An Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, faces death by stoning - for adultery. For this she has already received 99 [!] lashes, though her son and daughter say she's innocent.
Under Iranian sharia law, the sentenced individual is buried up to the neck (or to the waist in the case of men), and those attending the public execution are called upon to throw stones. If the convicted person manages to free themselves from the hole, the death sentence is commuted.
Ashtiani's lawyer describes this as 'barbaric'. It seems like an apt description. What was the spokesman for the US State Department thinking when he made the comments reported here?
In Washington, the State Department criticized the scheduled stoning, saying it raised serious concerns about human rights violations by the Iranian government.
"We have grave concerns that the punishment does not fit the alleged crime," Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley said Thursday. "For a modern society such as Iran, we think this raises significant human rights concerns."
Calling Iran's judicial system "disproportionate" in its treatment of women, Crowley said, "From the United States' standpoint, we don't think putting women to death for adultery is an appropriate punishment."
Is stoning an appropriate punishment for any crime? Is any punishment by the state appropriate for adultery? Perhaps the Assistant Secretary of State was just speaking thoughtlessly. He shouldn't do that. In any case, something more severe was called for. (Thanks: MK.)