Rights group Amnesty International has
accused Iran of persecuting a lawyer involved in the high profile
case of a woman sentenced to death by stoning. Mohammad Mostafaei,
who is defending the woman, was called in on Saturday for
questioning at Tehran's Evin prison. Amnesty says he appears to have
gone missing after his release. The authorities have since detained
his wife and brother-in-law, it says. Mr Mostafaei is a known critic
of Iran's judicial system. He has defended many juvenile offenders,
political prisoners and others sentenced to stoning.
Among his most high-profile clients is Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani,
who was sentenced to death by stoning following a conviction for
adultery. Although that threat was lifted earlier this month, she
still faces execution by hanging. The case has prompted outrage all
over the world, and protests were held in a number of countries at
the weekend. In a statement, Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's
Middle East and North Africa director, said: "Mohammad Mostafaei is
a thorn in the side of the Iranian authorities and we fear that he
is being persecuted in an attempt to stop him carrying out his
professional activities," said The Iranian authorities have clearly
been angered by the international campaign to save Ashtiani, says
the BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo.
The government has also put pressure on another lawyer involved in
the case, as well as Ashtiani's son, who has been campaigning hard
for her release, our correspondent says. An extended report on state
television blamed exiled opposition groups for using the issue to
stir up demonstrations against Iran, and now the Iranian government
appears to be trying to silence her lawyers, he adds.
