Czech EU presidency urges Iran to ban death sentences for minors

The Czech EU presidency has slammed the execution of a young woman in Iran, urging the country to end the practice of handing out death sentences for crimes committed by juveniles. Twenty-three-year-old Delara Darabi was executed on Friday morning without her family’s or her lawyer’s knowledge for a crime she committed as a minor. A court sentenced her to death at the age of 17 after finding her guilty of murdering her father’s cousin. Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Iran for sentencing minors to death. Iran says it is following sharia law and only carries out the death penalty when a prisoner reaches the age of 18.