Iran’s Court Hands Down Death Sentence for Woman’s Adultery

State media in Iran reported the sentencing of a woman to death for adultery by an Iranian court. The woman, a gym trainer, was caught by her husband committing infidelity in their home in 2022, which he discovered through home surveillance.

The death sentence, often by stoning for such cases in Iran, is not final and can be appealed. This sentencing comes as Iran faces intense international scrutiny for its high use of capital punishment. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that Iran’s execution rates have surged alarmingly, with at least 419 executions in the first seven months of this year, marking a 30% increase from the previous year.

Iran’s justice system has been known to impose the death penalty for various crimes, including adultery, and this is not the first incident of such a sentence; a similar case occurred in 2017, although there has been no follow-up report on the execution. In 2022, the execution of two men convicted of sodomy also drew international condemnation, highlighting the severity of Iran’s penal code.