Petrelis Files

Iran Spares Woman From Death by Stoning

Today marks a small victory in the international effort to end the barbaric practice state-sanctioned executions by any method.

A letter from the lawyer for Ashraf Kalhori is circulating today announcing that the Iranian woman's life has been spared, but that she is not totally out of harm's way just yet.

These developments should help the San Francisco Board of Supervisors pass a resolution on August 15, calling on the U.S. State Department to condemn female stoning in Iran. Click here to read the resolution, introduced by Sup. Ross Mirkarimi.

Needless to say, I am damn proud to live in a city where ending the death penalty in any country that allows it, including the U.S., and protecting the human rights for all persons is part of the city government's official business.

The full-text of the letter:

Update on Stoning Sentence of Ashraf Kalhori

I am writing to thank you for acting to save Ashraf Kalhori from execution by stoning.

I am glad to inform you that Ayatollah Shahroudi has acted to stop the execution of Ashraf, the 37 year old mother of four, who was sentenced to stoning for having had extramarital sex.

On her behalf, I sincerely thank every one of you for signing the petition and helping to save her life.

Earlier this week, I submitted the petition to the office of the Judiciary Chief, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi requesting remittal of her sentence. The petition included the signatures of more than a hundred Iranian women rights activists and over four thousand signatures collected online.

It is a wonderful feeling to see people coming together to save the life of another human being. I should also say that it is a great pleasure for me, as her lawyer, to share my happiness with all of you who were with us and supported the effort to save her.

However, the fate of Ashraf is not clear yet, and I am asking you to please continue your efforts and keep your voices loud until we make sure that she is safe. Furthermore, we must demand a change in the law that makes stoning illegal as a "sentence" for any crime.

I would like to thank you again for acting on time. I will continue to keep you updated on issues of stoning.

Warm Regards,
Shadi Sadr
Tehran

Of course, I'll share all updates from Ms. Sadr, once she makes them available.