Dec. 13
IRAN:
Girl With Mental Age of Eight Given Death Sentence After Mother Forced Her
Into Prostitution From Early Age
A 19-year old girl, "Leyla M," who has a mental age of 8, reportedly faces
imminent execution for "morality-related" offences after being forced into
prostitution by her mother as a child. According to a Tehran newspaper
report of 28 November, she was sentenced to death by a court in the
central Iranian city of Arak and the sentence has now been passed to the
Supreme Court for confirmation.
Leyla M was reportedly sentenced to death on charges of "acts contrary to
chastity" by controlling a brothel, having intercourse with blood
relatives and giving birth to an illegitimate child. She is to be flogged
before she is executed. She had apparently "confessed" to the charges.
Earlier reports stated that there would be an appeal, and the 28 November
report indicates that this process is now at an end.
Social workers have reportedly tested her mental capacities repeatedly and
each time have found Leyla to have a mental age of 8. However, she has
apparently never been examined by the court-appointed doctors, and was
sentenced to death solely on the basis of her explicit confessions,
without consideration of her background or mental health.
Leyla was forced into prostitution by her mother when she was 8 years old,
according to the 28 November report, and was raped repeatedly thereafter.
She gave birth to her 1st child when she was 9, and was sentenced to 100
lashes for prostitution at around the same time. At the age of 12, her
family sold her to an Afghan man to become his "temporary wife." His
mother became her new pimp, "selling her body without her consent." At the
age of 14 she became pregnant again, and received a further 100 lashes,
after which she was moved to a maternity ward to give birth to twins.
After this "temporary marriage," her family sold her again, to a
55-year-old man, married with 2 children, who had Leylas customers come to
his house.
The newspaper report makes no mention of her family or the men to whom she
was married. In Iranian law, in a case of "intercourse with a blood
relative" both parties are considered culpable, but only Leyla M has been
referred to in the reports of which Amnesty International is aware.
Amnesty International members in the UK are writing urgently to the
Iranian authorities, calling for the execution to be halted immediately.
Amnesty International UKs Stop Violence Against Women Campaign Manager
Jennifer Campbell said:
"Leyla's story is a litany of violence and abuse. Sold into prostitution
at the age of 8, she has experienced horrific sexual violence throughout
her short life. Now she faces flogging and execution.
"We must stop this. Amnesty members are campaigning to save Leyla from
execution, writing to the Iranian authorities to let them know that we
will not stand by mutely and let this happen. We urge other people to join
us and take action straight away.
"3 child offenders have been executed in Iran already this year. We must
act now to stop there being a 4th."
For details of how to help stop the execution of "Leyla M", please go to:
www.amnesty.org.uk/action/irandp.shtml
Background Information
Iranian law recognises two types of marriage - "permanent" and "temporary"
(for any defined period from 24 hours to 99 years). A man can have up to 4
"permanent" wives and numerous temporary ones.
As a party to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights,
Iran has undertaken not to execute anyone for an offence committed when
they were under 18 years old. The Iranian authorities are now considering
legislation (the draft law on the Establishment of Childrens Courts) that
would prohibit the use of the death penalty for offences committed under
the age of 18. Article 41 of this law requires the authorities to have
child offenders examined by psychiatrists and social workers.
Iran has executed at least three child offenders in 2004. In addition to
this, on 12 November 2004, a 14-year-old boy died after receiving 85
lashes for eating in public during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
According to unconfirmed reports, the metal cable used to flog him struck
the back of his head, causing a brain haemorrhage.
One in three women suffer serious violence in their lifetime, at home, in
the community or in war, just because they are women. Amnesty
International is running a global campaign to 'Stop Violence Against
Women'. The human rights organisation is calling on governments to repeal
laws that permit and encourage violence against women, and on communities
to challenge attitudes that allow violence to continue. For more
information visit: www.amnesty.org.uk/svaw.
(source: Amnesty International)
CHINA:
Tibetan monk on death row in China still alive: prison authorities
A high-profile Tibetan monk on death row in China, whose case has sparked
a raft of international appeals, is still alive and may have his sentence
reduced, prison system officials told AFP.
"This monk has not been executed. I heard they're considering changing his
penalty to life imprisonment or a fixed-term penalty," an official
surnamed Zheng at the southwest Sichuan province prison administrative
bureau said.
"It's because he behaved himself well in prison."
Tensin Deleg Rinpoche, 52, was sentenced to death in 2002 after being
convicted of carrying out a 2002 bomb attack in Sichuan province's Chengdu
capital -- charges which he denied.
His sentence was suspended for 2 years and the suspension expired on
December 2, but China, which referred to him as a "terrorist", had refused
to say what it planned to do with him.
The US Senate, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and international
human rights groups stepped up pressure for his release in recent weeks.
Protest rallies were held in London, New Delhi and other cities.
The prison official said he did not know when a decision would be made on
a possible sentence reduction.
Officials at the prison where Tensin Deleg is being held, Chuanzhong
Prison in Nanchong city in Sichuan, refused to comment.
