Carla Bruni-Sarkozy waves as she leaves a meeting with her husband, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in London on June 18. (Sang Tan/Associated Press)

Iranian state media called France's first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a prostitute Monday in an unusual display of anger over her support for an Iranian woman who faced death by stoning.

The wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy has condemned the stoning sentence against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who was convicted of adultery in 2006. Iran temporarily suspended the sentence — but did not throw it out — after an international outcry.

The Kayhan newspaper, whose editor is a representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, described Bruni-Sarkozy as a prostitute on Saturday in an article headlined, "French prostitutes enter the human rights uproar."

The state-owned news website inn.ir carried similar remarks on Monday, describing Bruni also as a "morally corrupt singer and actress."

The French president's office declined Monday to comment on the remarks.

The media attack was in response to an open letter Bruni-Sarkozy wrote to Ashtiani that was printed in several French news outlets last week.

"How to remain silent after learning of the sentence against you?" Bruni-Sarkozy wrote, adding that the stoning would "deeply wound all women, all children, all those who have feelings of humanity."

Ashtiani, 43, a mother of two, could still face execution by stoning or hanging after a final review of her case, her lawyer, Javid Houtan Kian, said Monday.

She was convicted in May 2006 of having an "illicit relationship" with two men after the murder of her husband and was sentenced to 99 lashes. Later that year, she was convicted of adultery and sentenced to stoning, despite retracting a confession she claimed was made under duress.

Iran stayed her stoning in July, but authorities now say she has also been convicted of being an accomplice in her husband's murder. In a purported confession aired on state TV on Aug. 11, Ashtiani admits to unwittingly playing a role in the 2005 killing. She could also face a separate death sentence in that case.