Iranian woman to be hanged Wednesday

An Iranian woman convicted of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning will instead be hanged, a German human rights group said Tuesday.

According to a Reuters report, the International Committee against Stoning posted on its website that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is due to be put to death on Wednesday.

Ashtiani, 43, and a mother of two, was convicted in 2006 of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning. She had been convicted earlier that year of having an "illicit relationship" with two men after the murder of her husband in 2005. For that, she had been sentenced to 99 lashes.

In September, Iran's English-language television reported that Ashtiani's sentence had been suspended for further review.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said his country is deeply concerned about the fate of Ashtiani.

"We once again urge the government of Iran to reverse the trend of the deterioration of its human rights situation and to meet its legal obligations," he said. "These include ensuring due process for all those that have been detained."

The White House also condemned the planned execution of the woman.