Foreign minister Maxime Verhagen summoned the Iranian ambassador today to express, at the highest diplomatic level, the indignation felt by the Netherlands at the stoning of Jafar Kiani in northern Iran.

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Mr Kiani and his partner Mokarrameh Ebrahimi were jailed more than ten years ago after being sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. On 20 June, the EU called on the Iranian government not to carry out the sentence. The Iranian authorities replied that the moratorium order on executions by stoning, of December 2002, is still in force.

Nevertheless, Mr Kiani was stoned to death on 5 July. The Netherlands condemns the stoning in the strongest terms, and urged the Iranian ambassador to convey to the government in Tehran that Ms Ebrahimi should be spared this cruel punishment.