Permalink

We Need To Help Delara Darabi, Teenage Artist on Deathrow in Iran


By Ali Eteraz
Posted on Sun Apr 15, 2007 at 06:59:47 PM EST
Tags: iran, activism, volunteer (all tags)

We need website managing, creating, organizing savvy volunteers.

 
Delara Darabi is a teenage artist on deathrow in Iran:

On Saturday, January 27, 2007, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Delara Darabi for a second time. Delara, who is now 20 years old, faces death by public hanging for a murder that took place when she was 17 years old. According to newspaper and court reports, after murdering a woman related to Delara, Delara’s 19 year old boyfriend, Amir Hossein, convinced Delara to admit responsibility for the murder to protect him from execution. Apparently, both teenagers believed that because Delara was under the age of 18, she could not be sentenced to death. This belief proved to be devastatingly false. 

She tried to commit suicide and was saved. Her haunting paintings (haunting is a fucking understatement) can be seen here. 

Lily, a tireless activist for Iranian women and children, and an Eteraz Expert, is looking for a web volunteer to dramatically manage and improve http://www.savedelara.com/

Those who are interested should contact me: eteraz at gmail dot com

Here is Delara's latest letter. That's her painting in the background:

Delara is an important symbol as is any other woman in Iran who is rescued from the incredibly evil legal system. If you need proof of how evil the legal system is, look at this:

Iran's Supreme Court has acquitted a group of men charged over a series of gruesome killings in 2002, according to lawyers for the victims' families.

The vigilantes were not guilty because their victims were involved in un-Islamic activities, the court found.

* 

Lawyers for the victims' families say the Supreme Court has five times overturned the verdict of a lower court that found all the men guilty of murder.

Now the Supreme Court is reported to have acquitted all the killers of the charge of murder on the grounds that their victims were all morally corrupt.

Some of the group may, however, face prison sentences or have to pay financial compensation to their victims' families.

The women of Iran (and other parts of the Muslim world) are the main line of dissent against Islamic Radicalism. We must help them. They'll be remembered like Solzhenitsen. As you can see from the paintings, they have an incredible amount of talent.

Lily and the Eteraz family have supported one another for a while now and we often feel pretty much alone. There are actually two OTHER projects for which I need volunteers, both which connect to women's rights, so please volunteer. If you are not able to work on the Delara Darabi website (assuming we can get multiple volunteers), there are other equally important projects that Lily and I have set up (but do not have technical proficiency to do). Also, if there is a mythical PERL expert somewhere out there who wants to help us on a semi-regular basis, yeah, please marry me.

Learn more about Eteraz.Org here. This is our rss feed: http://www.eteraz.org/backend.rdf

< Democracy and Fundamentalism in Indonesia | You Want Street Marches? >

Login

Make a new account

Username:
Password:

Tags: iran, activism, volunteer (all tags)
Display: Sort:

We Need To Help Delara Darabi, Teenage Artist on Deathrow in Iran | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 hidden)
Huh?(none / 0) (#1)
by Cyrus on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 12:26:53 AM EST

How do we know that she really is not guilty of the crime?

We have the penalty of death here in the U.S for murderers, as well. Being female does not protect you from that fact.

What exactly does this have to do with women's rights in Iran? 



how about fact she's innocent?(none / 0) (#2)
by Ali Eteraz on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 02:45:53 AM EST

will that sway you?

According to newspaper and court reports, after murdering a woman related to Delara, Delara’s 19 year old boyfriend, Amir Hossein, convinced Delara to admit responsibility for the murder to protect him from execution.

In addition, whether or not we have the death penalty is irrelevant since most civilized nations do not. 



[ Parent ]
Question(none / 0) (#4)
by anaeem on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 09:19:32 AM EST
Rather, than simply telling the truth about the murder her boyfriend committed of her relative, she tried covering it up in order to protect the murderer/boyfriend.  I understand your objections to the death penalty for only aiding the boyfriend after the fact, but you are not asking for her to go totally unpunished are you?


[ Parent ]
it wouldn't matter...(none / 0) (#5)
by Ali Eteraz on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 09:43:41 AM EST

it wouldn't matter even if she had committed the murder

[which she didnt]

because she was 17 at the time of the alleged act

as such she is protected under the international legal regime

iran -- UNLIKE THE US (and LIKE most of the civilized world) has SIGNED and also RATIFIED (while we have only signed) The International Convention on the Rights of a Child.

