TEHRAN: Iran is ready to pardon hundreds of members of an exiled Iranian opposition group based at a former military camp near Baghdad, Iran’s ambassador to Iraq told the Mehr news agency yesterday. “After conducting investigations, 423 members (of the People’s Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran — PMOI) who do not have any legal problems can return to Iran,” Hassan Danaeifar was quoted as saying.
The number represents about 14 percent of the estimated 3,000 members of the PMOI who are living in exile at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad airport. “Iran is ready to pardon those members who did not kill anyone or do not have complaints against them,” he said, without elaborating. Danaeifar added that a bid by “a considerable number of this group who wish to come back to Iran was blocked by their leaders”.
Woman jailed for adultery freed
tehran: An Iranian woman sentenced to die by stoning for adultery and later given a 10-year jail term instead has been allowed to leave prison in a twist to a case that has prompted years of criticism of Iran’s rights record. A spokesman for Iran’s judiciary said that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani had been given “a leave” from prison several weeks ago for good behaviour. He said, without elaborating, that the decision was a sign of “our religion’s leniency towards women”.
There was no word on whether the release was permanent or whether it was subject to some form of probation.
Ashtiani, who has two children, was convicted of adultery and complicity in the murder of her husband in 2005. A court sentenced Ashtiani to be stoned in 2006 but the sentence was suspended in 2010 in the face of international pressure on Tehran. Her sentence was then reduced to 10 years.Agencies
