Delara Darabi, who was in custody since she was 17 years old shockingly was executed in Rasht Central prison. The execution of this artist occurred without any prior notice to her. The news was very short but frightening. How easily we take someone’s life? How easily we put the ropes on a child’s neck? How easy we feel the trembling of her small body?
My God this is a crime. My God it is not justice to take the life of this child. My God this is not justice to kill someone who does not deserve to die. Who will answer to this crime in the afterlife? Is this fair justice?
On March 24th 2006 (Fourth of Farvardin 1385) I met her in Rasht prison. I remember she had a very innocent face. She was not a murderer; I swear that she was not a killer. She painted a picture for me of an old man who was playing the violin. I did not know that he was playing her death song. I cannot believe she has been executed. She was really innocent, calm, collected and pure. It was not her time to die, but they took her life. My God please help us. My God where should we go with all this injustice? My God, My God, My God, why have you created us so cruel? Why? WhY?
May 1st 2009 (11 of Ordibehesht 1388), was a very frightening day. At 9 A.M. I checked my S.M.S. and it was written “Delara executed”. My whole body shook. I had no energy to move. Asieh Amini was on the line and was crying and said “they executed Delara today”. I got in my car and told my wife that I am going to Rasht. She said she was coming with me. I don’t know how I got to Rasht. Delara’s mother was biting herself, her father was talking about how he delivered her daughter to authorities, and everyone was crying, everyone was hitting their head, everyone loved Delara. But she wasn’t amongst us anymore. She got her peace today. No one will hear her voice again.
Her mother said that she met Delara in prison yesterday. Delara said “If I come out of prison, I want to continue my education. I would like to be free. One of the judges promised me to obtain forgiveness from the family of the deceased”. Delara continued “Mother I am innocent”.
At 7am Delara’s mother received a phone call from Delara who said “Mom, they want to execute me, I see the gallows, mother save me”. She then asked to talk to her father and said “I want to see you, for God sake save me”. At that point, someone took the phone receiver away from Delara and said “We are going to kill your child and you cannot do anything about it”.
While holding a Koran, Delara’s mother and father rushed to the prison. They cried, pleaded and yelled and said “please let us see the deceased family. We want o fall to their feet.” They took Delara to the gallows with nobody around her. No father, no mother no lawyer who could listen to her needs. They put the rope on her delicate neck. I do not know who the cruel person was to pull the chair from under her feet. Judge Javid Nia issued her execution order. He is the newly appointed Judge in Rasht. Since his appointment, one person has already been stoned to death and this time it was Delara who was executed.
God bless her soul. But why? Why was Delara executed like this? A friend of mine said “even Saddam Hossein was not executed like this!”
Why are the voices of the innocent not getting anywhere? Some say Delara was at fault, some say it was her father’s fault, some say it was her lawyer’s fault. I say it is the fault of the judicial system here because whereas many countries have abandoned the execution of juvenile offenders, Iran insists on killing them. Why?
Why did they take her to the gallows without informing us in advance? The executions of juveniles Reza Hejazi, in Isfahan and Behnam Zare in Shiraz were carried out in a similar manner, without prior notice. The executioner knew that if they had been given a deadline, the execution would not have happened because millions of people were supporting her. We all knew that an innocent girl was taken to the gallows and lost her life in injustice. Delara is not executed, she is at peace”.
