absence of clear or conclusive evidence. Havingbeen convicted by a majority of the five judges, Sakineh MohammadiAshtiani was sentenced to death by stoning.
At the end of July,the government of Brazil offered to give asylum to SakinehMohammadi Ashtiani. Described as a humanitarian gesture, the offerwas made public around 1 August and rejected by Iran. SakinehMohammadi Ashtiani accepted the offer, but has no means of takingit up.
In Iran, stoning todeath is prescribed as the method of execution for those convictedof "adultery while being married." In 2002, the Head of theJudiciary instructed judges to impose a moratorium on stoning.Despite this, at least five men and one woman have been stoned todeath since 2002. In January 2009, the Spokesperson for theJudiciary, Ali Reza Jamshidi, confirmed that two executions bystoning had been carried out in December 2008 and said that thedirective on the moratorium had no legal weight and that judgescould therefore ignore it.
At least seven otherwomen and three men are believed to be at risk of stoning to deathin Iran (see UA 10/09, MDE 13/005/2009, 16 January 2009; UA 50/09,MDE 13/015/2009, 24 February 2009 and follow-ups; and UA 117/09,MDE 13/041/2009, 05 May 2009). Buali Janfashani and Sarimeh Sajjadiwere also reported to have had their sentences of stoning upheld onappeal in January 2010.
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's son, Sajjad Qaderzadeh, wassummoned to Tabriz's Central Prison on 14 July, and is believed tohave been questioned by Ministry of Intelligence officials whopossibly warned him not to give further interviews about hismother's case.
One of her lawyers, Mohammad Mostafaei, was issued with asummons on 21 July requiring him to go to a branch of theProsecutor's Office in Evin Prison. He went there on 24 July, wasquestioned for several hours and then released. Later, however, hereceived a further summons by telephone. The same evening, his wifeand her brother were detained at Evin Prison, in an apparentattempt to force Mohammad Mostafaei to turn himself in. On 31 July,his father-in-law was also detained but released by the next day.On 3 August, Farhad Halimi, the lawyer's brother-in-law wasreleased on a verbal guarantee while his wife was released on 7August. Having heard about attempts to arrest him, following thearrest of his wife, Mohammad Mostafaei went into hiding and fledIran. He sought asylum in Turkey on 4 August, and was allowed to travel to Norway three days later.
In June 2009, the Legal and Judicial Affairs Committee of Iran'sparliament (Majles) had recommended the removal of a clausepermitting stoning from a new draft revision of the Penal Codewhich has been under discussion by the parliament. A draftsubmitted for approval by the Council of Guardians, which checkslegislation for conformity to the Constitution and to Islamic Law,is reported to omit any reference to the penalty of stoning.However, the Council of Guardians could reinstate the clause onstoning.
Further information on UA: 211/09 Index: MDE 13/083/2010 IssueDate: 09 August 2010
Swami Vivekananda:''Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.''
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