Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has stepped into the international outcry over Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, by offering his country as a refuge, a move which raised hopes her life will be spared.
The surprise offer prompted an immediate reaction from Iran, which considers Brazil a key ally. Iranian officials softened their tone with Ashtiani's family over the weekend and official media reported full details of the story for the first time.
"I don't think Iran can ignore Brazil as easily as it ignored other countries," Ashtiani's son, Sajad, told the Guardian today. "It is very important that Brazil, as one of Iran's most significant allies in the world, has offered a haven for my mother".
He hoped Turkey, which also carries influence with Tehran, would add its voice. "No countries in the world can have such impacts that Brazil and Turkey can have on Iran now. These two countries can save my mother's life," said Sajad.
Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, was convicted in 2006 of having an "illicit relationship" with two men and received 99 lashes. A court later amended the conviction to "adultery while being married" and sentenced her to death by stoning.
Iran rebuffed clemency appeals by human rights campaigners and the west but signalled willingness to listen to a South American ally who has forged a close bond with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and defended Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear programme.
The Guardian