Article 37 of the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC) to which Iran is a state signatory, stating in pertinent part:  

        States Parties shall ensure that:

        (a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age; 

So even if she did commit the offense -- which she and the evidence are saying she didn't -- the fact is that it occurred at the age of 17 and the last clause keeps her from getting life imprisonment or hung.

This is no different than asking the US to shut down gitmo in light of international law (which our site has done via avaaz dot org)

I enjoy everyone's skepticism but all of this stuff is on the website, and were the website better organized it would be easier to access.

Finally, I'm once again disappointed to see that the 'community' at Eteraz doesn't act like an independent fact gathering or fact-checking group. It leaves all the work to me.

Severely disappointing.

I am beginning to question the utility of the way in which our site is organized.



[ Parent ]
i might note(none / 0) (#6)
by Sabir on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 10:02:22 AM EST
that the US, a generally trigger-happy death penalty country (as compared to Europe), did outlaw the death penalty for minors recently.

[ Parent ]
Sentencing(none / 0) (#9)
by Cyrus on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 11:41:15 AM EST
True, but minors are still sentenced as adults in many U.S states, in direct violation of international convention.

[ Parent ]




Get Real.(none / 0) (#11)
by Cyrus on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 11:54:35 AM EST

She may technically have been a minor at the time of the crime(17), and a such here sentence of death may be somewhat unorthodox in nature, even by Iranian standards. That being said, neither you are I were present at here trial, or appeals. We really have a shortage of facts in this case.

In fact, the sympathy placed by many here in America, be they of Iranian origin or not, seems very misplaced. This is more of an issue of dislike for the Iranian government, than anything to do with this woman's guilt or innocence in this matter.

Hell, I joined the U.S Army when I was 17, and that is against international convention, and according to the UCMJ, I could have recieved the death penalty at that age...Yet, I hardly hear that ever raised as an "issue". 

As an American who has spent time in Iran, I find the notion that America is a civilized nation when compared to Iran, be it legal or otherwise, to be both ignorant and absurd.

Most Iranians in Iran, would agree... 



[ Parent ]




Very True(none / 0) (#8)
by Cyrus on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 11:37:36 AM EST

 

You raise a very good point. 



[ Parent ]




Justice System(none / 0) (#7)
by Cyrus on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 11:36:12 AM EST

At the very least, she is guily of conspiracy in a pre-meditated murder.

Why this would be viewed as a civil rights issue for the Iranian legal system, as opposed to an issue of a capital crime prosecuted in criminal court, is beyond me.



[ Parent ]
legal standards(none / 0) (#14)
by Greenbrier on Tue Apr 17, 2007 at 05:27:22 AM EST
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">How?!<span>&nbsp; </span>Even in this country, being an eyewitness to a crime does not automatically incriminate anyone!<span>&nbsp; </span>Pre-meditation requires forethought and planning of the said murder.<span>&nbsp; </span>In this case, the accused was taken by surprise by the actions of another person. <span>&nbsp;</span>There was no pre-meditation of any kind, there was no malicious aforethought.<span>&nbsp; </span>As such, this can not be considered a pre-meditated act of any kind on Delara&rsquo;s part.<span>&nbsp; </span>Similarly, the legal elements of conspiracy are absent in this case.<span>&nbsp; </span>(I charge by the hour for my legal services, so forgive me if I do not get into a discussion of the legal elements required for such a cause of action.)<span>&nbsp; </span>However, as mentioned previously, Delara was taken by surprise; she had not planned Mahin&rsquo;s murder with Amir-Hussain.<span>&nbsp; </span>Amir-Hussain has never even made such a claim.<span>&nbsp; </span>To assume that she is guilty without any proof is to deprive her of one of the most basic civil rights, which is the right of the presumption of innocence until guilt is proven according to applicable legal standards.</font></p>

[ Parent ]
Proof(none / 0) (#15)
by Cyrus on Tue Apr 17, 2007 at 09:19:36 AM EST

She initially admitted to it.

What more "proof" do you want?

Sorry, but you will find amongst Iranians a sympathy that is rather few, and far to come by.

