Iran has shamed Justice: Abuse of the Death Penalty

I have been busy with finals week and could not devote the time to write, but I did keep abreast of the news.Now that I have completed all my finals, I am back in action.


If the scales of justice were human, they would hide away in shame when a 20-year old artist, Delara Darabi was secretly executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran early Friday morning at the Rasht prison in the nation's capital. Her crime? One, being mislead into taking the blame for her boyfriend under the assumption that she wouldn't receive a harsh punishment; two, her paintings were too dark for the Islamic fundamentalists; or, her feminity? We can go on ranting and raving about the rationale behind the court's decision, but we all know within, that there is no justification for it. The executioners have violated Iranian law by not informing Delara's lawyer about the execution and also for not abiding by the stay of execution. But do they care? Nada, their only concern was to avoid having her become an international media sensation, to prevent human rights organizations from taking notice of her like they had of US- Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi and the last thing they wanted was a protest of international proportions.Today as I sit at my computer investigating Delara's case, I am baffled at the way this was handled by everyone- the media, the Iranian justice system, the government, her evil boyfriend, and at those in support of the death penalty. The Iranian government is notorious for falsely or inaccurately charging people with crimes they haven't commited,for reasons that there is something about the defendant they do not approve, but the media could have done a better job at conveying her story to their viewers, because I believe that had the public been informed, Delara would be alive today. The Iranian government too sat glued to its power throne and watched her transform from a "Prisoner of color" to a "Martyr of color." Pointing fingers at others is easy; the west has always condemned Iran for her conservative beliefs and actions, but they should know better than that. They should know that while they are busy pointing fingers at Iran, three fingers are poiting right back at them. What happened to Delara and others like here is unacceptable and wrong in the highest sense, but what about death penalty in the US? What about Troy Davis?

Delara is gone, but there are lessons we can learn. My heart grieves for her and her family, and the family of those that have loved ones on death row around the world. The Iranian justice system has shamed international law and themselves, lets hope that Roxana will get the justice she deserves. Lets not sit in wake of a miracle, those don't exist but in fairy tales and in bollywood movies. We as citizens have the opportunity and responsibility to take steps to ensure that what happened with this innocent victim doesn't repeated itself. Put yourself in her paintings, wouldn't you want to be saved if you were her? The "yes" is apparent- so why wait sign petitions to save others on death row in Iran and elsewhere.