Woman 'sentenced to death for adultery'

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Nine men are awaiting trial in eastern Spain after allegedly sentencing a woman to death for adultery in an unofficial court held under Islamic sharia law.

The woman walked into a police station in March saying she had escaped captors who had taken her to a remote house in Catalonia where they "tried" and "convicted" her for adultery, a spokeswoman for the Catalonia regional police force said.

"According to the victim, she was taken against her will and sentenced to death by a group of men. The men may have formed a court to apply sharia law," the spokeswoman said.

Catalan police started a seven-month investigation into the allegations and arrested nine men on charges of illegal detention, attempted murder and forming part of a criminal band.

The spokeswoman said seven of the men remained in prison while two had been released on bail. Spanish media said the men were from north Africa, but the police declined to confirm that.

- AP