Sept. 7
RUSSIA:
Russian political figure wants PACE to reconsider death penalty for
terrorists
Alexei Ostrovsky, a Liberal Democratic Party of Russia member of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, told Interfax on Tuesday
that he wanted PACE to urgently discuss amendments to the Council of
Europe's Charter allowing capital punishment of terrorists.
"I think that numerous members of the Russian delegation and of PACE will
support this move," he said.
At least 20 members of a delegation must support the inclusion of an item
into PACE's agenda. The Russian delegation has more than 30 members,
Ostrovsky said.
Some of the Russian delegation's members have indicated their support for
his proposal, he said.
(source: Interfax)
JAPAN:
Death sentence upheld for killer of 2 housewives
The death sentence against a man convicted of killing 2 housewives in
Kanagawa Prefecture was upheld on Tuesday after the Tokyo High Court
rejected claims he was mentally unstable and branded the crimes "vicious
and cruel."
Upholding a decision handed down by the Tokyo District Court, the high
court sentenced Koichi Shoji, 49, to death. The court also upheld the life
sentence handed down to Fumiyo Yamamoto, 41, Shoji's accomplice in the
crime.
"They were vicious and cruel crimes, and one can only say he had no
feelings as a person," Presiding Judge Yasuhiro Fumio said in handing down
the ruling.
Lawyers defending Shoji said there were doubts over whether he was
mentally stable at the time of the killings, but the court rejected their
claims, saying he bore "full criminal responsibility" for the murders.
The court also threw out claims from prosecutors that the life sentence
handed out to Fumiyo Yamamoto was too light, saying Yamamoto was acting
under Shoji during the crimes.
"The crimes were planned and led by Shoji, so one cannot say
rehabilitation is impossible for Yamamoto," the court said.
Shoji and Yamamoto were convicted of stabbing 54-year-old housewife Hiroko
Hayashi to death in August 2001, and stealing about 230,000 yen in cash
from her.
The following month the two bound Fumiko Osawa, 42, with adhesive tape and
drowned her in a bath, before stealing 60,000 yen from her, the ruling
said. Both victims were acquaintances of Yamamoto.
(source: Mainichi Shimbun)
