Stoning is a pre-Islamic punishment

Stoning is a pre-Islamic punishment. It was once practised in many parts of the world, but in recent years has been almost entirely abandoned except in a few countries, principally Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. For the execution, the condemned person is wrapped head to foot in white shrouds and buried in a pit. A woman is buried up to her armpits, while a man is buried up to his waist. A truckload of rocks is brought to the site and court-appointed officials, or in some cases ordinary citizens approved by the authorities, carry out the stoning. Article 104 of the Penal Code states that "...the stones should not be too large so that the person dies on being hit by one or two of them..." therefore it is designed to cause a slow, torturous death. If the condemned person somehow manages to survive the stoning, he or she will be imprisoned for as long as 15 years but will not be executed. Iran's controversial use of stoning as a means of execution has evoked criticism from international human rights groups. Human rights groups strongly object to any cases of stoning because they consider it a particularly cruel form of execution that prolongs the agony of the condemned person. It violates international conventions, some of which Tehran itself has signed. Many women's rights activists consider stoning as a harsh punishment that particularly singles out women. Not only does stoning require burying a woman deeper than a man - a practice proponents say is to protect the woman's bosom - it also is used against women more often than against men.