Kaleem Washington, Crime
Blog #3
Source: The Huffington Post
Delara Darabi Executed: Iran Hangs Woman Convicted Of Murder as a Minor
An Iran woman, Delara Darabi, who was convicted of murder when she was a minor, was hanged Friday February 4, 2011. Darabi now 23 years old was executed in secret by Iran authorities without informing her lawyer or allowing the family to be present. This criminal activity of illegal execution has become a major issue facing Iran and other countries, especially because it deals with the execution of minors. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Iran has signed, bans capital punishment for offenders who committed crimes before their 18th birthday, but still statistics show that Iran is not corresponding to the agreements of this bill. Although Iran’s government claims that they are abiding by the law, records have shown that “Iran executes more juvenile offenders than any other nation; eight last year and 42 since 1990, according to Amnesty International.” Because these executions are done in secret we are unable to know the exact amount of underage youth who have been executed for crimes. The government does not receive any form of consequences for its criminal wrongdoings of illegally executing prisoners without prior knowledge given to anyone including the criminal offender, which has allowed for more inhumane activities to occur. This comes at a shock to me that multiple countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan and Pakistan are executing minors on a high level scale without consequences from the U.N. or other nations. This global problem because it affects a vast number of people in multiple countries and the problem needs to be solved. The extreme methods to keep such activities hidden from the public by privately and secretively executing minors is a sign that something needs to be done to put a stop to this madness. Although the minors are criminals from their respected crimes, it is a crime to punish them under adult penal system and for the government to get away with “murder.”
1 comment:
I heard about this the other day and it was one of those events that really appalled me but left me feeling helpless. It's so difficult to extend my own morals to other countries and cultures, dictating their versions of right and wrong. But since they signed a document pledging not to execute minors, it's also kinda hard to be that objective.
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