Maryam Nayeb Yazdi

The following is a recent letter on *Delara Darabi’s execution that occurred two years ago, from the blog of Mohammad Mostafaei,one of Delara Darabi’s lawyers. Delara was executed in Iran on May 1, 2009.

*An alternate spelling to the name Delara is Delaram. “Del” in Persian means heart, “aram” means calm.

In Norouz (March) 2009, I decided to spontaneously go to Rasht prison and visit a girl [artist/painter] on death row. I was feeling very anxious, but I wanted to see Delara Darabi, the girl who was arrested when she was only 17 years old and charged with murder. I wanted to do something for her. I had read about her in the newspaper several times. I entered the visitation room after gaining permission from the judicial assistant supervisor of the prison. Several officers were also present. When I showed one of them the Judge’s order, the official looked at me and asked, “Are you Mr. Mostafaei?” I replied, “Yes, why?” He said, “Nothing. I have heard a lot about you. I hope you can do something for Delara so that she will not be executed.” The official knew that there was nothing more anybody could do. Delara Darabi’s fate was execution because a powerful person made it his mission to execute her. Her execution was certain.

The person in charge of the office picked up the phone and told the person on the other side of the line to bring Delara to the visitation room. I was really stressed out. I was about to see the girl whom I had already told the press my opinion on her case. I waited half an hour when, from behind the window, a girl with dyed hair and a bright [fair] face walked toward the room. She was accompanied by a lady who was evidently a prison guard. The closer she reached, the faster my heart palpitated.

The meeting room door was opened. The girl looked and recognized me. She could not speak. She was laughing and shedding tears of joy. “I did not think anybody would come visit me. You’re the first person who has visited me in the New Year,” [she told me]. I asked her what I could do to help. She replied, “I want you to also be my lawyer as Mr. Khorramshahi works on the case.” I asked her to tell me her story one more time.

Delara began to recount the story. She said that she was not the murderer. [She said] it was Amir Hossein (her boyfriend) who committed the murder. “I agreed to take the blame for the murder, because I was young and really liked him,” she said, [and added] that she lied to her father and said she was the murderer. [Delara] cried as she told the story. She said no one believed her, [but swore] that she did not commit the murder. She also said that the Rasht Prosecutor pulled her aside several times and threatened to execute her.

Delara’s innocent face told me that she was not the killer. She was different form all the clients I had before. She put make up on and always dyed her hair. She said that she spent most of her time drawing, [because she loved it]. She also studied. She never thought that one day she would be executed. She had suffered so much in prison that one could see the reflection of her pain and agony. I left the prison that day, and she stayed behind in the place where she was eventually executed.

The ignoble Rasht Prosecutor along with his mercenaries visited the prison [early morning] on [Labour Day] (May 1, 2009). They called Delara’s name [for execution] on a holiday, like they had gone to hunt a beautiful gazelle. Violent beasts wanted to devour this beautiful gazelle like wolves to prevent her from ever drawing again. They took her to the execution hall. They cackled, passed her the phone, and told her to call her mother to tell her that she would be executed in a few moments. She took the phone handle while her hands shook. She begged them and said, “I am not the murderer. Do not kill me.” Everybody knew she was not the murderer, but they needed to have fun on their days off. And no game was better than Delara: a stunning gazelle with excited eyes, a bright face. She called her mother and, in a shaky voice, told her about what was to happen. Her mother hung up the phone, took a copy of Qur’an and rushed to Rasht prison. She banged on the closed gates of the prison with both fists. She begged. She screamed, but nobody opened the door. The hunters had their game. The large gates of the prison opened up and an ambulance took Delara away. The [young woman] with the calm heart did not rest in peace…

I had taken part in execution ceremonies before, and I could imagine how she was executed. She could not believe that she would be hanged. She lost control. She could not think. The wolves surrounded her. She had no choice but to beg…the begs that went unanswered. They took her two hands and led her to the stool. Delara continued to implore. She was only 17 years old when the murder took place. Even if she was the murderer, given her age, she did not deserve to die; the same way no human being deserves to die.

They put a thick blue rope around her neck. The wolves indulged in the sight of Delara’s death. The Rasht Prosecutor ordered the stool to be drawn from beneath her feet. Delara was hanged. She shook, then she was in peace…the world cries in sorrow and bereft.

Many months passed. Nobody could believe that this beautiful gazelle fell victim to the violent hunting wolves.

Several days ago, I heard that Amir Hossein, who was the real murderer in the case of Delara, hung himself in Rasht prison. I knew one of his cell mates who was recently released. I was able to obtain his phone number and talk to him. He said, “Prior to Delara’s death, [Amir Hossein] had told the Rasht Prsoecutor several times that he was the [murderer, not] Delara. After Delara was executed, he wrote a letter and said that she was innocent. One time, the Prosecutor went to the prison and threatened to kill [Amir Hossein] if he said anything. Nobody wanted to hear Amir Hossein’s words. He was depressed after Delara’s execution and was having a hard time. Finally, and to ease his conscience, he hung himself”.

Delara was not a murderer, and there are hundreds of other defendants who are accused of murders they have not committed. I have seen many cases in Iran, but the violence of the leaders of the Islamic Republic [consists of] executing and killing innocent people.

Who is responsible? Who will [provide an] answer [for] this injustice? How can one revive Delara? She was innocent. Her crime was drawing paintings and playing in her [youthful] world, but her fate was execution. Was her crime being an Iranian or being in love?

Translation by Siavosh Jalili
Edited by Maryam Nayeb Yazdi
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Video showcasing Delara Darabi's paintings