Two Iranian women in imminent danger of execution

Online Action Center


Zeynab Jalalian, a 27-year-old Iranian Kurd, was arrested in 2007 and convicted in 2009 due to her alleged connection with a Kurdish armed opposition group. She claims she was tortured and sexually abused in detention. She is reported not to have been granted access to her lawyer during trial, which allegedly only lasted a few minutes, and no evidence was produced against her. Jalalian’s death sentence was upheld on appeal and confirmed by the Supreme Court in November 2009.
In May 2006, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning. After international criticism in July 2010, it was announced that Ashtiani would not be stoned, and the Supreme Court began a review of her case. A confession made by Ashtiani implicating herself in the murder of her husband was released in August in an attempt to deflect criticism of her sentence. The confession was reported to have been made as a result of coercion and torture.