August 27
CHINA:
China Forces Woman into Abortion so She Can Face Execution
29-year-old Ma Weihua was reported to have been forced by Chinese police
to have an abortion last February, shortly after her arrest for smuggling
drugs. She was transporting 1.6 kg of heroin for a friend and is now
facing a possible death sentence.
During a routine physical examination in prison, doctors found that Weihua
was 50 days pregnant. In Chinese law, being a mother - like being under
age - mitigates an accused woman's punishment. The amount of heroin she
was carrying, under China's draconian criminal code, was enough for her to
incur capital punishment. Weihua wanted to keep her baby, but anti-drug
police signed a consent form on her behalf authorizing the abortion, so
that the full weight of the law would fall on the woman.
(source: LifeSiteNews)
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Shanghai authorities execute three for murder, theft
Authorities in Shanghai executed three men for murder and theft, state
media reported Friday.
Hu Guofeng, Xu Lei and Zhang Kunpeng were put to death Thursday on orders
of the Shanghai Higher People's Court, the newspaper Shanghai Daily
reported.
Hu, from east China's Shandong province, conspired with his girlfriend to
rob a Shanghai woman and stabbed to death a man who pursued them, the
report said.
Xu, from northeast China's Liaoning, was convicted of stalking targets at
dance halls and luring them to a rented house, where he robbed 12 victims
of property worth more than 250,000 yuan (US$30,260, euro 24,700), it
said.
Zhang, a farmer from eastern China's Anhui province, stole 8 taxis and
robbed the drivers of 6,400 yuan (US$771, euro 636) cash and 6 mobile
phones.
Death sentences in China typically are carried out shortly after the last
appeal fails.
Most executions are by gunshot to the head or neck, while some involve
lethal injection.
China accounted for more than 2/3 of the world's reported executions last
year, putting to death at least 726 people, according to the human rights
group Amnesty International.
(source: Associated Press)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO:
Record 30 years on Death Row----Man dies after 27 days free
He had spent a record 30 years on death row before the Mercy Committee
granted him freedom.
But enfeebled by chronic illnesses, Boodram Bedassie never got the chance
to savour his 2nd chance at life.
He died Tuesday at the Port of Spain General Hospital, where he spent all
but 5 days, after being stretchered out of his prison cell.
He was cremated yesterday at the Caroni Cremation Site, following a simple
ceremony attended by a small number of relatives.
The last rites took place at the home of his brother at Kelly Village,
Caroni.
Boodram, who would have turned 65 in December, lived for 27 days after
getting his freedom.
He was held in 1972 for the murder of Mohan Dindial and convicted in April
1976.
His sister-in-law, Basdaye Bir, said following Boodram's release, "He
spent most of his time in hospital. He didn't get to go nowhere."
She said: "Sunday would have made it a month since he come out."
Boodram, who suffered with heart disease, diabetes and tuberculosis, had
his death sentence commuted in 1994 and spent the remaining years at the
prison infirmary.
His attorneys, Mark Seepersad and Gerald Ramdeen, had filed a
constitutional motion to compel the State to release Boodram but the Mercy
Committee acted before the matter was heard. The case is still pending.
A family friend told the Express: "The Government let go the old man
because they didn't want to pay for his funeral. That is the only reason."
(source: Trinidad & Tobago Express)
