A hardline Iranian newspaper stepped up its attack on French first lady Carla Bruni, saying on Tuesday that the "Italian prostitute" deserved to die for supporting an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning.

"This Italian prostitute's indignation at Kayhan's report came while she has had illegitimate relationships with different people before and after marrying (French President Nicolas) Sarkozy," Kayhan said.

"Reviewing Carla Bruni's records clearly shows why this immoral woman has supported an Iranian woman who has committed adultery, has contributed to the murdering of her husband and has been sentenced to death, and in fact she herself (Bruni) deserves death," Kayhan said.

Bruni, Sarkozy's third wife, angered Kayhan by signing a petition along with several other French celebrities for the release of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, the 43-year-old mother of two, whose death by stoning sentence has generated an international outcry.

Defending Mohammadi-Ashtiani in an open letter, Bruni vowed that France and her husband would not abandon her.

She criticised the stoning sentence against Mohammadi-Ashtiani saying: "Spill your blood, deprive your children of their mother? Why? Because you have lived, because you have loved, because you are a woman, an Iranian? Every part of me refuses to accept this."

Human rights officials in the Iranian judiciary say Mohammadi-Ashtiani was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery in a case which also got her a 10-year jail term for participating in her husband's murder.

Iran says it has yet to take a final decision on her stoning sentence.

Kayhan, whose managing director and chief editor is appointed by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has launched a vitriolic attack on Bruni since Saturday.

The newspaper made a blistering assault on the wife of Sarkozy by branding her a "prostitute" in its Saturday story headlined "French prostitutes enter the human rights uproar."

It criticised Bruni and French actress Isabelle Adjani for supporting Mohammadi-Ashtiani.

"Bruni, the singer and depraved actress who managed to break the Sarkozy family and marry the French president and who is said to have an affair with a singer, has said in S.M's (Sakineh Mohammadi) defence that the verdict is unfair," Kayhan wrote on Saturday.

On Monday, the website www.inn.ir also branded Bruni a "husband cheater."

"This promiscuous woman of Italian origin, due to her race and actions, is not popular among the French people," the website of government-run Iran group of news outlets said.

The Iranian foreign ministry has criticised the media attacks on Bruni.

"Insulting officials of other countries and using indecent words is not endorsed by the Islamic Republic of Iran," ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters on Tuesday.

"We don't think using indecent and insulting words is a right move," he said when asked to comment on Iranian media reports that described Bruni as an "immoral" woman and a "prostitute."

"I hope the media will pay attention. The media can criticise the hostile policies of other countries, but by refraining from using insulting words. This is not correct."

Kayhan, known for harshly insulting Iranian and foreign figures, has been dragged to court previously by many Iranians, including Nobel peace winner Shirin Ebadi and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, a top aide of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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