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Iran Judiciary ends death penalty by stoning
Iran's judiciary will no longer order executions by stoning and has told judges to issue alternative punishments for adultery. "The head of the judiciary has sent a ruling to judges telling them not to order stonings," member of parliament Jamileh Kadivar said, adding that the decision would be upheld pending a permanent change in the law.Damn! Made it all the way up to the 15th or 16th century, in a single jump! The judiciary has yet to officially announce the ruling from its ultra-conservative head, Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi, but EU diplomats said they were informed of the decision when their rights talks began earlier this month. Execution by stoning is usually imposed for adultery, but such verdicts are seldom issued in practice. There were two confirmed cases in 2001, and one unconfirmed case in 2002 in which a condemned woman reportedly survived by struggling out of the pit in which she had been buried before she could be killed. Women sentenced to death are buried up to their shoulders, and men up to the waist, then onlookers are invited to pelt them with stones until death. Kadivar said alternative punishments should be either jailing or fines, although it is unclear whether judges will still be at liberty to order other forms of execution, such as hanging. Alright, ladies! There's your cue. Now, get out there and hump! But be careful... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-12-30 |
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