Iran: Two men stoned to death for adultery; third escapes

Iran's judiciary spokesman says two men convicted of adultery have been stoned to death in northeastern Iran but a third convicted man has managed to escape. Ali Reza Jamshidi said Tuesday the stoning took place in the city of Mashhad in late December but did not provide the names of the convicted men. Under Iran's Islamic law, adultery is punishable by stoning, but such sentences are rare. Under Islamic rulings, a man is usually buried up to his waist, while a woman is buried up to her neck. Those carrying out the verdict then throw stones until the person dies. If the person manages to escape from the hole, he or she will remain free according to Islamic law.