If you want to attack Iran's human rights record, it is rather easy to dig up cases that actually fit the bill, as opposed to some 20 something who is on death row for a crime she committed at 17, and has exhausted her appeals process. An appeals process that unto itself shows a level of sophistication that would suprise many in the "west". 



[ Parent ]


The Crime(none / 0) (#16)
by anaeem on Tue Apr 17, 2007 at 10:17:09 AM EST

I don't have a legal background, so I'll leave the legal nuance to you.  However, according to the Amnesty International review of the case that sophia provided, what seems to be established or at least is not in dispute is that she did abet or accompany her boyfried for the actual robbery at her relative's home.  Whether she knew her boyfriend was planning on killing her relative or not is the main question I would have (besides also if she really was the killer), and like Cyrus did mention, she did initially confess to the crime.  Also, since she did confess to the crime initially in order to protect her boyfriend from the more serious charge of murder does that not count for conspiracy? 

Anyhow, I do agree with Cyrus this case isn't as clear cut as say the Nazanin Fatehi case (who was eventually released after domestic and international pressure).  Nor do I find Delara to be the most sympathetic character given what is established.  However, I do agree Iran should be 'encouraged' to live up to the laws it enacts as simply a matter of principle, as should all countries.



[ Parent ]








Re: Huh?(none / 0) (#3)
by Harun abd AsSami on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 06:33:13 AM EST
I have to agree with you.

While I don't agree with what I know of their legal system or many area's of how they govern, one needs more information about them both to take a credible stand on this and not appear to be simply pandering to the anti-Iran crowd.

[ Parent ]

True(none / 0) (#10)
by Cyrus on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 11:44:33 AM EST

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

 I am hardly defending the abuses of the Iranian justice system.

My point being that this particular case is hardly a good example of the Iranian government's failings in the realm of human rights.

 If anything, this subject is yet another desperate tool for the "anti-Iran" crowd to clinge to, and a factually lacking one at that.



[ Parent ]






Over the top?(none / 0) (#12)
by Liquesce on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 03:24:05 PM EST

She may have done it; she may not.  I admit to falling into the camp for whom a statement about "newspaper and court reports" simply do not convince me of anything.

I am a staunch supporter of relieving the problem of false and inappropriate criminal sentencing; much of my activism within the U.S. has been centered on this issue.  It is a huge problem, both domestically and globally.   Sometimes the problem comes with the burden of being tied to gender equity and gender rights issues, also both domestically and globally.  It is possible that Delara has a more difficult time getting her case re-evaluated because she is a woman; it is also possible that she does not.  I simply don't know enough about the Iranian judicial system to say what gender bias or what strength of gender bias exists, and honestly, I have my hands full with the American judicial system so as it is.  What I do know is that at one time she confessed, and if the Iranian system is anything like the American system that would be an incredibly difficult point to get past judicially, regardless of gender or relative youth.

 I can not perceive a "Save Delara" website as an objective source of information.  As far as independent fact-gathering and fact-checking goes, are the court records, suspect statements, and otherwise "overwhelming evidence of Delara's innocence" available to someone overseas and in the English or Arabic languages?  If so, I for one would be glad to take the time to go over them and/or to help make them better available on the web.   If not, I'm not clear on where your certainty comes from.  I have to admit that the tone of your appeal reads very much like someone taking a stand on a general anti-Iran, anti-theocracy, and/or anti-death penalty platform and choosing a posterchild for the cause.  The skepticism seen in the comments is simply not unwarranted.





DELARA /CHILD EXECUTIONS(none / 0) (#13)
by sophia dalle on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 07:08:28 PM EST

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGMDE130012006?open&of=ENG-IRN

THIS IS THE AMNESTY LINK FOR DELARA.

CHILD EXECUTIONS ARE IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE CONVENTION SIGNED BY IRAN. oNE MUST MAKE A CLEAR DISTINCTION HERE. OF  A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE AND look at the hard facts of persistent violations of childrens rights in regards to these executions. this has nothing to do with bashing iran.That these cases are happening repeatedly in iran is  tragic. and should be addressed and acted upon  as a human rights issue in whatever country it takes place in.





We Need To Help Delara Darabi, Teenage Artist on Deathrow in Iran | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 hidden)

Display: Sort: