WLUML/allies

The stoning of Mokarrameh Ebrahimi and the father of her 11 year old "illegitimate" child was stayed by the written order of the Head of Judiciary in Tehran addressed to the head of the judiciary branch in Takistan. The stoning had been scheduled for Thursday morning, local time, and the order came less than 24 hours before the scheduled time.

The Stop Stoning Forever Campaign invites all citizens of the world to contact the Iranian officials by phone and/or fax and ask them to stop the public stoning of Mokarrameh Ebrahimin, the 43 year old mother of three children, and her partner, the father of her 11 year old child. Please note that email may not be effective.

Also, please note the time difference since the stoning is scheduled for Thursday, 21 June 2007, in the morning, Tehran time, which is Wednesday evening and midnight in the US and Europe. Please act now before it is too late!

Women Living Under Muslim Laws is deeply concerned about the prosecution and detention of Shamial Raj and Shahzina Tariq of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Shamial Raj had a sex change operation and for years has been living as a man. He and Shahzina Tariq married for love last year, despite the fact that Shahzina's father had wanted to marry her off to someone to whom he owed money. Shahzina's father, Tariq Hussain and other members of her family continued to harrass the pair and took legal action against Shamial accusing him of kidnapping their daughter, despite the consensual nature of their marriage. On the 28th of May, 2007 the Lahore High Court decided there was insufficient evidence to charge Shahzina and Shamial under section 377 (unnatural offences). However the couple have both been sentenced to three years imprisonment on lesser charges.

When asked about Zeinab’s bail, her father Peyqambarzadeh explained that court officials did not even discuss the issue of bail with him. “They only told me to leave and didn’t allow me any visits with my daughter either. They were angry and shouted a lot and told me that they have reactivated Zeinab’s previous criminal charge [for when she was arrested on the metro for distributing pamphlets about the Campaign]”. Zeinab’s father explained further that he worries for his daughter’s safety because they won’t tell him what they are going to do. "Is it a crime to ask for a written summons?" he asks.