[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 21


IRAN----execution

Drug trafficker hanged in public


Iran on Wednesday hanged a convicted drug trafficker in a square in the
clerical capital Qom, the latest in a growing number of executions that
officials say are aimed at improving public security.

The man, identified by his 1st name of Gholam Reza, was sent to the
gallows for trafficking 90 kilograms of narcotics, state media reported.

The head of the Qom judiciary, Hojatoleslam Mahmoud Talebi was quoted as
saying: "after we intensified the confrontation with the drug dealers we
have witnessed a decrease in the distribution of narcotics in Qom."

The hanging brings the total number of executions in Iran this year to
267, according to media reports. Many are hanged in public.

The hanging comes a day after a UN General Assembly committee passed a
non-binding resolution urging Iran to "abolish, in law and in practice,
public executions and other executions carried out in the absence of
respect for internationally recognised standards."

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee rejected the
charges, saying the resolutions showed certain states "advancing their
political purposes."

The Islamic republic has noticeably stepped up executions in recent months
as officials enforce a campaign against "thugs" like drug-traffickers,
extortionists and rapists.

According to Iranian media reports, police yesterday announced that
execution verdicts had been reached for some 31 more such "thugs" although
it was not clear when the executions would take place.

Iran executed at least 177 people in 2006, according to Amnesty
International.

(source: Zee News)

**************************

Iran Must Immediately Abolish Child Execution  Iranian Human Rights
Activist


Despite the UN convention on human rights, Iran continues to execute under
18s.

"Iran must immediately abolish child execution," Mina Ahadi, an Iranian
human rights activist, said.

The Amnesty International human rights protection organization censured
the death penalty announced against Makvan Moloudzadeh, a 13 year old
accused of rape. The organization demanded the release of the boy.

Today Moloudzadeh is charged with the rape of several boys committed 7
years ago.

The organization is against execution and repeatedly appealed to
international human rights protection organizations, particularly due to
the release of Moloudzadeh, Ahadi said in an interview by telephone to
Trend news agency on 21 November.

Rot Yotner of Amnesty International expressed alarm at the sentences
against under 18 year olds, as well as the case of 25 children who were
executed in Iran in 1990. 3 children were executed in 2007. At present,
about 77 children have been sentenced to the death penalty in Iran.

Ahadi said that the number of children executed exceeds 250. Amnesty
International based the facts on official statistics; however, the company
has not detailed information about the number of children sentenced to
death.

Shahrudi, the Iranian Justice Minister took into consideration internal
and foreign protest against Moloudzadeh's execution and ordered a
temporary stay of execution.

(source: Trend News)






CANADA:

Canada deserves denunciation of Europeans for death penalty reversal: Rae


Canada deserves to be blasted by the top European human rights watchdog
for washing its hands of Canadians facing the death penalty abroad, Bob
Rae says.

"I think the Council of Europe, their position is completely
understandable," the Liberal foreign affairs critic said Wednesday. "I
mean the change in Canada's position is frankly disgraceful."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government announced earlier this month
that it will no longer seek clemency for Canadians sentenced to death in
countries such as the United States, where they've received a fair trial.
It also announced that Canada will no longer co-sponsor United Nations
resolutions urging a worldwide ban on the death penalty.

The announcements marked a reversal in longstanding Canadian foreign
policy. Harper has denied suggestions the moves are a prelude to
reintroducing the death penalty in Canada, which abolished executions in
1976.

Rae was responding to a media report Wednesday in which Terry Davies,
secretary general of the Council of Europe, accused Canada of
"subcontracting" the execution of Canadians such as Ronald Smith, a
two-time murderer currently on death row in Montana.

"I'm just amazed that the Canadian government will wash its hands, just
like Pontius Pilate," Davies said, referring to the Roman governor who
caved in to mob demands for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

"It's reducing authorities to the same level as people who kill people."

Canada used to be seen as a champion of ending the death penalty
worldwide. Rae said it's "fully understandable" that the council would
blast Canada's reversal.

(source: The Canadian Press)






PHILIPPINES/KUWAIT:

Father asks Arroyo to bring home OFW on Kuwait death row


The father of domestic helper Marilou Ranario, who is on death row in
Kuwait, pleaded Wednesday with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to do
everything possible to save his daughter from execution with the final
verdict on her appeal set for next week.

"I am calling on the government. I am appealing to the President, as a
parent, to do everything to bring back Marilou by Christmas," Rosario
Ranario, 64, a farmer from Surigao del Sur, told the Philippine Daily
Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) in Filipino.

Rosario said he had come all the way from Surigao del Sur to find out for
himself the status of his 35-year-old daughter's appeal to the Kuwaiti
court that sentenced her to hang for killing her employer.

He recalled that when he went to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
on November 13 to inquire, he was informed that the handing down of the
final verdict had been moved up from December 27 to November 27.

"The DFA did not give me exact details on Marilou's case. The personnel
there did not even explain why the scheduled final verdict was moved,"
Rosario said, pointing out that as Marilou's father he should be updated
on his daughter's plight.

