(CNN) -- An Iranian court may render the final verdict Thursday in the case of Sakineh Mohammedie Ashtiani, sentenced to death by stoning in Iran for allegedly committing adultery.
That case was placed under review after her attorney, Mohammad Mostafaei, helped launch a worldwide campaign to clear her. Now, as Ashtiani's two children wait to hear word of their mother's fate, Mostafaei's family must also await word of his.
That's because Mostafaei, a prominent human rights lawyer, was being held Wednesday at a detention center in Istanbul, Turkey, where he has requested asylum, said Metin Corabatir, a representative in Turkey for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. He allegedly entered the country with improper documentation, the agency said.
Turkey does not require visas for citizens from neighboring Iran to enter the country. As a result, it is the first place hundreds of Iranians fled to after the Iranian government cracked down on opposition activists and critics over the past year.
Human rights groups are urging officials to grant his asylum request because they say he could be in grave danger if he is forced to return to Iran.
There is no word yet on whether any nation is willing to accept him. CNN
