IRAN. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING

February 1, 2008: an Iranian music teacher, Abdollah Farivar Moghaddam, has been sentenced to death by stoning, for having relations with one of his students.Forty-nine year-old Farivar is married with two children.
The family of Farivar, insists that he did not commit adultery, since the teacher signed a timed marriage contract.
A timed marriage contract, or 'Sigheh' means a man and a woman enter into a legally binding, but temporary union, after agreeing on the length of the contract and the amount of compensation to be paid to the woman.
The contract has a background in Shia law and has been used as a measure for curbing prostitution and provides a way around Iran's restrictive laws that prevent pre-marital sexual relations.
The incident reportedly happened in the city of Sari, located in the northern Iran. His sentence has been approved by the Supreme Court. (Sources: Aki, 01/02/2008; Iran Human Rights)