Iran - human rights

Responding to reports that the execution of Iranian woman Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani has again been postponed (1), Green MEPs Heidi Hautala, chair of the European Parliament subcommittee on human rights, and Barbara Lochbihler, chair of the European Parliament's Iran delegation said:

"We welcome reports that the execution of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani will now not take place today, as had been feared. However, we remain strongly concerned that the brutal execution sentence still stands. The Iranian authorities must repeal this appalling sentence, which would represent a grievous human rights violation. The international community must step up its efforts to this end."

(1) It had originally been reported that Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani would be executed today but it now seems that this will not be the case. Ms Ashtani faces execution either by hanging for the alleged involvement in the murder of her husband or by stoning for adultery following a fundamentally flawed trial. The death sentence of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani was strongly condemned by the European Parliament in a resolution adopted on 8 September 2010.