Zahra Ismaeli stood in line behind 16 men and was forced to watch them during their execution. Before her turn came, she apparently had a heart attack and appeared to be dead.

However, the noose was placed around her neck so that her husband's mother would not be deprived of exercising her right to kick the chair away from under her during the hanging.

The execution was carried out in Rajaei Shahr prison, a known harsh prison in the town of Karaj, 20 miles west of the capital, Tehran.

The woman's husband was an Iranian intelligence official, and they had two children.