Sunday, April 23, 2006
Save Nazanin....

The first time I read about her was couple of monthes ago. It's realy sad to see how they are treating young girls in Iran. To read the full story click here

To read more about her:
sign the pettition to save her.



Death penalty in Iran
Iran has one of the highest numbers of executions in the world. In 2004, Iran executed at least 159 people, which placed them second only to China.
Amnesty International recorded 69 executions between July 2005 and the end of January 2006, including two of youths who were reportedly under 18 when they were executed. According to Iranian media, there were 10 executions, and 21 new death sentences were given out, between Jan. 20 and Feb. 20, 2006.There is no reason to believe that the number of executions will fall in the near future.
The usual method of execution is hanging, but Iranian law also opens for stoning as punishment for adultery and incest. In 2002 the head of the judiciary announced a moratorium on stoning. Iranian judges have later imposed sentences of stoning (see the case of Leyla Mafi below), but there is no proof that any of these sentences have been carried out.
Since 1990, Iran is one of eight countries that are known to have executed prisoners who were under 18 years when the crime was committed. Over the last 15 years, Iran has executed at least 18 child offenders, eight of them in 2005 (Full list here).
This is in direct violation of Iran's obligations as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).By signing them, Iran has undertaken not to execute anyone for an offense committed when they were under the age of 18. These treaties also prohibit the use of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishments.
The list of crimes that can lead to death penalty is long. Capital offenses in Iran include murder, rape, armed robbery, apostasy, blasphemy, serious drug trafficking, repeated sodomy, adultery or prostitution, treason and espionage.

Some recent notable death sentences in Iran:
Delara Darabi
Delara Darabi is nineteen years old and risks execution for a murder committed when she was seventeen.According to the Iranian newspaper Aftab, she broke into a house together with a male friend named Amir Hossein, with the intention of robbing the woman who lived there. The woman was murdered during the robbery. Initially, Delara confessed to the murder, but later she withdrew her confession, and claimed Hossein was the killer. She told that she had confessed to save him from execution, because he believed her low age would save her from a death sentence.
However, as we have seen with Nazanin, being a minor won’t protect you in Iran, and Delara was sentenced to death by hanging in a court in the city of Rasht. The Supreme Court upheld the sentence in January. Her lawyer has appealed to the head of the judiciary, who has the power to stay the execution and ask for a review of the case.
Amir Hossein was reportedly sentenced to ten years of prison.
Delara Darabi is currently on death row. It is not known if an execution date has been set.
Amnesty International is running a campaign to stop the execution.
Sources:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130012006?open&of=ENG-IRN

 
posted by Persianeyes at 12:46 AM |


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