The harrowing true story behind the 2008 film The Stoning of Soraya M.

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1986, a 35-year-old woman named Soraya Manutchehri was stoned to death in a remote Iranian village. Her tragic execution, orchestrated by her husband to avoid divorce costs and remarry, was later documented by journalist Freidoune Sahebjam, eventually inspiring the 2008 film directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh.

The film is an adaptation of the 1990 book La Femme Lapidée by French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam. While traveling through Iran, Sahebjam encountered Soraya’s aunt, Zahra, who recounted the events surrounding her niece's death in the village of Kuhpayeh. Soraya Manutchehri, born around 1951, was accused of adultery by her husband, Ghorban-Ali, a prison guard who sought to discard his wife to marry a 14-year-old girl. By fabricating claims of infidelity and leveraging the influence of local authorities and a mullah, Ali successfully secured a conviction against his wife.

The narrative depicts a brutal judicial process where Soraya was denied a fair defense, and her own father was coerced into participating in the execution. The stoning itself was described as a slow, agonizing event, marked by a carnival-like atmosphere among the village elders. Following her death on August 15, 1986, her body was reportedly left exposed. The film highlights the role of Zahra, who risked her safety to ensure the journalist could record the truth and escape the village, ultimately bringing the story to an international audience.

Upon its release in 2008, the film received mixed critical reception, holding a 58% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 50 on Metacritic. Critics noted that while the subject matter was powerful, the execution was sometimes viewed as heavy-handed. Despite the controversy and the banning of the original book in Iran, the film earned over $1 million worldwide. It remains a stark exploration of systemic injustice, manipulation, and the courage required to bear witness to human rights abuses.

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