Iran Hangs 'Temporary Wife' in Murder

Iran hanged the mistress of a former soccer star today, the final chapter in a long saga that entranced the nation and highlighted the place of "temporary wives" in Iranian society. Shahla Jahed had been jailed for eight years in the murder of her lover's wife after convictions in 2004 and 2009 that were widely questioned.

Jahed pleaded guilty to murder after first denying the charge, reports the AP, and Amnesty International and others had sought mercy in the case. Jahed had become the “temporary wife” of soccer star Nasser Mohammed Khani—a legal way for Iranian men to have mistresses in which a contract is written for a specific length of time, and the woman paid. Judiciary officials reportedly spoke at length with the victim’s family before the execution, seeking to avoid the death penalty, but to no avail.