July 11
BELARUS:
may annul death sentence through referendum - official
Belarussian deputy presidential chief of staff Natalya Petkevich said the
death sentence might be annulled in Belarus via a national referendum.
"Most of our citizens voiced their opposition to the annulment of capital
punishment in a national referendum and we adhere to this decision. But
when certain socio-economic, mostly social, conditions are created, the
annulment of capital punishment might be considered," Petkevich told a
news conference in Minsk on Monday.
(source: Interfax)
JAPAN:
Pet breeder, ex-wife lose appeal against death sentences over multiple
murders
A former dog and cat breeder and his former wife lost an appeal against
death sentences that a lower court had handed down on them over the murder
of 4 people.
The Tokyo High Court upheld the ruling by the Urawa District Court, now
called the Saitama District Court, in 2001, which convicted Gen Sekine,
63, and Hiroko Kazama, 48, of murder.
"The defendants' crimes were extremely cruel and vicious. There is no
choice but to punish them with death," Presiding Judge Yu Shiraki said as
he handed down the ruling. Sekine immediately appealed the ruling to the
Supreme Court while Kazama is also preparing to appeal the sentence.
The focus in the appeal trial was whether statements made by a 49-year-old
former company executive about their crimes could be trusted.
The high court said his statements that led prosecutors to indict the
defendants are trustworthy.
"The former company executive had no motives for the crimes. His
statements clarified the main points of the incidents. Based on his
statements, the victims' belongings were found," the judge said.
The defendants had claimed that the former company executive provided
false testimonies. "He told a lie in a bid to evade being charged with
murder, so what he said cannot be trusted," one of the defense lawyers had
told the court.
The former company executive served a prison term for damaging and
disposing the bodies.
Sekine and Kazama murdered three people, including 39-year-old Akio
Kawasaki, between April and July 1993 by forcing them to swallow capsules
containing the toxic chemical strychnine nitrate, according to the ruling.
Moreover, Sekine murdered Mitsue Sekiguchi, a 54-year-old housewife, using
a similar method in August 1993. They burned the victims' bodies and
dumped them in Gunma Prefecture.
Sekine and Kazama had trouble with the victims, including disputes over
dog dealings.
In March 2001, the district court sentenced both Sekine and Kazama after
determining that they were equally responsible for the crimes.
(source: Mainichi Daily News)
LIBERIA:
Rapist Must Bears Death Penalty - Gender Minister
The Minister of Gender and Development Madam Vabah K. Gayflor said that
those in the habit of raping babies and little girls must be sentenced to
death.
She said that violence against women and children is increasing on a daily
basis as their moral and academic upbringings to proper maturity remain to
be one of our greatest challenges as we collaboratively work to chart a
new course for this extensively battered nation." Minister Gayflor
expressed the difficulties in documenting cases of rape and other forms of
violence against women, especially when most of the most rape cases are
settled out of court by parents of the victims and culprits.
Speaking at the launching of "sanitization campaign on violence against
women" held at the Gender Ministry yesterday, the Minister pointed out
that real men do not rape, and considered those that rape as "animals".
She stressed that "specific actions are required by law in order to curb
the growing waves of violence against women as progress in curbing has
been painstakingly slow." She then urged participating agencies on the
road to peace, justice, and socio- economic progress to frustrate any
attempt that could hinder their genuine efforts of attaining the goal of
protecting women against any form violence.
The Minister revealed that violence against women did not only occur
during the conflict years, but seen to even be increasing after the 14
years of our civil unrest.
The female Activist further explained that between the months of March
2004 to June 6, 2005 over 19 incidences of rape in several localities in
Monrovia alone are being recorded and about more than a dozen incidences
reported in only 5 localities outside Monrovia.
Madam Gayflor expressed that violence against women is intolerable in the
new Liberia and then appealed that the rape bill drafted by the ministry
of justice is swiftly enacted into law within the earliest time interval,
restating that in order to inhibit violence against women, "there is a
need to forge and strengthen existing alliances and partnerships at all
levels".
The Minister concluded by calling on all participants to help to build
women-and- children friendly environment.
(source: The Monrovia Analyst)
