Egypt: Mubarak Could Hang for Protesters Crackdown
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Hosni Mubarak, the deposed president of Egypt, could face the death penalty if prosecutors prove he ordered the police to shoot unarmed demonstrators.

More than 800 people died in the violence surrounding the popular protests against Mr Mubarak's regime earlier this year.

Habib al-Adly, the Interior Minister at the time, has already been arrested to face charges of ordering the security forces to attack the crowds.

Anger over the deaths of protesters when police opened fire on a crowd that stretched from Cairo's Tahrir Square to the state television building on January 28 has sustained demands for Mr Mubarak and his sons to face justice.

Zakaria Shalash, the head of Cairo's appeals court, told the state newspaper Al-Ahram that Mr Mubarak could be hung [sic] for his role in the crackdown.

He said: "If proven, he will receive the same punishment as the person who carried it out and it could reach execution if it is proven that peaceful demonstrators were killed with premeditation." » | Damien McElroy, Cairo | Friday, April 15, 2011

Italian Activist Found Dead in Gaza
Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni has been found dead in Gaza. He had been kidnapped on April 14 by a group which aligns itself with al-Qaeda.



The group had threatened to kill if Hamas did not release its leader and two other members.



Officials have arrested two suspected kidnappers and are now looking for accomplices.



The Italian government have condemned the act as "barbaric murder".



Al Jazeera's Nicole Johnston reports from the Gaza Strip. (15 April 2011)


Lien en relation avec la vidéo »

L'Italien enlevé à Gaza a été exécuté
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: L'Italien enlevé à Gaza est mort par suffocation. Deux de ses ravisseurs présumés ont été arrêtés.

Le ressortissant italien enlevé par un groupe salafiste à Gaza a été exécuté par ses ravisseurs. Son corps a été retrouvé dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi, ont indiqué les services de sécurité du Hamas. Deux des ravisseurs présumés ont été arrêtés.

Mort étouffé 


Les services de sécurité recherchent leurs complices, a ajouté la même source. «L’Italien a été exécuté par suffocation et son corps a été retrouvé dans une rue de la ville de Gaza», a déclaré un porte- parole des services de sécurité du mouvement islamiste qui contrôle la bande de Gaza. » | ATS | Vendredi 15 Avril 2011

Iran Airs New Confession by Woman in Stoning Case
FOX NEWS: TEHRAN, IRAN – An Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery confessed to helping a man kill her husband and re-enacted the alleged crime in an interview broadcast Friday by Iranian state television — an apparent effort by the government to deflect international criticism over the case.

It was the fourth time Sakineh Mohammedi Ashtiani has been shown on TV as Tehran has faced an international outcry over the announcement that she would be stoned to death, the latest source of friction between Iran and the West.

Authorities announced her conviction in the murder case only after the uproar over the stoning sentence erupted last summer, and her lawyer — who has since been arrested — said she was never formally put on trial for the killing and was tortured into confessing. Iranian authorities could use the murder charge to justify executing Ashtiani by hanging instead of stoning.

In the new footage broadcast on English-language Press TV, the 43-year-old mother of two was brought from the prison to her home outside the city of Tabriz in northwestern Iran where she was shown acting out the alleged December 2005 killing, complete with an actor portraying her husband.

Ashtiani, dressed in black with a beige scarf covering her hair, described how she began an affair with another man identified as Isa Taheri. She said she gave her husband an injection that rendered him unconscious, then Taheri came to her house and electrocuted him.

Amnesty International criticized the broadcast, which was announced by Press TV earlier Friday, saying it violated international standards for a fair trial by having Ashtiani implicate herself in a crime. >>> Associated Press | Friday, December 10, 2010

THE TIMES: Iran ‘freed Ashtiani to frame case against her’ >>> Martin Fletcher, Hugh Tomlinson | Saturday, December 11, 2010 (£)

