Iran: man and woman sentenced to death by stoning

Iran Human Rights: Local media in Iran have reported on a woman and a man who were both recently sentenced to death by stoning on the charge of adultery.

According to a report by the news site Kashkan, the man's initials are Kh.A. and the woman's initials are S.M. The stoning sentences were issued by the first branch of the criminal court in the province of Lorestan (western Iran). The lawyers for these two unidentified prisoners have twenty days from the time the sentences were issued to file appeals with Iran's Supreme Court.

The report cites an unidentified source who claims that the complainant on the case file is the woman's husband. According to this alleged source, the husband's lawyer requested for the maximum punishment, and after two court hearings and a detailed investigation, the stoning sentences were issued.

Iran is one of six countries in the world which has stoning as a form of punishment in its penal code. Stoning is a form of the death penalty that involves the throwing of rocks onto the face of the accused. The international community regards the death penalty as a barbaric and cruel action.