MFI Press Release: Imminent Stoning of Iranian Mother Prompts International Outcry; Protests This Weekend Coordinated by the Campaign to Save Sakine Mohammadi

Washington, D.C. July 1, 2010 – The Islamic Republic of Iran continues its recent crackdown on women, enforcing strict adherence to hijab dress code while increasing the frequency of executions of women. The imminent stoning execution of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani, a mother of two, has aroused international outrage and disgust. Similarly, people worldwide are appalled at the regime’s imminent plans to hang a young female political prisoner, Zeinab Jalalian. The Campaign to Save Sakine Mohammadi is coordinating international protests this weekend to demand the immediate overturning of Mohammadi’s stoning sentence, and the verdicts of all condemned to stoning and execution in Iran.

The children of Sakine Mohammadi have issued an open letter to the international community pleading for intervention on their mother’s behalf. In response, activists in Washington DC, USA; London, England; Toronto, Canada; Köln and Wuerzburg, Germany; and Oslo, Norway will hold demonstrations to call global attention to the imminent stoning death of Mohammadi and to demand intervention from national governments and multilateral organizations in her case.

In the practice of stoning, the arms of the condemned are bound and her body is buried in the ground up to her waist. People throw medium-sized stones at the victim, who eventually dies from the slowly implemented trauma. According to Qesas of Islamic sharia law, the rocks used for stoning are selected for size: not so small as to be ineffective, yet not so large as to rapidly end the torture of being struck repeatedly by stones prior to death. While demanding that the stoning sentence of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani be overturned, the protesters also demand immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, the immediate removal of the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, and the establishment of an international court in which to try those responsible for 31 years of wrongful detention, torture, and execution of hundreds of thousands of people in Iran.

The Campaign to Save Sakine Mohammadi has scheduled the following demonstrations: Washington DC USA: Friday July 2, 6pm at 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW with march to DuPont Circle (coordinator: Mission Free Iran); London England: Friday July 2, 6-9pm outside the Islamic Republic Embassy, 16 Prince’s Gate, London SW7 1PT (coordinator: Iran Solidarity); Toronto Canada: Sunday July 4, 11am-11pm at the Pride Festival Community Fair, Welleseley Street east between Church and Young streets (coordinator: Persian2English); Köln Germany: Sunday July 4, 11am at the Church Door in the City Center (coordinator: International Committee Against Stoning); Oslo Norway: Friday July 2, 5pm in front of the Norwegian Parliament (coordinators: Solidarity Committee in Oslo with WPI-Norway activists).

Contact:
Maria Rohaly
maria.rohaly@gmail.com
https://missionfreeiran.wordpress.com
###