21 July 2008 :

at least eight women and one man have been sentenced to be stoned to death in Iran and may be executed at any time, the lawyers defending several of those sentenced said. The eight women, ranging in age from 27 to 43, have convictions including prostitution, incest and adultery. The man, a 50 year old music teacher, was convicted of illegal sex with a student. 'Our specific and clear demand is to have the stoning sentence stopped by Ayatollah Shahroudi since the defendants are liable to be stoned at any moment,' defense lawyer Mariam Kian-Arsi said. Judiciary officials were not immediately available for comment.