Dec. 11
SRI LANKA:
Vavuniya Rights Day focusses on Death Penalty
"Whether death penalty is a violation of human rights is a fundamental
question debated in societies around the world. In Sri Lanka, after the
murder of Judge Ambepitiya, the death penalty has been reintroduced. There
has to be vigourous debate by the citizens on the States right to inflict
death on an individual," said Manicavasagar Ilancheliyan, Vavuniya
District Judge, speaking at the Human Rights Day held at the Irambaikulam
Maha Vidiyalayam, Friday, sources said.
The event was presided by the Prinicipal of Irambaikulam Girls School,
Rev.Sister Jeyanayagi Sebamalai. Teachers and students of the school
participated in the event.
"Recently I argued against the death penalty in a research paper submitted
at a conference in Hongkong University. The rights of the individuals and
the rights of the victims and their relatives were discussed and discussed
at the end of the session.
"Sri Lanka Government has decided to reintroduce the death penalty as a
deterrant. The impact and effectiveness of this decision will only be
known in the next several years," Ilancheliyan said.
(source: TamilNet News)
SAUDI ARABIA:
OFW escapes death penalty in Riyadh
A Filipino overseas worker has escaped the death penalty in Saudi Arabia
with the help of the Philippine government, the Department of Foreign
Affairs said on Saturday.
Primo Gasmen was ordered released by the Riyadh Grand Court on Wednesday
after the DFA was able to pay 15,000 dollars in blood money to the family
of a Nepalese national whom Gasmen stabbed dead in 1998, said
undersecretary for migrant workers' affairs Jose S. Brillantes.
Gasmen was supposed to be beheaded for the crime.
The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh will now extend all possible assistance
to arrange Gasmen's repatriation, Brillantes said.
(source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)
