Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani

Who is Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani?

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, is an Iranian Azeri woman who has gained the attention of human rights groups and people throughout the world for a conviction of adultery and accompanying sentence of death by stoning. Since 2006, she has been imprisoned and under a death sentence in Tabriz, Iran after being convicted of adultery. An international campaign to overturn her sentence was started by her children, Farideh and Sajjad Qaderzadeh through a letter about their mother's case which was published by mission free Iran. Prominent media sources picked up on the news via interviews with her son, which included information on her stoning sentence. The international publicity generated by Ashtiani's situation led to numerous diplomatic conflicts between Iran's government and the heads of certain western governments. As a result, her execution has been stayed indefinitely. Shortly after the international campaign began, various Iranian officials stated that Sakineh is also guilty of various charges related to the murder of her husband. The range of charges included murder, manslaughter, conspiracy, and complicity. However, major human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, some NGOs and her lawyers have stated that she was acquitted of murder, and that Sakineh initially received a 10-year sentence for complicity, where her actions were disturbed the public order. She was convicted of "disrupting the public order" through complicity in murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison. It was reduced to 5 years on appeal. She was convicted twice of adultery in separate trials and sentenced to death by stoning.