Delara Darabi was born in the northern city of Rasht, in the province of Gilan, Iran. Before her arrest she was a high-school student.
Delara was accused, together with her boyfriend, of murdering her father's female cousin and stealing her gold. She was 17 years old when the murder took place. Her boyfriend was 19 years old at the time of the murder and is serving a 10 year prison sentence for the crime. She initially confessed, but later recanted. She claimed her boyfriend persuaded her to confess by convincing her that he would be executed, but she would be spared being a minor.
Iran has decided to prohibit juveniles executions for none-lethal offenses like drug trafficking, but for murder, death sentence remain mandatory even for juveniles and only the victim's family has power to grant clemency.
Darabi was tried by a lower court in Rasht, found guilty and sentenced to death. The sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court. She maintained her innocence, and claimed that she was under the influence of sedatives during the burglary. However, she was convicted for murder and theft and was executed after five years imprisonment.
While on death row, Darabi, having developed a love of painting at an early age, completed several works that depicted her incarceration. A collection of her art was displayed at an exhibition in Tehran by supporters campaigning her release.
Darabi was hanged in the morning of 1 May, 2009.
It was 7am when Delara Darabi phoned home. "Oh mother, I see the hangman's noose in front of me," she garbled. "They are going to execute me. Please save me." Moments later a prison official snatched the handset away. "We will easily execute your daughter and there's nothing you can do about it," he barked at the parents. Then, with a chilling click, the line went dead.
The desperate couple rushed to the Central Prison in Rasht, Iran, wailing at the guards to let them see their 22-year-old daughter. As they prostrated themselves, an ambulance emerged. Most probably carrying a dead Delara with her neck severely marked by the cheap nylon noose.
"They took Delara to the gallows with nobody around her," one of her lawyers said in a letter distributed to human rights groups. "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."
