[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 31



EUROPE/INDIA:

Sikhs Across Europe Call for End to Death Penalty in India


A European-wide protest by hundreds of Sikhs calling for an end to the
death penalty has just commenced in Brussels. The protest is taking place
outside the European Commission and European Parliament.

Following the protest rally a memorandum calling for an end to the death
penalty in India will be submitted to the European Commission, European
Parliament and Council of the European Union.

The European Parliament President, Hans-Gert Poettering and the EC
Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner are being
urged to link future trade with India if it puts an end to the death
penalty and respects basic human rights of minorities, such as the Sikhs.

The EU is India's largest trading partner with about 25 percent of Indian
exports coming to EU countries. The EU also provides the most foreign
investment to India. Last year 2-way trade between India and the EU
totalled about euro38 billion.

Given the level of trade the EU is in a strong position to make future
trade dependent upon the ending of the death penalty and a respect of
basic human rights.

Although Indias highest courts have ruled that the death penalty can only
be applied in the "rarest of rare" cases there are believed to be as many
as 700 people on death row in India.

The EU lobbied strongly against the execution of Dhanomjoy Chaterjee on 14
August 2004, which ended the long-standing moratorium on the death penalty
in India.

Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: The ending
of the moratorium was a backward and retrograde step by the Indian regime
and a show of defiance to the EU.

The protest is highlighting the case of Professor Davinderpal Singh
Bhullar where there is direct EU involvement. His case is one of the most
controversial and highest profile death penalty cases in recent Indian
history. Almost 12 years earlier Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, a
Sikh political activist, was illegally deported from Germany. Davinderpal
Singh was handed over to the Indian authorities on the basis that he had
nothing to fear on his return to India.

For 12 years Davinderpal Singh has been forced to live with the mistake by
the German authorities. He was arrested and put in prison as soon as he
landed in Delhi, tortured to obtain a false confession, charged and almost
5 years ago sentenced to death by hanging for a crime he did not commit.

When Germany deported Davinderpal Singh to a death-penalty prone country
it violated the European Convention on Human Rights. After his
deportation, the court of appeal in Frankfurt allowed his appeal and said
that he should not have been deported as he would face torture, harassment
and death in India and were he to re-enter Germany he would be given
asylum.

The verdict of the court of appeal in Germany came too late for
Davinderpal Singh. Following international pressure in support of
Davinderpal Singh additional charges were brought against him. However,
six months ago the Professor was acquitted and all charges dropped.
Germany and the EU have a moral obligation to ensure the threat of the
death penalty by India is immediately withdrawn and the case against the
Professor is fully reviewed in accordance with international law, under
monitoring by international observers.

Earlier this month the latest death sentences were awarded to Jagtar Singh
and Balwant Singh by the Indian courts. This has resulted in worldwide
protests by Sikhs and leading figures in the Sikh community in Punjab have
expressed shock over the death sentences and condemned the Indian
authorities for taking this insensitive step and ignoring Sikh sentiments.

The European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the European
Union are being urged to press for an immediate withdrawal of the death
sentences imposed against Jagtar Singh and Balwant Singh.

Sikhs from Belgium will also be submitting a memorandum to the Belgium
Foreign Minister, Karel de Gucht and urging him to share it with the
Foreign Ministers of the other 27 EU Member States.

Bhai Amrik Singh said: 'The estimated 1 million Sikhs in Europe find
India's position on the death penalty totally unacceptable and calls on
the EU and the member states to force India to end the death penalty and
respect basic human rights or risk its trading position with the EU.'

(source: Panthic Weekly)






MALAYSIA:

Nonoi's stepdad gets death sentence for murdering toddler


It's the gallows for Nonoi's stepfather Mohammed Ali Johari.

The High Court has sentenced the 31-year-old to death for killing
2-year-old Nur Asyura Mohamed Fauzi, also known as Nonoi.

But his family and lawyers say they will appeal against the verdict.

In passing sentence on Friday, Judge Kan Ting Chiu said evidence in court
showed the child was killed when Mohammed Ali dunked her in a pail of
water three times last year.

Nonoi's naked body was then dumped under the Aljunied Flyover.

She was initially reported as missing, leading to an islandwide search on
1 March, 2006.

The truth only came to light when Mohammed Ali confessed three days later
to the police that he killed the child.

The defence had argued that Mohammed Ali was provoked by the little girl's
non-stop wailing.

But the judge dismissed the argument as evidence did not show that
Mohammed Ali had lost self-control.

Even though it was proven that Mohammed Ali had killed the girl, the judge
said he was not convinced by the prosecution that the murder was
intentional.

Defence lawyer R S Bajwa said: "All I can say at this stage is that the
court concluded that he did not intend to kill the child. That's something
we'll be taking up on appeal. The court also did not say anything about
whether he was responsible for the sexual injuries found on the child."

The courtroom was full, with three quarters of the seats taken up by
Mohammed Ali's parents and other family members. But Nonoi's mother was
nowhere in sight.

When the death sentence was passed, Mohammed Ali was calm. But his mother
broke down and fainted, and his siblings started sobbing.

The lawyers then requested the officers to let Mohammed Ali's father have
a brief moment with his son.

"I told him to pray. He agreed. That's all. There's nothing else for him
to do now," said the father, in Malay.

(source: ChannelNewsAsia)