IRAN
Iranian Women’s Group Hits Out at Death Sentence on Teen Girl
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Defaazzanan,
an NGO supporting and defending women’s rights in Iran, has joined the
protest against the execution of Delaraa Daraabi (she was reported as
Delaraam in our first
report)
It is
now clear that sexuality is not a factor in this case. However, if the
sentence is carried out, Iran will again be acting against the United Nations
International Convention on the Rights of the Child which the country
not only signed, but ratified (only the USA and Somalia
have not ratified). We
make no apologies that is is not a gay or lesbian story. The plight of Delaraa has to be brought to the attention of all sections of the global
village. he
following is the translation from Persian of Defaazzanan’s call for
further national and international support against Delaraa’s execution: A young girl by the name of Delaraa has been sentenced to public execution of hanging in the Northern city of Rasht (a port city of the Caspian Sea). Since coming to power of the Ahmadinejaad, the regime’s atrocious suppressive machine has accelerated the torturing and killing of Iranian youths and women. The young Delaraa, who is convicted of murdering a relative, said that she was engaged to a young man and together they attempted to burgle a rich relative’s house in order to provide for the expenses of their upcoming marriage. During the burglary, the rich relative woman was murdered. The court sentenced her to hanging whereas her fiancé only received a few years imprisonment. Delaraa, at the time of the incident, was only 17 years old and her fiancé had told her that because of her age she would not be punished and that is why she admitted to the murder. However, she has consistently denied the allegation and states with sadness and sorrow how could she have killed a close relative when she has never even hurt a fly before? Delaraa, an artist who has been painting since childhood, has been kept in Rasht prison. The International Committee against the death sentence is protesting against this sentence and demands the quashing of the sentence. We plead to all the international organisations and defenders of human rights to take immediate actions and officially protest and condemn the Islamic regime. During the last year, seven young Iranians, whether under 18 or committed their alleged crime when under18, have been executed and many more have received such sentences. The hanging of children and teenagers in Iran is an appalling and horrible atrocity, which must be met by the strong reaction of the international community. Delaraa, at the time of the committing the alleged crime – even if she was the perpetrator – was only 17 years of age and does not deserve such a sentence under any law except the anti-women laws of the Mullahs in Iran. The executions of children and teenagers are a savage breach of human rights, which is abolished all over the world. However, everyone knows now that the Mullahs’ regime is trying to further suppress the Iranian youths and women by their atrocities and create fear amongst them. We must actively protest against this inhumane sentence and call out everywhere ‘for what crime the deprived-of-rights teenage girls and women of this land should be tied to the hanging poles?’ And call out to the world that the young Iranian women are being sentenced to torture, imprisonment by a bunch of hateful and anti-women freaks who at night do their supererogatory prayers and in the day engage in their corrupt conducts an thievery of the nation’s wealth. We, the freedom loving and resistant Iranian women will fiercely demonstrate our protest if this sentence is carried out. So, let the regime of Mullahs know that they cannot continue their savage atrocities and we, the young and aware Iranian women are not prepared to stay silent or inactive. LINKS
Iran Civil Rights Committee website
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Posted: 30 December 2005 at 19:30 (UK time)