Affaire Sakineh – L'Iran rassure la France
Le ministre des Affaires étrangères iranien Manouchehr Mottaki a assuré à Bernard Kouchner que les informations sur l'éventuelle exécution de l'Iranienne Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani "ne correspondaient pas à la réalité" (ici les deux hommes en 2009 à Paris). Photo : Le Point
LE POINT: Le verdict final dans l'affaire Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani n'a pas été prononcé par la justice iranienne, selon le chef de la diplomatie iranienne Manouchehr Mottaki, a affirmé mercredi le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Bernard Kouchner. Lors d'un entretien téléphonique mercredi, "Manouchehr Mottaki m'a affirmé que le verdict final dans l'affaire concernant Sakineh Ashtiani n'avait pas été prononcé par la justice iranienne, et que les informations concernant son éventuelle exécution ne correspondaient pas à la réalité", a déclaré le ministre dans un communiqué. >>> Le Point | Mercredi 03 Novembre 2010

Woman Sentenced to Death by Stoning Could Now Be Hanged Instead
'Save Sakineh' posters in Rome. There has been worldwide condemnation of Iran's death sentence for the 43-year-old mother-of-two. Photograph: The Independent
THE INDEPENDENT: Confusion surrounded the fate of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani yesterday, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, who now faces execution by hanging for the alleged murder of her husband, according to some reports.

The government says no final decision has been taken in a case that has generated outrage around the world, as the adultery and murder issues are still before the courts. A final judgement would be announced only when that process is completed, Ramin Mehmanparast, the foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters in Tehran.

But he indicated that the focus was shifting to a charge of murder, and seemed to suggest that Ms Ashtiani's guilt was not in doubt. "Right now, what we are pursuing is the topic of murder, and her participation in murder is confirmed," he said. >>> Rupert Cornwell in Washington | Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Virginia Set to Execute First Woman in Nearly a Century
THE GUARDIAN: Teresa Lewis will die by lethal injection on Thursday unless an appeal to the supreme court can save her

The state of Virginia this week plans to carry out its first execution of a woman in nearly a century, despite claims that Teresa Lewis has severe learning difficulties.

Lewis's last hope is an appeal to the US supreme court after Robert McDonnell, the state governor, said he will not spare the life of the 41-year-old who was convicted of arranging for two men to murder her husband and stepson. She is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Thursday.

The men who carried out the killings – one of whom was Lewis's lover – received life sentences.

Lewis's last hope of avoiding the death chamber is an appeal before the supreme court. Her lawyers will argue that because she has such a low IQ her execution would be unconstitutional. >>> Chris McGreal in Washington | Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani Subjected to Mock Execution
THE GUARDIAN: Her son Sajad says she was told she would be hanged at dawn on Sunday and visits by her family and lawyer have been denied

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning, was told on Saturday that she was to be hanged at dawn on Sunday, but the sentence was not carried out, it emerged tonight.

Mohammadi Ashtiani wrote her will and embraced her cellmates in Tabriz prison just before the call to morning prayer, when she expected to be led to the gallows, her son Sajad told the Guardian.

"Pressure from the international community has so far stopped them from carrying out the sentence but they're killing her every day by any means possible," he said.

The mock execution came days after prison authorities denied family and legal visits to Mohammadi Ashtiani. Her children were told she was unwilling to meet them while she was told, also falsely, that no one had come to visit her. >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan and Ian Black | Tuesday, August 31, 2010

L'Iran n'a pas pris de "décision finale" sur la lapidation de Sakineh
LE POINT: Aucune décision finale n'a été prise sur la lapidation de Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani pour adultère et meurtre, a réaffirmé samedi le ministère iranien des Affaires étrangères, notant que l'application de la peine avait été "suspendue" et que le verdict était "en cours d'examen". "Pour les peines très lourdes, il y a une procédure particulière et longue. Ce verdict est en cours d'examen et, lorsque la justice arrivera à une conclusion finale, elle l'annoncera", a indiqué à l'AFP ce porte-parole, Ramin Mahmanparast. >>> Source AFP | Samedi 28 Août 2010

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who became President Nicolas Sarkozy’s third wife two years ago, has signed a petition calling for Sakineh’s release. Photograph: Mail On Sunday
Carla Bruni Branded 'Prostitute' by Iran after She Campaigns for Woman Threatened with Stoning
MAIL ON SUNDAY: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has been branded a ‘prostitute’ by Iran after she publicly attacked the country for threatening to stone a woman to death.