He also made the plea to save his daughter's life to Vice President Noli
de Castro, DFA secretary Alberto Romulo, and Ambassador Ricardo Endaya.

Marilou is the 4th child in a brood of 10 and received her education
degree at the Northeastern Mindanao Colleges (NEMCO). But she immediately
went abroad after graduating, driven by the need to alleviate her familys
poverty.

She and older sister Weng are the only members of the family who finished
college.

Marilou left for Kuwait on December 10, 2003 and was found guilty of
stabbing to death her employer Najat Mahmoud Faraj Mubarak, on January 11,
2005 in Salwa province. She claimed to have killed her employer for fear
Mubarak had been planning to hurt her, a result allegedly of months of
unfair labor practices, maltreatment and abuse.

It was reportedly only during the last week of December in 2005 that the
Ranario family learned of their kin's fate and it was 10 months later that
they were informed by the DFA that Marilou had been sentenced to death.

Rosario said that their entire family worried about her and Marilou's
children, 13-year-old Raffy John and 11-year-old Roselle, are hoping they
would still see their mother alive.

"They [Marilou's children] told me before I left Surigao to try to save
their mama and I promised them I would," the 64-year-old farmer told the
Inquirer, adding, "They are hoping their mother would be home by
Christmas."

(source: Philippine Inquirer)






SRI LANKA:

Help implement death penalty


What is the punishment you deserve if you kill an innocent poor female
cancer patient? What if you kill her when she turns to you for medical
assistance? What if you have committed similar crimes in the past?

Who is eligible to decide the punishment for this crime and what should it
be? Certain matters we discuss today may look unrealistic or inhuman, but
dont forget that Rizana Nazik's life is still in the hands of the dead
infants parents and not in the hands of anyone else!

Yesterday was a historic day for all Sri Lankan women and children,
especially for thousands of victims of past crimes and all vulnerable
people out there.

Child Development and Women's Empowerment Minister Sumedha G. Jayasena
presented a Cabinet Memorandum during yesterday's Cabinet meeting,
suggesting the death penalty for the criminals who execute crimes against
children and women.

Apparently this will focuss on removing the existing barriers against the
practical implementation of the death penalty for criminals who have done
crimes against children and women. We have to support the Minister and
stand by her.

Since the beginning there were persons and organisations who protested
against re-introduction of the death penalty but none of them were the
victims of brutal crimes nor relations or friends of the victims.

Most of them had their own 'agendas' and were earning money by carrying
out protests. On the other hand we saw very little demand for the death
penalty because the media did not give adequate publicity when compared to
the publicity they gave to the human rights activists who opposed it.

There are individuals and organisations to fight for the rights of
criminals but no one to fight for the rights of crime victims. Aren't
Crime victims human beings? The rights of the victims are not human
rights?

The families of crime victims rarely demand justice in public because they
are sacred of further victimisation or possible fatal attacks from same
criminal/criminals. Some victimised families think after losing their
precious family member/members, there is no point getting the justice and
decide to keep quiet.

Sometimes there is no capable family members in the victims families to
fight for justice. No NGO comes forward to give a voice to them because it
is not so profitable for them. But these do not mean there is no demand
from the general public for the death penalty. What is lacking is well
organised activities.

First it was Hokandara massacre, then Delgoda massacre, then came Rita
John, Inoka Sewwandi, then the female high court judge (even she couldnt
escape from a murderer), then Sadeepa Lakshan, then the year 5 student
from Dombagoda school and now Chamila Dissanayake.

In between I do not know how many more were killed. There were hundreds of
innocent women and children who were abducted, raped and murdered during
the past. Some of them met their killer for the first time and that is one
second before their death.

Do you like if someone abduct, rape and kill your mother/ sister/ wife/
daughter or grand daughter and get away with it?

Do you wish to read about her death like this 'A pretty young (even if she
is over 50) woman has been abducted, raped and murdered by a man who was
having an affair (even when she met her killer for the first time - one
second before her death).

She was pregnant (even when she is an old granny!). How about reading 'She
committed suicide' when your loved one was killed and then hanged using a
cable or forced to drink poison or pushed from a high rise building?

The worst thing will be listening to the heroic adventures of the criminal
who return from the prison after serving a short term for raping your
loved one with a gang. How about your aged parents starving to death or
kids dropping out of school after they lose you?

If you oppose death penalty you, yourself have to experience the things
mentioned above to understand the real pain of families of crime victims.
You will not feel the pain until it happens to you.

Only then will you hate all the human rights you were fighting for. But
then it will be too late for the public, especially innocent vulnerable
children and women.

Sometimes the family members of crime victims are no more there to see the
justice, for their dead loved ones because they are sleeping in their
graves. It is time to think twice about the sincerity of human rights
activists towards real human rights and human beings.

(source: Nadira Gunatilleke, Sri Lanka Daily News)