August 10
GLOBAL/IRAN:
Protests planned over gay executions
5 cities across the globe will stage protests against Irans treatment of
lesbian and gay people tomorrow, following the hanging of two boys for
allegedly having gay sex.
London, Dublin, Paris, San Francisco and Montpelier in France will stage
protests aimed at raising awareness of Irans history on lesbian and gay
issues, as well as the recent executions.
They come despite questions being raised by some organisations about the
executions last month of Mahmoud Asgari (16) and Ayaz Marhoni (18).
Although the majority of news agencies and human rights campaigners
believe the boys were killed because of their sexuality, some say the
other charge of rape has been forgotten by protestors.
However, the protestors say the rape charge is likely to have been added
to the charges in a bid to divert international attention. They also say
that the execution of minors should be stopped, along with the use of the
death penalty for crimes.
"The Iranian government claims they were hanged for the rape of a 13 year
old boy," Ramzi Isalam of the LGBT human rights group OutRage! said in a
statement today.
"We are not prepared to give the violently homophobic Iranian government
the benefit of the doubt."
"It has previously lied to justify public executions. In any case, the
death penalty is a disproportionate punishment. It is barbaric and should
be abolished."
The protestors will call for the Iranian government to relax its stance on
homosexuality, which is considered illegal under the country's law.
The London protest will take place outside Iran's Embassy tomorrow,
between 1pm to 2pm. Those who cannot attend are being urged to contact the
Iranian Ambassador to register their support for the demonstration.
(source: Gay.com UK)
IRAQ:
Iraq's Aziz Says Will Not Testify Against Saddam
Tareq Aziz, the Iraqi former deputy prime minister, denied on Tuesday that
he might testify against his former president Saddam Hussein in a trial
that could begin in a couple of months. In an effort to quash speculation
that the man who was Saddam's envoy to the outside world might turn star
witness for the prosecution, Aziz delivered a statement through his
lawyer.
"I would like to make clear ... that I will not testify against anyone
and, in particular, I will not testify against Saddam Hussein," attorney
Badia Aref quoted Aziz saying in a note he passed the lawyer during a
meeting earlier in the day.
So far, Saddam has been formally charged in one case -- the killing of
dozens of Shi'ite Muslims from the village of Dujail after a failed
assassination attempt in 1982. If he is found guilty, he faces the death
penalty. An Iraqi judge said on Monday the trial was expected to begin in
2 months.
Dujail is seen as a relatively minor case among the many accusations of
genocide and crimes against humanity leveled at the ousted president and
his senior advisers. But prosecutors hope it will be easier to secure a
conviction in a smaller case.
Saddam is awaiting trial at a U.S.-run high-security camp on the outskirts
of Baghdad. He has appeared before Iraq's war crimes tribunal along with
several aides, including Aziz.
No charges have yet been brought publicly against Aziz, who Aref said, was
last questioned by a magistrate on June 24.
(source: Reuters)
INDIA:
Death sentence in rape and murder case
A West Bengal court Wednesday sentenced to death a Communist Party of
India-Marxist (CPI-M) member for raping and murdering a woman in 1998.
The sub-divisional judicial magistrate of Kanthi in West Midnapore
district sentenced Purnendu Patra to death and awarded a life term to
Probir Jana for raping and murdering housewife Saraswati Guchayit of
Karalda village, about 200 km from here (Kolkata).
The convicts were both members of CPI-M.
West Bengal witnessed a widespread debate over capital punishment during
the execution of rape and murder convict Dhanonjoy Chatterjee in August
2004.
(source: Indo-Asian News Service)
CHINA:
Death penalty exemption may be good way to extradite fugitive corrupt
officials: Chinese expert
Chinese law experts on Wednesday said judicial reform, including death
penalty exemption, may help bring back more fugitive corrupt officials.
A report issued by the Ministry of Commerce showed that in recent years,
nearly 4,000 corrupt officials fled overseas with approximately 50 billion
US dollars of illicit money.
Chu Huaizhi, law professor with Peking University said in an interview
with Xinhua prior to the 22nd Congress on the Law of the World that China
has signed extradition treaties with more than 20 countries and judicial
assistance treaties with dozens of countries. However, China has not
signed such treaties with countries where corrupt officials often go to,
such as the United States, Japan and Canada.
Some countries hesitated to sign extradition treaties with China,
partially because Chinese courts can give death penalties to nonviolent
crimes offenders, such as corrupt officials, he said.
If corrupt officials were free from the death penalty, Western countries
might cooperate with China to extradite fugitive corrupt officials, or
they would not flee in the first place, he said.
However, Chinese citizens have traditionally been unkind toward
corruption. They often voice their hatred of notorious corrupt officials
online, asking governments and courts to stringently punish them. In
addition, they say the ruling party and the central government need
resolute methods to keep the government clean.
(source: Xinhua)
