Part 7

If you don't get an agreement you can be looking at anything from a fine, to a lash or 100 lashes to 10 years in prison or death penalty. Its the kind of thing at the prosecutors discretion. My bet would be if your American, they give you the worst possible punishment and then use it as diplomatic leverage against the US government to get money from them and you get out in like 2-4 years in the worst case scenario. Often secret payments occur to regimes who agree to let out Westerners early from prison for crimes like drug trafficking or adultery. Like the Iranian hikers. Islamic law is a totally different ball game and if you have a half decent lawyer, you should not even get more than a fine as a foreigner. Ie. ignorance of the law IS a defence in Iran for fornication/adultery but NEVER admit to it. As I was told but cannot verify that admitting then withdrawing your admission can lead to the worst punishment; which is why often people are tortured into admitting things they said they didn't do. Its is also complex. If one is "marriage ready" then you are looking at more serious side. If 2 single people fuck, the worst thing is 100 lashes. But if your caught 4 times (really how sloppy can you be) then its instant death penalty. A sigheh is a "contract" that exist in shi'ite islamic countries which is basically a temporary marriage that goes back to early islamic days. In theory it is enough to just take an oath with only you and your girl as a witness and it makes 2 people legally married under Iranian law. Hence all the prostitution laws, fornication laws, and other islamic laws that make sex with strangers impossible can be easily skirted. Naturally such a thing is frowned upon by the authorities and society at large. However if you want to be safe it is best to register with the government or at least write it down and date thing and have MALE witnesses if possible, preferable islamic and iranian.