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

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 18


IRAN:

12 Put to Death in Iran


12 people were put to death in Iran, the Chairman of the Iran Criminal
Sentences Execution Department, Ismatollah Jaberini, said on 17 October.

9 of the executed people were pronounced guilty of premeditated murder and
3 of fraud, Iranian Jame-Jam news agency quoted Jaberi. One woman was
among the 9.

According to the Iranpressnews agency, 2 of the executed men were members
of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and political activists.

On 10 October, international human rights organizations in 12 countries
held protest actions against the executions in Iran. On 17 October, UN
Human Rights Council and Amnesty International protested against the
arrest of Emad-aldin Baghi, a human rights activist, in Iran. The Chairman
of the Committee on Protection of Convicts Rights, Emad-aldin Baghi, was
arrested on 14 October. He was accused of violation of national security
and transmitting secret information to foreign new agencies.

(source: Trend News Agency)

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

Urgent appeal for a young man facing execution for playground death when
aged 16


Amnesty International today launched an urgent appeal for Ali Mahin
Torabi, convicted of a murder committed when he was 16 years old and now
at risk of imminent execution. Now aged 21, he is being held in Reja'i
Shahr prison in Karaj, near Tehran and his death sentence could be carried
out at any time.

Amnesty is asking people to go to www.amnesty.org.uk/deathpenalty to send
an urgent message to the Iranian authorities, urging them to stop the
execution.

Iran is the only country in the world that still executes child offenders
- people convicted of crimes committed before they were 18. Over 70 child
offenders are currently facing execution in Iran. Amnesty International is
urging the Iranian authorities to implement a moratorium on all executions
of child offenders as a first step towards a complete ban on such
executions.

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:

'These appeals can work - pressure from within Iran and from people around
the world has stopped executions in the past. If enough people join us and
contact the Iranian authorities, we may be able to save Ali's life.

'Executing someone is cruel and inhumane, whatever the circumstances. But
the execution of child offenders is particularly sickening.

"The Iranian authorities must step into line with the rest of the world
and end this shameful practice.'

On 3 February 2003, Ali Mahin Torabi was detained in connection with a
playground fight at the Bani Hashemi High School. He was 16 years old at
the time. Ali reportedly stabbed a schoolmate named Mazdak Khodadian, who
died from loss of blood. Ali Mahin Torabi has repeatedly stated that he
only realised his schoolmate had been stabbed after he heard shouting from
the crowds that had gathered during the schoolyard disturbance and that
his blow was not intentional.

The lawyer for Ali Mahin Torabi has repeatedly drawn attention to the lack
of clarity and doubts surrounding the events leading to the death of
Mazdak Khodadian, noting for example that the coroner reported that the
blow did not enter the victim in a direct manner and that it was not
consistent with an intentional blow.

According to reports, Mazdak Khodadian's mother demanded payment of
'diyeh' (blood money) in order to pardon Ali Mahin Torabi. However her
husband is refusing this and is demanding that the execution be carried
out. Without agreement between all the blood relatives of the victim, Ali
Mahin Torabi remains at risk of execution.

(source: Amnesty International UK)






MALI:

Mali plans to abolish death penalty


The government in the west African state of Mali said on Thursday it was
planning to abolish the death penalty, 3 decades after it carried out its
last execution.

A cabinet meeting on Wednesday approved a bill which "stipulated that the
death penalty be abolished and... replaced by life imprisonment," said a
statement.

The bill must now be adopted by parliament.

The last execution in Mali was carried out on August 21 in 1980, when two
people were hanged for murder and armed robbery.

Since then, death penalties have been commuted to prison terms on
presidential clemency.

(source: Independent Online)