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Iran says foreign countries should not make the case of a woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery into a human rights issue.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that if releasing murderers is a human rights issue, then those nations should release all of their murderers from jail.
He said the case is still being reviewed, but friends and family of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani said Monday they feared authorities could carry out her execution soon.
The son of the 43-year-old widow and one of her lawyers said the moratorium on death sentences observed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan will end this week. The Associated Press quoted the lawyer, Javid Houtan Kian, as saying the stoning sentence could be carried out "any moment."