Iranian woman's stoning sentence on hold: report

The stoning death sentence passed against an Iranian woman convicted of adultery has been suspended and is under review, Iran's English-language television station reported Wednesday.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted in 2006 of having an "illicit relationship" with two men after the murder of her husband the year before and was sentenced at that time to 99 lashes.

Later that year, she was also convicted of adultery and sentenced to be stoned, even though she retracted a confession she says was made under duress.

Ashtianiis also facing chargesrelated toher husband's death, Reuters reported.

"The sentencing of Ms. Ashtiani for adultery has been stopped and [her case] is being reviewed again, and her sentencing for complicity in murder is in process," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.

He said the murder charge was being investigated "for the final verdict to be issued," according to a Reuters report.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Ali Akbar Naseri, Iran's envoy to the Vatican, told Italian state TV in an interview broadcast Wednesday night that Ashtiani's casewas under study by experts.

He said Islamic law "is inspired by clemency and forgiveness." Asked if that meant Ashtiani might receive clemency, the envoy replied that "some mitigation of the punishment is possible."He didn't elaborate.

On Sunday, the Vatican had raised the possibility of using its diplomatic channels on humanitarian grounds in the case but stopped short of saying such efforts had begun.

Canadian making an effort

InCanada, Indigo Books chief executive officerHeather Reisman is spearheading an online petitionaimed at religious clerics in Iran and pushing for the release of Ashtiani.

"This is a woman who has been in jail for four years under harsh conditions, who received an initial 99 lashes, and has nowreceived a second99 lashes," she said.

"We are going to ask people to sign a letter that willgo to these clerics, asking them to revisit all these elementsand hoping that, given their expertise, they too will see theseissuesand ask thatthese newcharges bewithdrawn,and that the death sentence be withdrawn."

Reisman's online campaign has already generated more than 300,000 signatures.

On Tuesday, the European Union condemned the stoning death sentence passed against an Iranian woman convicted of adultery, calling it "barbaric."

Mehmanparast told Press TV that the case should "not be turned into a human rights matter."