Iran – Couple reported hanged in May, were actually stoned to death

Stop Fundamentalism, November 3, 2006 – According to Rooz daily, a state-run publication in Iran, “A man and a woman identified as Abbass H. and Mahboubeh M. were stoned to death in the northern city of Mashhad.

“Mahboubeh and Abbass were treated as if they were dead already.”  The daily stated, “According to Islamic rituals, they were cleaned and wrapped in white shrouds by the undertaker while still alive. Being a female, Mahboubeh was buried alive up to her shoulders, and Abbass was buried in the ground, up to his waist. Then, they were stoned to a gradual death.” d, in Iran during May 2006.”

The two were originally reported hanged by officials.

There are currently nine women and two men reported to be on the list of execution by stoning to death.  The women are identified as Paresa A. (Adel-Abad Prison in the southern city of Shirz), Kobra N. (Tabriz Prison in the northern city of Tabiz), Khireh V., and Iran A. (Sepidar Prison in the southern city of Ahwiz), Malik (a.k.a Shamameh) Ghorbani (Orumeh Prison in the northern city of Orumeh), Hajeh Esmail-Vand (Jolfa Prison in northern Iran), Soqra Molaii ( Varamian Prison in south Tehran), Ashraf Kalhori (Evin Prison in Tehran), Fatemeh (at an unknown prison), Zahra Rezaii (Rajaii-Shahr Prison west of Tehran). The two men are identified as Abdullah Farifar (Sari Prison in northern city of Sari) and Najaf A. (Adel-Abad Prison in the southern city of Shirz).

Also according to internal sources on Tuesday, at least seven executions took place in Iran six of which were public hangings in the south eastern city of Zahedan.  The other execution took place in the southern city of Bandar-Abbass.