21 August 2010

Crime (Sex) and Punishment (Stoning)

.... Between 2006 and 2008 at least six stonings took place, all of them in secret, said Hadi Ghaemi, the director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Currently at least 10 people are in Iranian jails under stoning sentences, seven women and three men, he added.

There is a vigorous domestic campaign against stoning in Iran, largely led by women. The former head of Iran’s judiciary made several recommendations to judges not to impose or implement stoning sentences, but all have been ignored.

A parliamentary committee recommended last year that stoning be deleted from the penal code, but the measure has not been taken to a vote. In Afghanistan, by contrast, stoning seems to be on the rise, despite its unpopularity. [The New York Times] Read more