Sakineh’s execution may be imminent, sets off alarm bells
Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The International Committee Against Stoning announced that Iranian authorities have given the green light for Sakineh Ashtiani’s execution, tomorrow. In a press release, “the ‘Human Rights Commission’ of the regime has announced that: ‘according to the existing evidence, her guilt has been confirmed.”
For the committee, the regime “ created a new scenario in order to expedite her execution.” It noted that “the case file regarding the murder case of Ms Ashtiani’s husband” was “seized from her lawyer’s office [. . .] and found missing from the prosecutor’s Oskoo branch office”. Thus, Ms Ashtiani’s case was likely based on “trumped up murder charges.”
Since 11 August, she has also been denied visitation rights, whilst her son, Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, and her lawyer, Houtan Kian, have been arrested.
News about the pending execution has sent shockwaves around the world, including Italy.
In a joint statement, Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Equal Opportunities Minister Mara Carfagna have said that they have been deeply affected by news coming from non-government sources in Tehran that Sakineh Ashtiani was in imminent danger.
They noted in their press release (in Italian) that everyone is cognizant of Italy’s opposition to the death penalty everywhere in the world. Its government, parliament and public opinion are against this form of punishment because it violates human dignity, the statement said. Italy was and is against it. The ministers are confident however that Iran, a nation Italy respects as a sovereign nation and with whom it wants to engage in constructive dialogue, can heed their appeal, which is not against Iran, but for Sakineh’s life, a point made clear from the start of Italy’s campaign.
A positive response from Iran to their request would enhance mutual trust, the ministers said. This is something Italy has been trying to do with Iran even in this difficult moment in international relations.
Significantly, for the first time since 11 October, a news agency close to the Iranian regime has reported the arrest of Ms Ashtiani’s son, Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, and her lawyer, Houtan Kian. In an article published on the website of French daily Le Monde, an Iranian journalist said that Raja News, which is close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, reported the arrest 20 days ago of Sakineh’s son Sajjad and her lawyer Hutan Kian during an interview with two German nationals, who were also detained.
So far, no official statement has come from Tehran, to confirm the arrests. Only the detention of the two “alleged” German journalists has been confirmed.
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