Iranian woman faces death for murder of lover's wife.

Iranian woman faces death for murder of lover's wife

An Iranian woman is due to be executed for killing her lover's wife, according to Amnesty International.

Citing Iranian media reports, the human rights group said the lawyer of Khadijeh "Shala" Jahed has said she is to be executed in Tehran's Evin prison at dawn, and that she maintained her innocence.

Her case has become a cause celebre in the Islamic republic. She was found guilty in 2002 of killing Laleh Saharkhizan, the wife of footballer Nasser Mohammad Khani, who rose to fame in the mid-80s. She has been in prison ever since.

"Shahla Jahed must be spared execution. The death penalty represents the ultimate denial of human rights," Malcolm Smart, Amnesty director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

"As well, in this case, there are good reasons to suggest that she may have been wrongly convicted."

Amnesty said Jahed, who had contracted a temporary marriage with Nasser Mohammad Khani, essentially becoming his mistress, was convicted of stabbing to death her husband's "permanent wife".

In the Shia faith that is the majority religion in Iran, men and women can marry for an agreed period of time. Afterwards, the marriage is null and void, although it can be renewed.

Men can have up to four permanent wives, and any number of temporary wives. Women can only be married to one man at a time.

Smart said there are "strong grounds to believe that Shahla Jahed did not receive a fair trial, and may have been coerced into making a 'confession' during months of detention in solitary confinement. 

She retracted that confession at her trial but the court chose to accept it as evidence against her."

Amnesty said Jahed's lawyer had requested a review of the execution order arguing that the case had not been properly investigated.

According to Amnesty, the then head of the judiciary ordered a stay of execution in November 2005 so that the case could be re-examined, and the death sentence was upheld in September 2006.

In early 2008, it said, the judiciary again overturned the verdict and ordered a fresh investigation, citing "procedural flaws." However, Jahed was again sentenced to death in February 2009.

Khani was a prominent Iranian footballer in the 1980s and late became trainer for Tehran's Persepolis football club.

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