Prague 2. 5. 2009

The Presidency of the European Union strongly condemns the execution of Miss Delara Darabi carried out by the Iranian authorities in the City of Rasht on May 1. Miss Darabi was sentenced for crime she committed as juvenile at the age of 17.

The Presidency strongly protests against her execution as an act running counter the international commitments that Iran has voluntarily accepted. The Presidency of the European Union urgently calls on Iran to avoid any juvenile executions and to eliminate the death penalty for juveniles from its penal code. Such human rights violations erode the ground for understanding and mutual trust between Iran and the European Union.

The European Union and the Czech Presidency repeatedly diplomatically protested against the execution of Miss Darabi, lastly on April 17 and 19.