[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 1



INDIA:

65 pc injections unsafe, says disposable syringe inventor


65 % of injections given in India are unsafe and leads to passing on of
blood-borne diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis, says Marc Koska, the
inventor of single use (auto disposable) syringe that locks and breaks
after use.

In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Koska, who has been awarded the
Order of the British Empire, said, "We are here to make a film on dangers
of use of unsafe injections and are trying to organize a meeting with the
President of India to endorse the film and its message. We will try to
show the film on all television channels and all possible media outlets."

In India, about 5 billion injections are given annually whereas only 1.5
billion syringes are manufactured - a clear evidence of reuse of syringes,
he added.

Koska' mission is to create public awareness by telling people that the
syringe they use must come in a sealed packet, it must be used once and
destroyed, it must be put in a safety box for proper destruction.

(source: Hindustan Times)






ZAMBIA:

Death Penalty Out - Mwanawasa


Whether one convicted of murder, treason, aggravated robbery or any other
serious offence should be sentenced to death or face life imprisonment is
an emotive issue throughout the world.

In the case of Zambia, President Levy Mwanawasa has maintained that he
will not sign any warrants so that those facing the death penalty are
hanged to death.

Instead the President has indicated that he would soon sign a statutory
instrument in which death sentences would be commuted to life
imprisonment. He has pointed out that he would extend his mercy to some of
the convicted persons so that they are released, to de-congest the
overcrowded prisons.

In fact, when President Mwanawasa appointed the Wila Mung'omba-led
Constitutional Review Commission in 2003, one of the terms of reference
for the petitioners was whether they supported the death penalty or not.

The High Court and the Supreme Court are still meting out death penalties
on convicts because that is still part of the Zambia law. Abolition could
only be effected if that is reflected in the new Constitution. However,
recommendations to the Mung'omba-led Constitutional Review Commission have
not been enacted into law. Most of the petitioners submitted that the new
constitution be adopted by a Constituent Assembly, but this is not
provided for in the current Constitution.

Legislative powers according to Zambian law are with the National
Assembly, which has to amend the current Constitution to provide for a
Constituent Assembly. Even the Constituency Assembly were to be legalised,
the contention by the government has been its composition, which has not
been provided for in the current Constitution.

As the government and civil society argue over the mode of adoption,
President Mwanawasa has decided to use the power of prerogative of mercy
in the current.

Constitution to commute death penalties to life imprisonment on convicts.
Advocates against the death penalty say that there could be error in fact
or law in convicting some of the suspects, which means that some of the
people could be executed for the offences they did not commit.

A petitioner to the Wila Mung'omba Constitutional Review Commission
submitted that since the Constitution does not allow torture, the death
penalty seems to allow it because during hanging pain is inflicted on
convicts.

However, the drawback to life imprisonment is that it contributes to
overcrowding in prisons and the State has to spend tax payers' money to
sustain the prisoners.

Besides, the death penalty can also be defeated by the President's
prerogative of mercy. President Mwanawasa had to commute the death
penalties to life imprisonment of some of the 77 soldiers who attempted to
overthrow the legitimate government of former President Dr Frederick
Chiluba in 1997. In fact, some of the junior soldiers were set free.

President Mwanawasa's government must have arrived at that decision to
free some of the junior officers on the grounds that they could have
followed their superior's instructions, which are not questioned in the
military.

This is brings the proposition that some of the suspects could be wrongly
or unfairly convicted as some of the suspects may fail to defend
themselves properly or do not have good lawyers to adequately defend them.

But are those who intentionally commit murder or are correctly convicted
supposed to live or punished through life imprisonment? A petitioner to
the Mung'omba Constitutional Review Commission maintained that death
penalty should be maintained as the bible says that" Thy shall not kill."
They claimed that those who kill others should not be given chance to live
since they have also deprived their fellow human beings life.

Followers of this principle assume that the accused person is not wrongly
charged, there is no error in law and fact or mistaken identity during
trial.

>From time immemorial punishments have been commuted, such as adultery
which was punishable by death before Jesus Christ, but is now a civil case
for which offenders are fined in several parts of the world.

(source: Sila Press)