dsc00538.JPGUpdate: More Pictures from the Recent Stoning

Jafar Kiani, the man who was sentenced to stoning, along with his partner, Makroumeh Ebrahimi, was stoned. The stoning was arranged for two weeks ago, causing huge disgust in the blogosphere which helped aware the public, something which only paused the verdict, he was stoned on Thursday. There is still no news about Makroumeh, who is still held in prison in Qazvin. One of her lawyers has stated his worries about her, “They are going to carry the verdict on her, too”. The couple have married together thirteen years ago, and have an eleven-year-old child. The judge has not accepted their marriage and has called it adultery. The news is both approved by activists (also, also, also) and by the news sources close to the reformists. Reportedly, the public hesitated from attending the stoning and thus the Police stoned the man. The stoning carried out in Aghche-kand village, in Takistan, Qazvin Province. The Judiciary is still not commenting on the news, but local sources have undoubtedly verified it (source: Roozna).

Pargas writes “witnesses inside the prison have mentioned that Makroumeh was taken to the administration offices in the prison and was told about the stoning of her partner. She is in bad conditions”. She adds “These are true news”. She writes at the end of her post, “Some reports say the stoning might have been carried out based on a personal decision. The local head of the Judiciary has been opposed to the verdict but the judge has ordered the stoning to be carried out. So, they have stoned him in private.” Reportedly, the Norwegian ambassador to Tehran is going to condemn the stoning, accompanied by other Western ambassadors in Tehran.

This is the press release issued by a prominent women’s rights group, which also issued the first warning.

Jafar Kiani Stoned on July 5, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi in Eminent Danger

Jafar Kiani was stoned in Aghche-kand, a small village near Takistan, Ghazvin, on Thursday July 5th. His partner, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, could have a similar fate if we do not act now!

Jafar Kiani and his partner, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, have been in prison for more than 11 years for an adulterous relationship and having two children. The couple’s children live in prison with their mother. The Stop Stoning Forever Campaign broke the news of their case on June 19 as they were scheduled to be stoned together on Thursday, June 21, 2007. After the news was spread, the Iranian judiciary officials were faced with a strong wave of national and international opposition and announced that the order of stoning would be stayed.

The people of Takistan and their parliamentary representative, Rajab Rahmani, were opposed to the execution of the sentence in Takistan which led to its carrying out in Aghche-kand.

The judge who issued the stoning sentence, Mr. Eslahi, believed that the couple’s marriage had not been legitimate based on his own “knowledge” of the case. The stoning sentences were similarly issued.

According to the Iranian law, the judge who has issued the sentence would have to be present in person to throw the first stone. Some unofficial sources have reported that only a few of the villagers participated in the stoning and the sentence was mostly carried out by the officials and the related service men.

The judiciary officials have so far neither confirmed nor denied the stoning of Jafar Kiani. Silence seems to be the current policy of some judiciary officials, including Hassan Ghasemi, the Head of Judiciary Office in Ghazvin, who has told the Stop Stoning Forever Campaign activists to contact Alireza Jamshidi, the official Iranian judiciary spokesman, for answers to their questions.

The Stop Stoning Forever Campaign is asking all citizens of the world to raise their opposition to stoning and try to save the life of Mokarrameh Ebrahimi from stoning. Please contact the Iranian officials in Tehran and Takistan, Gahzvin and/or Iranian embassy in other countries (please see the contact information below).