Iranian Woman Tortured Before Interview - Updated

(Tabriz, Iran) Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani allegedly was tortured before "confessing" during an interview on state television last night.

An Iranian woman whose sentencing to death by stoning has sparked international outrage has apparently confessed to adultery and talked about her husband's killing in a state television interview.

In the interview, aired on Wednesday night, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani also criticized her lawyer for publicizing her case, saying it had brought shame on her family.

A human rights campaign group, the International Committee Against Stoning, called the TV show "toxic propaganda". Ashtiani had previously denied the adultery accusations against her.[…]

Attorney Houtan Kian, who is also representing Ashtiani, said his client was tortured and "forced" to make the comments on TV.

"She was severely beaten up and tortured until she accepted to appear in front of camera. Her 22-year-old son, Sajad and her 17-year-old daughter Saeedeh are completely traumatized by watching this program," he told the Guardian.

Low-life barbarians.

Tips: Kenny Solomon, Graham Kissack

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Iranian Woman Faces Death by Stoning
[Previous 6/27/10 post]
(Tabriz, Iran) A 40-year-old Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, will soon be stoned to death for adultery unless a public outcry gets the Iranian authorities to change their minds.

According to women's rights activist Soheila Vahdati, Ashiani has been in prison since 2005.

Vahdati says Sakineh was earlier sentenced to 99 lashes in 2006 for having "illicit relationships." The sentence was subsequently carried out and her case was closed.

But authorities later charged Ashtiani with murder. Prosecutors alleged that Ashtiani and her boyfriend had killed her husband.

In making the murder case against Ashtiani, activist Vahdati says the court "illegally" reopened the adultery case against Ashtiani. It was the second time Ashtiani would be tried for the same alleged adulterous conduct.

According to Vahdati, Ashtiani was sentenced to be stoned to death for the same alleged act of adultery for which she earlier had been convicted to 99 lashes. It is not clear when she was sentenced.

Ashtiani's two children have written a letter and distributed it on the web pleading for worldwide public support to pressure Iranian authorities into pardoning her.

Understandably, Ashtiani is in extremely poor spirits anticipating being buried to the chest and pelted with small stones until dead. Large stones are prohibited since they may cause death to be instantaneous.

Heh. For a religion of peace, Islam sure has a lock on extreme cruelty while seemingly having no problem with trying people twice for one offense.