France’s First Lady is part of a campaign to save the life of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two.

She is accused of cheating on her husband and then helping to kill him, and is now facing capital punishment for her crimes.

Ms Bruni-Sarkozy, who became President Nicolas Sarkozy’s third wife two years ago, has signed a petition calling for Sakineh’s release.

Last week the former supermodel said: ‘I just can’t see what good could
come out of this macabre ceremony, whatever the judicial reasons put
forward to justify it.’

Addressing Sakineh directly in an open letter, Ms Bruni-Sarkozy wrote: ‘Why shed your blood and deprive your children of their mother? Because you have lived, because you have loved, because you’re a woman, and because you’re an Iranian? Everything within me refuses to accept this.’

But Kayhan (which means ‘Universe’ in English), the Iranian daily newspaper which acts as a mouthpiece for the country’s ultra conservative Islamic regime, has now accused 42-year-old Ms Bruni-Sarkozy of being a hypocrite. >>> Peter Allen | Sunday, August 29, 2010

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Iran calls Carla Bruni a 'prostitute’: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the French First Lady, has been called a “prostitute” by Iran after she criticised the country’s decision to stone a woman to death. >>> | Sunday, August 29, 2010

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Lapidation en Iran : Une centaine de villes se mobilisent
A Paris, 300 personnes se sont rassemblées sur le parvis des droits de l'Homme au Trocadéro. Photo : 20 Minutes (Suisse)
20 MINUTES: Plusieurs manifestations de soutien se sont tenues samedi dans toute la France pour Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, l'Iranienne condamnée à mort par lapidation pour adultère et meurtre.

Plusieurs manifestations de soutien à Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, l'Iranienne condamnée à mort par lapidation pour adultère et meurtre et dont le sort suscite une vague d'émotion en Occident, se sont tenues samedi dans toute la France.

A Paris, 300 personnes se sont rassemblées sur le parvis des droits de l'Homme au Trocadéro, aux côtés de plusieurs personnalités comme l'écrivain Marek Halter ou la réalisatrice et élue parisienne Yamina Benguigui, a constaté l'AFP.

"Sakineh est au courant de cette mobilisation. Ce qui est important, c'est que nos voix puissent résonner, car nos renoncements en France peuvent être catastrophiques pour elle", a lancé Sihem Habchi, présidente de l'association Ni Putes Ni Soumises (NPNS), co-organisatrice du rassemblement avec la Ligue du droit international des femmes et le Mouvement pour la paix et contre le terrorisme.

Mme Benguigui, adjointe au maire de Paris chargée des droits de l'Homme, s'est directement adressée à cette Iranienne de 43 ans, "pour vous affirmer avec amour, détermination et sans réserve que nous ne vous abandonnerons jamais". >>> afp | Samedi 28 Août 2010

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's Family Turned Away From Prison Visit
THE GUARDIAN: Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning was told by guards she had been abandoned by her children, says son

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, right, pictured in 2004 at a nursery in Osko, Iran, where she worked for almost two years. Photograph: Family handout for the Guardian
The Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning has been denied visits by her lawyer and family, her son told the Guardian today, as it emerged that her lawyer has been subjected to fresh harassment.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has been detained in Tabriz jail since 2006 and was sentenced to death on charges of adultery. She was acquitted of murdering her husband, but Iranian authorities have since accused her of being an accomplice.

Arriving for a prison visit yesterday, her son Sajad, 22 and daughter Saeedeh, 17, were told she was unwilling to see them.

Later, when she was allowed to phone her son, it emerged she had been told by guards that no one had come to visit and that her children had abandoned her, Sajad told the Guardian. "[The officials] have become obstinate – they are seeking just different ways to mistreat my mother and us as her children," he said.

