Son and lawyer of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani arrested in Iran

Iranian authorities arrested two German reporters together with Sajjad Gaderzadeh and Javid HoutanKian, son and lawyer of Sakineh Ashtiani, Iranian woman sentenced to stoning.

According to a report from the International Committee against the Death Penalty and the International Committee against Stoning, last night at around 7 p.m. while the two reporters had gone to the office of Mohamadi Ashtiani’s lawyer to interview her son and lawyer, intelligence officers raided the office and arrested the four individuals.

According to this report, the detainees have been taken to an unknown location and there are no announcements regarding their situation.

The raid took place as one of the reporters was on the phone speaking to Mina Ahadi, head of the Committee against the Death Penalty and the Committee against Stoning.

Sajjad and Saideh Ghaderzadeh, the two children of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani had spoken earlier to the Italian media and urged the Italian government to offer them asylum.

They had told the reporter that they are under grave pressure and are in constant fear of being arrested.

Sajjad Gaderzadeh was quoted as saying: “The authorities do not respond to any of our inquiries about our mother’s situation and we, along with our lawyer, are completely alone and our only hope is tied to the international community.”

Mohammadi Ashtiani’s son has even appealed to the Pope to assist them in their efforts to release their mother.

In August, Gatherzadeh also told the British daily, Guardian, that Tabriz Prison authorities had staged a mock execution for his mother.

Sakineh Mohammadi’s lawyer, Javid HoutanKian had also told the Italian media: “According to information I am hearing from Tabirz prosecutor’s office, they have a plan to fabricate political charges against Ms. Sakineh Mohammadi’s children. According to my sources, the prosecutor’s office is trying to coerce two prisoners to make false confessions accusing the children of spreading anti-government flyers.”

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was sentenced to 99 lashes four years ago for committing adultery but after the death of her husband, another court sentenced her to death by stoning and since then she is in Tabriz Prison.

Following an international campaign to stop the stoning of Mohammadi Ashtiani, Iranian authorities, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, maintain that there is no stoning sentence in this case and the international campaign for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is in fact Western propaganda against Iran.