Another man Lobsang Dhondup, a 28-year-old activist, was also convicted
for the bomb attack that killed one person and injured another and other
blasts in the Ganzi region of west Sichuan.
Lobsang Dhondup denied the charges but he was executed in January 2003,
stirring international uproar.
Last week China rejected a resolution by the US Senate that called for the
monk's release, saying the case fell within "China's internal affairs" and
related to stamping out terrorism.
"Deleg undermined the security of society and conducted terrorist bombing
activities, he would be punished in any country," foreign ministry
spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
In the latest appeal, hundreds of Tibetans took to the streets of New
Delhi Friday in a silent protest march to demand his freedom, saying
Tensin Deleg was innocent and was denied a fair trial.
Suspended death sentences in China are often cut to life imprisonment but
cases involving Tibetans are treated differently because of the political
sensitivity of Tibet.
China has ruled Tibet since 1951 following an invasion of the Himalayan
region, considering it an "inalienable" part of its territory.
Since then it has routinely tried to stamp out dissent, jailing and
executing those suspected of separatism.
China executes more people every year than the rest of the world combined.
(source: Agence France Presse)
******************
China Upholds Drug Dealer's Death Sentence
A Chinese court has upheld a death sentence against a drug dealer from
Burma who was arrested seven years ago with 3.7 kilograms of heroin.
The Supreme Court of the western province of Sichuan issued the ruling
against Jiao Ming, who was arrested in 1997 in Yunnan province, which
borders Burma, the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper said.
The court rejected arguments that Jiaos life should be spared on the
grounds that since he was caught in the midst of a drug deal, his heroin
hadnt hurt Chinese society, the report said.
The court also dismissed appeals by 3 of Jiaos Chinese accomplices, the
newspaper said. One was sentenced to death while the others received life
in prison.
The report did not say when the executions would be carried out or give
other details about Jiao.
China executes hundreds of people every year on drug charges. Death
sentences are automatically appealed, but rarely overturned. Courts have
the option of carrying out executions by lethal injection or a gunshot to
the head or neck.
Authorities say more than 95% of the heroin sold in China comes from the
"Golden Triangle," where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet.
China has stepped up anti-drug cooperation with Myanmar and its other
southern neighbours in recent years.
(source: The Scotsman)
SOUTH KOREA:
Korean killer gets death penalty
A 34-year-old South Korean man believed to be the country's worst serial
killer has been sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering 20
people, court officials said.
The Seoul Central District Court found Yoo Young-chul guilty of killing 20
mostly women and senior citizens, with 1 charge of murder being dismissed
due to lack of evidence.
"The sentence is death for murder," one of the officials said by telephone
on Monday. Capital punishment in South Korea is administered by hanging.
Yoo has 1 week to appeal the sentence, another official said.
His lawyer was not immediately available for comment on whether he would
appeal.
Yoo was arrested in July for the series of grisly murders that police said
were motivated by his hate for women and the rich.
Seoul Metropolitan Police chief Huh Joon-young has said the murders were
committed in less than a year and the bodies were buried in shallow graves
near a temple in central Seoul.
Most of the female victims were masseuses, who frequently offer sex
services in South Korea, police have said.
Yoo quickly confessed to the murders after his arrest but was often
confused about the details, saying there had been "too many," police
officers have said.
A court-ordered examination found Yoo did not suffer from insanity, South
Korean media said.
(source: Reuters)
JAPAN:
Husband-killing bar mama 'ready to receive death penalty'
A former bar owner accused of murdering two of her husbands in a failed
bid to collect life insurance benefits admitted to the killings as her
trial opened in the Fukuoka District Court on Monday, saying she didn't
care if she was handed the death penalty.
Facing allegations of murder and intimidation in the 1st hearing in her
trial, the accused, Yuko Takahashi, 49, told the court the that
allegations against her were true.
"There is no doubt about it," she said, reportedly breaking down in tears.
"I don't care if I get the death penalty. I really want to atone for my
crimes.
" The lawyers had planned to delay Takahashi's pleas, saying the evidence
surrounding the killings had not been examined thoroughly, but Takahashi
raised her hand and told Presiding Judge Shogo Kawaguchi that she wanted
to "admit to all of the murders."
Because of this, her lawyers took the unusual step of questioning her,
saying, "We're working to make sure the court doesn't make a wrong
decision. Do you really want to enter a plea now?"
Takahashi replied, "I killed two of my husbands. I spoke truthfully during
questioning. I admit to everything, including further charges."
In response Kawaguchi asked her to formally enter pleas in response to the
allegations of intimidation and murder.
According to the allegations against her, Takahashi fatally stabbed her
34-year-old second husband, Yuji Nomoto, in the predawn hours of Oct. 22,
1994, in a bid to collect money on a life insurance policy taken out on
him. On Nov. 12, 2000, she then allegedly drowned her 3rd husband,
54-year-old Takayuki Takahashi.
Between 1999 and 2003, Takahashi was also accused of extorting a total of
3.86 million yen from 2 men who visited the bar she operated after they
fell into illicit relationships.
(source: Mainichi Shimbun)