Mohammadi Ashtiani's government-appointed lawyer, Houtan Kian, has been unable to visit her since she appeared on TV this month and confessed to involvement in her husband's murder. Human rights campaigners say the confession was made under duress. >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Friday, August 27, 2010

Ashtiani Outrage Spurs Iran to Commute Stoning Sentences to Hanging
THE GUARDIAN: Tehran carries out series of judicial reviews but lawyer fears women who have not attracted media attention will be executed

Iran appears to be quietly changing the sentences of Iranians awaiting death by stoning to hanging after international outcry following the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two.

Mariam Ghorbanzadeh, 25, who was six months' pregnant and miscarried after being beaten up in Tabriz prison this week, was initially sentenced to death by stoning for adultery but her sentence has been commuted to hanging in a rapid judicial review. The decision is thought to have been driven by the Iranian authorities' desire to avoid further international condemnation over the barbaric punishment.

According to Iranian law, officials could not carry out her sentence while she was pregnant. Speaking to the Guardian, her lawyer, Houtan Kian, who represents Mohammadi Ashtiani and two other women kept in Tabriz prison convicted of adultery, said: "My fear is that Iran executes Mariam and those others whose cases have not attracted media attention."

Another of Kian's clients, Azar Bagheri, 19, was imprisoned at the age of 15 after her husband accused her of having an extramarital relationship. Bagheri was on death row for adultery but her sentence was commuted to 100 lashes after Mohammadi Ashtiani's story came to light. Although Bagheri's death penalty was handed down four years ago, the sentence could not be carried out until she was 18 years of old.

"All these women are convicted for adultery but Iran is trying to change their sentences after Sakineh's case has embarrassed them," Kian said. (+ video) >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Thursday, August 12, 2010

Why Have Western Feminists Been So Muted in Their Criticisms of Iran?
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – TOBY YOUNG: The fate of the 43-year-old Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning took a sinister turn yesterday when she appeared on Iranian state television to confess to her “crimes”. Her lawyer fears she will now be executed imminently, probably hung by the neck until she is dead.

Many human rights groups have criticised the Iranian authorities for their brutal treatment of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, including Amnesty International and the International Committee Against Stoning. The mother of two has already received 99 lashes for committing adultery and according to her lawyer, who has fled the country after a warrant was issued for his arrest, she has been beaten and tortured in jail. Yet the response of feminists in the West has been strangely muted.

Hillary Clinton lost no opportunity to brandish her feminist credentials during her campaign to become the Democratic Party’s Presidential nominee in 2008 and even went so far as to blame her failure to beat Barack Obama on the “glass ceiling”. Unfortunately, the concrete ceiling of Ashtiani’s jail cell hasn’t inspired any comparable rhetoric. All she has said is that she’s “troubled” by Ashtiani’s case.

At least Hillary Clinton was able to bring herself to mutter this mild rebuke. No other prominent feminist has spoken out about Ashtiani’s case, unless you include Yoko Ono who has signed the petition calling for her to be freed. We’ve heard nothing from Germaine Greer, nothing from Gloria Steinem, nothing from Jane Fonda, nothing from Naomi Wolf, nothing from Clare Short, nothing from Harriet Harmen.

We know why, of course. Almost no one on the left, with the honourable exception of Christopher Hitchens, dares to breath a word against any Islamic country for fear of being branded “Islamophobic”. Thus, a brutal dictatorship is able to torture and murder thousands of innocent women, safe in the knowledge that the self-styled keepers of the West’s conscience will remain silent. Continue reading and comment >>> Toby Young | Friday, August 13, 2010

Related >>>

Stop the Execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani (Mirror)

Iran Set to Execute 18-year-old on False Charge of Sodomy
THE OBSERVER: The client of human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei has been sentenced to death in spite of retracted testimony

Lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei fled into exile after his wife was arrested in Iran two weeks ago. Photograph: The Observer
An 18-year-old Iranian is facing imminent execution on charges of homosexuality, even though he has no legal representation. Ebrahim Hamidi, who is not gay, was sentenced to death for lavat, or sodomy, on the basis of "judge's knowledge", a legal loophole that allows for subjective judicial rulings where there is no conclusive evidence.

Hamidi had been represented by human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei, who has since been forced to flee Iran after bringing to international attention the case of another of his clients, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old Iranian mother of two who has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. Mostafaei was due to arrive in Norway yesterday to begin a life in exile while continuing his campaigns on behalf of his clients, including Hamidi.

