Iran stoning case lawyer is in Turkey, UN body says

Ankara: The lawyer of a woman who had been sentenced to death by stoning in Iran is in Turkey and has the option of applying for asylum, the UN's refugee agency said Wednesday.

The lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, went missing after being questioned by judicial officials at Tehran's Evin prison for several hours on July 23, according to Amnesty International.

Mostafaei apparently surfaced in Turkey and was detained because of a passport problem after entering the country, Turkey's Radikal newspaper said yesterday. It gave no source for the report and there was no information on when he was detained or where he was being held. Iranian nationals do not require visas to enter Turkey.

"We are monitoring developments concerning the case," said Metin Corabatir, a UNHCR spokesman in Turkey. "The channels are open for him to apply for asylum."