Nov. 8
INDIA:
Death sentence confirmed on 2 youth for rape and murder
A Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Justice Bannurmath
and K A Kabbin today confirmed death sentences on 2 youths for raping and
murdering a teen aged girl at Bidrayyanahalli in Kollegal taluk on October
15-2001.
Sessions Judge of Chikmagalur tried Shiva and Jade Sami on the charges of
rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl Shivamma. The prosecution alleged
that the accused had committed the ghastly crime over an innocent teen
aged girl and deserve extreme penalty.
Both were held guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years and a
fine of Rs 25,000 for rape and death penalty for murder.
The accused filed appeals challenging the sentence.
On an elaborate discussion of the evidence on record the Bench confirmed
the death sentence.
(source: WebIndia123)
SINGAPORE/AUSTRALIA:
UN appeal is last hope for drug-trafficker
A human rights lawyer is making a last-ditch appeal to the United Nations,
hoping beyond hope that convicted Australian heroin trafficker Nguyen
Tuong Van can be saved from the noose in Singapore.
M. Ravi plans to file a complaint against the Singapore Government today
with Philip Alston, an Australian who is the UN's Geneva-based special
rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary, or arbitrary executions.
The complaint alleges that the impending execution of Nguyen would breach
Singapore's constitution and be a serious miscarriage of justice.
The city-state's government has so far rejected all pleas for clemency,
and there appear to be few avenues left to stop the execution. It's
doubtful that Ravi's protest will work.
"I am not an expert in international law," he said yesterday. "But I will
endeavour (to do my) my best as a citizen of the country."
Professor Alston is the brother of former senator and communications
minister Richard Alston, now Australian High Commissioner in London.
A similar complaint would be filed with the UN against Canberra tomorrow,
unless the Australian government takes its own case on behalf of Nguyen to
the special rapporteur, Ravi said.
Ravi is not representing Nguyen's case.
But he has been an active opponent of capital punishment in Singapore and
has represented two death-row prisoners, both of whom were executed.
Alston is tasked by the United Nations to investigate summary or
extrajudicial executions.
He reports his findings each year to the UN General Assembly.
Individuals can appeal directly to him about "alleged extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, or death threats, and/or general
information about questions related to the right to life," according to
the rapporteur's website.
Melbourne salesman Nguyen, 25, was arrested at Changi International
Airport in December 2002 as he was about to board a flight to Australia.
He had 396 grams of heroin taped to his back and in his luggage. Singapore
law mandates the death penalty for anyone caught with more than 15 grams
of heroin.
Ravi expected that Nguyen's family would soon receive a letter from the
Singapore authorities confirming the date set for the execution, most
likely this Friday or November 18.
The lawyer will be among a number of activists who are due to gather at a
vigil in Singapore overnight to protest Nguyen's execution and the use of
the death penalty.
The planned meeting is a rare expression of dissent in tightly controlled
Singapore, which is believed to execute more prisoners than any other
country relative to its population.
Ravi said that he would be collecting letters of support for Nguyen from
those attending the vigil, which he planned to deliver to Changi Prison
tomorrow.
(source: Brisbane Courier-Mail)
