Iran Human Rights, December 30: According to reliable sources in Iran, two men were stoned to death in a cemetery outside the northwestern Iranian city of Mashad, on Friday December 26.

Also a third man was sentenced to death by stoning, but he managed to rescue himself by pulling himself out of the hole.

Several unofficial websites have published the news. However, in these sites it is mentioned that one person was stoned to death.

Iran Human Rights is investigating the details.

Iran authorities have signed a mortorium with the EU in 2002, where it was agreed that stoning as punishment will be halted in Iran.

However since then, at least three people have been stoned to death. In May 2006, one man and one woman were stoned to death in Mashad. In July 2007, one man identified as Jafar Kiyani was stoned to death in Takestan.

According to Roozonline, one of the men who was stoned to death was "Hooshang Kh." while the man who managed to rescue himself was "Mahmood Gh." of Afghan origin. The other man who was stoned to death is not yet identified.

According to the site "Human Rights Activists in Iran" one person identified as Hoshang Khodadadeh was stoned to death. He was convicted of adultry with a woman identified as "M. Kh." who is also sentenced to death by stoning and is in the Vakilabad prison of Mashad waiting for her sentence. According to this report another man who was also supposed to be stoned to death managed to pull himself out, after being severly injured. His sentence was halted. The stoning event lasted 40 minutes according to the report.

The Iranian daily Khorasan reported that a man identified as Hoshang Kh. was punished for adultry and sexual relations with family members. The report also said that he belonged to the Baha’i faith. But Baha’i community has not confirmed this yet.