Iranian Woman Sentenced to Death May Have Been Released

Photos showing Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani at home with her son are fueling speculation that she has been set free.

In a story that may be too good to be true, rumours are swirling that the Iranian woman who was originally sentenced to death by stoning has been released. State-run Press TV has published photos of Sakineh Ashtiani and her son at their home in the city of Tabriz, but the network is also denying that she has been set free. Ashtiani became the focus of an international campaign after she was convicted of adultery and sentenced to death, with officials at the highest levels of Western governments calling on Tehran to let her go. She has said that she was tortured in prison and that authorities coerced a confession from her. The stoning sentence was changed to death by hanging earlier this year.