At the same time, human rights activist Peter Tatchell has written to the foreign secretary, William Hague, urging him to contact the chief justice of Iran and ask that the execution be halted.

"Ebrahim's case is evidence that innocent heterosexual people can be sentenced to death on false charges of homosexuality [in Iran]," said Tatchell, co-founder of the London-based gay rights group OutRage.

Hamidi was arrested two years ago in the suburbs of the western city of Tabriz in the East Azerbaijan province after a fight with members of another family. Three of his friends were also involved in the incident and were subsequently arrested. Later, the four were accused of homosexual assault on a man and of attempting to abuse him sexually.

A person convicted of homosexuality in Iran can be lashed, hanged or stoned to death. The law includes a variety of penalties for different acts: 99 lashes if two unrelated males sleep "unnecessarily" under the same blanket – even without any sexual contact. A boy raped by an adult man would also be lashed if the court decided that he had "enjoyed" the experience. >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Sunday, August 08, 2010

Iranian Teenager Faces Execution for 'False' Gay Assault Charges
PINK NEWS: An 18-year-old Iranian man is facing execution over a false sodomy charge, campaigners say.

Ebrahim Hamidi was sentenced to death two years ago at the age of 16 for an unspecified assault on another man.

Although the allegation was withdrawn and the Iranian Supreme Court has rejected the guilty verdict and execution order, a lower provincial court is insisting on Mr Hamidi's execution.

Now, his fate lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, which must decided whether to uphold the execution order.

Previously, he was represented by the human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei but Mr Mostafaei has gone into hiding after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The lawyer is also representing Sakineh Ashtiani, the Iranian woman who has been sentenced to death by stoning on charges of adultery.

Supporters of Mr Hamidi say that while Ms Ashtiani is unlikely to face death because she has international support, he could be executed at any time.

They are asking for people to contact their MPs to raise awareness of Mr Hamidi's plight. >>> Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk | Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Iran Snubs Brazilian Asylum Offer for Stoning Woman
THE GUARDIAN: Official says 'humane and emotional' Brazilian president may not have all facts in Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani case

Iran signalled today that it was likely to reject the Brazilian president's offer to give refuge to an Iranian woman convicted of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning.

The case of 43-year-old Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani triggered an international outcry that prompted Iran to at least temporarily withdraw the stoning sentence. Ashtiani, who has two children, could still be hanged.

Ramin Mehmanparast, a foreign ministry spokesman, said: "A far as we know, [the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula] Da Silva is a very humane and emotional person who probably has not received enough information about the case."

Further information would be provided to the president to clarify the situation about "an individual who is a convicted offender", he added. Iran says Ashtiani has also been convicted of murder. >>> Associated Press | Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Iran Stoning Woman Offered Asylum by Brazil's President Lula
THE GUARDIAN: Offer raises hopes Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, will be spared

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has stepped into the international outcry over Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, by offering his country as a refuge, a move which raised hopes her life will be spared.

The surprise offer prompted an immediate reaction from Iran, which considers Brazil a key ally. Iranian officials softened their tone with Ashtiani's family over the weekend and official media reported full details of the story for the first time.

"I don't think Iran can ignore Brazil as easily as it ignored other countries," Ashtiani's son, Sajad, told the Guardian today. "It is very important that Brazil, as one of Iran's most significant allies in the world, has offered a haven for my mother."

He hoped Turkey, which also carries influence with Tehran, would add its voice. "No countries in the world can have such impacts that Brazil and Turkey can have on Iran now. These two countries can save my mother's life," said Sajad. >>> Saeed Kamali Dehghan, Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro, and Rory Carroll | Sunday, August 01, 2010

Iran Halts Woman's Stoning 'For Now'
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Iran's judiciary chief has halted "for the moment" the execution by stoning of a woman accused of adultery, according to the state news agency.

Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, was sentenced to death by stoning after being found guilty of adultery by an Iranian court, a ruling that sparked outcry in Western countries. >>> | Sunday, July 11, 2010

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