or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
May 08, 2007
Delara Darabi
The Iranian government may be about to execute a 20 year-old woman named Delara Darabi for murdering a relative when she was 17. Her wikipedia page states:
According to Delara the murder of her father's female cousin was committed by the 19 year old boyfriend that she was in love with. Delara Darabi initially confessed to the murder, but soon retracted her confession. She claims that Amir Hossein asked her to admit responsibility for the murder to protect him from execution, believing that as she was under the age of 18, she could not be sentenced to death.
The Iranian government is a signatory to two international treaties that forbid them from executing anyone for crimes committed under the age of 18.
Things you can do:
1. Learn more at Save Delara
2. Sign a petition calling on the Iranian government to commute her death sentence, here. The petition currently has 13,000 signatures. The Iranian government previously relented on the death sentence for another minor, Nazanin Fateh, when a similar petition received 350,000 signatures.
3. Participate in Amnesty International's worldwide appeal for Darabi.
(Thanks to Jonathan Versen for news about this.)
Posted at May 8, 2007 01:33 PM | TrackBackwow. crickets. Well, thank you for helping getting the word out.(of course, it's mostly crickets at HZ, so I shouldn't talk.
Posted by: Jonathan Versen at May 8, 2007 09:22 PMJonathans, V. and S., thanks for this. It's not the kind of post that's meant to generate comments so much as clicks on the action links, yes? So don't despair about 'crickets'...
Posted by: Nell at May 8, 2007 09:57 PMIran can't execute underages, but the U.S, can? Is it the hypocracy or the irony you can't suspect in yourself Jonny?
If I am wrong, then show me where you petition against the executions of hundreds of children in this country every 2-3 year cycle....
Posted by: at May 9, 2007 11:50 AMIs it the hypocracy or the irony you can't suspect in yourself Jonny?
I think it's the hypocracy, to be honist.
Posted by: Jonathan Schwarz at May 9, 2007 01:16 PMWell ... I was in Iran and there exists such an open public debate about such executions that their news fails to sensationalize anyone anymore. Shadi Sadr (who may still be in detention) has been one of the most effective lawyers handling such passion-murder cases involving women.
According to statistics I compiled from the Zanan magazine some time ago, most these convictions do not bring the women to the gallows. In the very last minute, the supreme judges weigh in, or the victim's family's withdraw the death penalty.
In fact, the victim's family are the BEST people to be petitioned; because if they forgive, then law will not object to even releasing the murders.
Anyways, I hope this one will turn okey as well.
It may be of interest to some of you that in Iran, debate about abolishing death penalty for women is used as a spring board towards abolishing death penalty in general. It's not there yet; but the active discourse is pushing the matters in that direction, philosophically at least.
Posted by: Naj at May 12, 2007 04:44 PMUnited we stand, divided we fall. Please save this talented artist. One love.
Posted by: Karl at May 14, 2007 06:49 PMIsto é um absurdo com o ser humano, temos que tomar uma providência.
Posted by: Gesiel de Araújo at May 16, 2007 12:41 PM
