Amnesty International protests hanging

TEHRAN, May 2 (UPI) -- Iranian officials hanged a young woman convicted of murder to avoid further protests she was unfairly tried, Amnesty International said.

Delara Darabi was hanged Friday despite a two-month stay of execution granted her by the head of Iran's judiciary, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's deputy chief for the Middle East and North Africa.

Darabi, 22, received international attention after paintings and drawings created by her in her cell were seen around the world, the BBC reported Saturday.

Darabi was 17 year old when she confessed to a killing allegedly committed by her boyfriend, said her lawyer, who was not notified she was about to be executed Friday.

The BBC reported Darabi, in a call to her parents Friday, said she could see the hangman's noose:

"Mother they are going to execute me, please save me," she said. A prison official then took the phone away and said: "We are going to execute your daughter and there's nothing you can do about it," the BBC reported.