Iran: Malak Ghorbany: Court decision on stoning Justice Branch 27 of Iran's Supreme Court has issued a ruling in the case of Shamameh Malak Ghorbany, a 34 year old mother of two, who was sentenced to death by stoning for having committed "adultery."
Although Branch 27 of the Supreme Court notified Malak Ghorbany's lawyers that it had reached a final decision in her case, the court did not reveal whether or not it had ruled in their client's favor.
In summer of 2006, a court in the Western District of Azerbaijan found Shamameh Malak Ghorbany guilty of "adultery" and sentenced her to death by stoning. International outcry against this ruling -- initiated by human rights lawyers outside of Iran -- forced Iran's head of Judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi, to issue a stay of execution and order a review of Malak's case.
Malak is accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a man identified only as "Mordaad," who was attacked and stabbed to death by Malak's husband and her brother. According to court documents and reports, the two men were outraged when they saw Mordaad in Malak's home. They chased him out of the house and, once they caught up with him, they stabbed him some 20-25 times, thereby causing his death. After killing Mordaad, the two men returned to the house and attacked Malak. They stabbed her repeatedly with the same knife and almost took her life. Malak was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of a nearby hospital, where she received life-saving medical treatment as she laid silent in a coma.
Malak's lawyers, who are representing her on a volunteer basis after learning about her case from international human rights lawyers and organizations outside of Iran, have identified a number of serious legal mishaps in her case. According to one member of Malak's legal team, Malak was sentenced to death by stoning despite the fact that, in 3 out of 4 hearings held to prosecute her, she did not have access to legal counsel and had not been informed of her rights under the law. As such, her lawyers argue, she was denied her rights under the law and should not have been sentenced to death.
According to independent sources, after being released from the hospital, Malak attempted to save her husband and brother from execution for murdering Mordaad. She told the authorities that the murder was a response to her "inappropriate relationship" with the victim. She had no understanding of the legal ramifications of such a statement.
In a letter to the court, Malak explains: "I am a woman from a small village; I have had little formal education and I have no understanding of the law or the legal system. I thought that by saying that the murder was a response to some wrong-doing on my part and in an attempt to restore the family's honor, I would be able to save my husband and my brother from execution. So I said things that were not true. I had no idea that those statements could be used to incriminate me for a crime that I did not commit."
Although Malak's lawyers do not know how the Supreme Court has ruled, they remain hopeful that such a ruling would be favorable to their client. They will learn of the Supreme Court's decision within the next 10 days.
Thanks to everyone who signed the petition and wrote letters for Malak. Let us hope that the judges made a compassionate decision.
Remember that Malak is only one of the seven women who were sentenced to death by stoning. We need to keep the pressure on Iran until stoning is ended for good. And don't forget that Kobra Rahmanpour needs your help too.
Posted by Joanne Payton on Saturday, October 14, 2006 (23:08:46) (180 reads) -- Michael Pugliese