Iran Executes Woman Convicted as Minor

Human rights groups today condemned Iran for executing a 23-year-old woman who they maintained received an unfair trial when she was convicted of murder as a juvenile.

Delara Darabi was hanged Friday at Rasht Central Prison, according to Human Rights Watch, which said the woman was 17 when she was coerced into pleading guilty to killing her father's cousin. She later recanted, saying her 19-year-old boyfriend had committed the crime.

"It appears that Iran's head of judiciary has no ability to control even his own judges," said Zama Coursen-Neff, deputy director of the children's rights division at Human Rights Watch. "This is an outrageous violation of Iranian as well as international human rights law, and a callous affront to basic human dignity."

Amnesty International said it was "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," according to Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director of the group's Middle East and North Africa program. "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."

Background on Delara Darabi is available here.