Iran on Friday executed juvenile offender Delara Darabi, in a prison in the northern city of Rasht, Amnesty International reported.
The hanging marks the 2nd execution of a juvenile offender in the Islamic Republic this year, says the London-based human rights group.
Amnesty International said it was "outraged" at the execution of the 23-year-old, who was convicted of committing a murder at the age of 17. Her lawyer was not informed about the execution, despite the legal requirement that he should receive 48 hours notice, the group said.
"This appears to have been a cynical move on the part of the authorities to avoid domestic and international protests, which might have saved Delara Darabi's life," said Amnesty International.
The human rights group also pointed out that the head of Iran's Judiciary, gave Darabi a 2-month stay of execution on 19 April.
Amnesty International said her trial was not fair, because the courts later refused to consider new evidence, which Darabi's lawyer said would have proved she could not have committed the murder.
Her execution brings to at least 140 the number of executions in Iran this year, said the human rights group.
Iran has ratified 2 international treaties which prohibit the execution of persons who had allegedly committed a crime while under the age of 18. According to Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic has executed at least 42 juvenile offenders since 1990.
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Iranian authorities executed Delara Darabi in Rasht Central Prison on Friday morning. She is the 2nd person to be executed this year after being convicted of a crime she was alleged to have commited while still under 18, Amnesty International has revealed.
"Amnesty International is outraged at the execution of Delara Darabi, and particularly at the news that her lawyer was not informed about the execution, despite the legal requirement that he should receive 48 hours' notice," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.
"This appears to have been a cynical move on the part of the authorities to avoid domestic and international protests which might have saved Delara Darabi's life."
Delara Darabi was executed despite her having been given a 2-month stay of execution by the Head of the Judiciary on 19 April.
"This indicates that even decisions by the Head of the Judiciary carry no weight and are disregarded in the provinces," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.
Delara Darabi was convicted of murdering a relative in 2003 when she was 17. She initially confessed to the murder, believing she could save her boyfriend from the gallows, but later retracted her confession. She was detained at Rasht Prison in northern Iran since her arrest in 2003, during which time she developed a significant talent as a painter.
Amnesty International does not consider her trial to have been fair, as the courts later refused to consider new evidence which the lawyer said would have proved she could not have committed the murder.
Amnesty International had campaigned to save her life since her case came to light in 2006, urging the Iranian authorities to commute her death sentence and calling for a her re-trial in proceedings that meet international standards.
The execution of Delara Darabi brings the number of executions in Iran this year to 140. She is the 2nd woman known to have been executed. Iran has executed at least 42 juvenile offenders since 1990, 8 of them in 2008 and 1 on 21 January 2009, in total disregard of international law, which unequivocally bans the execution of those convicted of crimes committed when under the age of 18.
Source: Amnesty International, May 1, 2009
The hanging marks the 2nd execution of a juvenile offender in the Islamic Republic this year, says the London-based human rights group.
Amnesty International said it was "outraged" at the execution of the 23-year-old, who was convicted of committing a murder at the age of 17. Her lawyer was not informed about the execution, despite the legal requirement that he should receive 48 hours notice, the group said.
"This appears to have been a cynical move on the part of the authorities to avoid domestic and international protests, which might have saved Delara Darabi's life," said Amnesty International.
The human rights group also pointed out that the head of Iran's Judiciary, gave Darabi a 2-month stay of execution on 19 April.
Amnesty International said her trial was not fair, because the courts later refused to consider new evidence, which Darabi's lawyer said would have proved she could not have committed the murder.
Her execution brings to at least 140 the number of executions in Iran this year, said the human rights group.
Iran has ratified 2 international treaties which prohibit the execution of persons who had allegedly committed a crime while under the age of 18. According to Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic has executed at least 42 juvenile offenders since 1990.
******************
Iranian authorities executed Delara Darabi in Rasht Central Prison on Friday morning. She is the 2nd person to be executed this year after being convicted of a crime she was alleged to have commited while still under 18, Amnesty International has revealed.
"Amnesty International is outraged at the execution of Delara Darabi, and particularly at the news that her lawyer was not informed about the execution, despite the legal requirement that he should receive 48 hours' notice," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.
"This appears to have been a cynical move on the part of the authorities to avoid domestic and international protests which might have saved Delara Darabi's life."
Delara Darabi was executed despite her having been given a 2-month stay of execution by the Head of the Judiciary on 19 April.
"This indicates that even decisions by the Head of the Judiciary carry no weight and are disregarded in the provinces," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.
Delara Darabi was convicted of murdering a relative in 2003 when she was 17. She initially confessed to the murder, believing she could save her boyfriend from the gallows, but later retracted her confession. She was detained at Rasht Prison in northern Iran since her arrest in 2003, during which time she developed a significant talent as a painter.
Amnesty International does not consider her trial to have been fair, as the courts later refused to consider new evidence which the lawyer said would have proved she could not have committed the murder.
Amnesty International had campaigned to save her life since her case came to light in 2006, urging the Iranian authorities to commute her death sentence and calling for a her re-trial in proceedings that meet international standards.
The execution of Delara Darabi brings the number of executions in Iran this year to 140. She is the 2nd woman known to have been executed. Iran has executed at least 42 juvenile offenders since 1990, 8 of them in 2008 and 1 on 21 January 2009, in total disregard of international law, which unequivocally bans the execution of those convicted of crimes committed when under the age of 18.
Source: Amnesty International, May 1, 2009
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