[Deathpenalty] death penalty news---worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 25



SAUDI ARABIA:

97-year-old man on death row in Saudi


A 97-year-old Saudi man waiting to be beheaded for murder has launched an
appeal for donations of blood money in order to spare him from the death
sentence, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

H al-Zahrani, who has been imprisoned for several years, made his plea to
raise 2.6mn riyals (approximately $700,000) for paying damages to his
victim's family in the Al-Madina daily.

The paper said Zahrani is being detained in Al-Baha, western Saudi Arabia,
but did not disclose the date of his sentence or any details on the
murder, saying only that the victim's family had agreed to pardon Zahrani
in exchange for financial compensation.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking can all carry
the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. But a condemned person can earn a
reprieve if the family of their victim agrees to accept money as
compensation.

(source: Agence France Presse:






ZAMBIA:

Death penalty to remain in Zambia


Death penalty will be maintained on the statute books of Zambia despite
President Levy Mwanawasa not signing any death warrants, Times of Zambia
reported Saturday.

It quoted Justice Minister George Kunda as telling the Parliament that
death penalty is "very contentious" and that is why it is among the terms
of reference for the Wila Mung'omba Constitution Review Commission (CRC).

He said the majority of the people who submitted before the CRC argued
that the death penalty should remain on the statute books.

He was responding to a supplementary question by a parliament member, who
wanted to know why the death penalty is being maintained when it is not
being implemented.

Earlier, Justice Deputy Minister Bradford Machila said 41 people have been
sentenced to death since 2001 although none of them has been executed.

When another parliament member asked whether the president has the
discretion not to follow the law by refusing to sign death warrants, Kunda
said he has.

Zambia Daily Mail quoted Kunda as telling the parliament that Mwanawasa
has indicated that he will not sign any warrant for death penalty for the
period he remains in office.

Kunda said the prerogative of mercy committee has been active since 2001
and that a number of death sentences have been reduced to life or
terminable sentences.

(source: Xinhua )