Sakineh Mohamamadi Ashtiani

IRAN SUSPENDS SENTENCE TO HANG WOMAN IN STONING CASE

January 17, 2011: Iran has suspended a sentence to hang a woman at the center of a global outcry about stoning, a member of parliament was quoted as saying.
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's sentence to be stoned for adultery was suspended last year after condemnation from several governments, but she had still faced death by hanging for being an accomplice in her husband's murder.
In a letter to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the head of parliament's human rights committee, Zohre Elahian, said the hanging, too, had been suspended due to pleas from her children.
"Although the stoning sentence has not been finalised yet, the hanging sentence has been suspended due to (her children's) pardon," the letter said, according to student news agency ISNA.
Ashtiani has been sentenced to 10 years' jail, Elahian said.
Elahian in her letter insisted that, "according to evidence the Iranian woman has betrayed to her family and killed her husband jointly with her beloved. She has confessed to her crimes during her trial process." (Sources: Reuters, Isna, 17/01/2011)