[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

March 7


VIETNAM:

Save dad from death penalty----Luong Le Manh faces being shot by a firing
squad


A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save a mentally unstable man from
receiving the death penalty in Vietnam.

Luong Le Manh, of Ryan Close, Kidbrooke, has been tried and convicted of
trafficking heroin through Vietnam into Hong Kong.

He is now appealing to the country's supreme court.

The charity Reprieve, which works for British nationals on death row, has
launched a campaign on his behalf.

It is attempting to have the death penalty commuted to life in prison due
to his mental health.

Although doctors in Vietnam found Le Manh did have mental problems, they
refused to allow the British Embassy access to his file and did not
specify what kind of issues he faced.

Le Manh suffered severe brain damage at the age of 7 during the Vietnam
War, when a bomb hit his former home and killed his 2 brothers.

Reprieve case worker Denise Eastlake claims his family reported numerous
strange occurrences during his trial.

Denise Eastlake from Reprieve is dealing with Luong Le Manh's case

Thanh Le, Mr Le Manh's niece, told the charity he seemed unable to follow
the proceedings.

He was heard asking questions in court such as "what is heroin?" and "what
is a weapon?"

Ms Le has been supporting him since he was arrested on June 25, 2004, and
believes the intensity of the trial pushed him over the edge.

Ms Le believes his lack of coherence was not taken seriously by the judge
during the proceedings, sometimes causing bouts of laughter among those
behind the bench and in the gallery His appeal is expected to be heard in
the next couple of weeks.

Should the appeal fail, 46-year-old Le Manh will have 7 days to ask the
Vietnamese President for clemency, otherwise he will face a firing squad.

Le Manh, who fled Vietnam in the early 1980s, arrived in London in 1983.

He worked as a car mechanic and has two British sons along with an
extended family, all of whom still live in Kidbrooke.

His niece, from Kidbrooke, claims his mental health has worsened since he
was convicted and sentenced to death on November 25 last year.

She said: "He is an incredibly funny and caring man and a wonderful uncle.

"He always encouraged me to study hard. He was the one who pushed me to go
to university.

"I now have a career and I have him to thank."

Le Manh's family also say he has suffered severe cuts and swelling due to
the fact his wrists, ankles and legs have been shackled almost permanently
since he arrived in jail.

Greenwich and Woolwich MP Nick Raynsford said: "I have contacted the
Foreign Office, which has confirmed that in line with our opposition to
the death penalty in all circumstances, it has made representations
against its imposition in this case.I"

He added: "I am also pleased Ian McCartney, the minister responsible for
relations with Vietnam, has written to the Vietnamese Deputy Prime
Minister and will continue to monitor developments closely."

According to Reprieve, there are 11 British nationals on death row around
the world, including Le Manh.

(source: The (UK) News Shopper)






BANGLADESH:


URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------

07 March 2007
UA 57/07    Death penalty/imminent execution

BANGLADESH
      Shayek Abdur Rahman (m)
      Siddikul Islam alias Bangla Bhai (m)
      Four other men


Six men, including the two named above, were sentenced to
death in May 2006 for involvement in setting off bombs. All
their appeals have been rejected, and the President rejected
a petition for clemency on 4 March. They could now be hanged
at any time, though the President does still have the power
to stop the executions and commute their sentences.

The six are members of the banned Islamist group Jamiat-ul-
Mojahedin Bangladesh (JMB). The authorities have accused the
group of involvement in a series of bomb blasts and other
attacks since at least 2003. Those targeted included members
of the judiciary, journalists, civil society activists, and
places of popular entertainment including cinemas.

The six men were tried and sentenced to death for
involvement in an attack that killed two judges in the city
of Jhalokathi in November 2005. In August 2006 the High
Court in Jhalokathi rejected their automatic appeal.


BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Prisoners sentenced to death in Bangladesh have an automatic
appeal hearing before the High Court. If this fails they can
also lodge additional appeals with the High Court. They can
then appeal to the Supreme Court, and after that they have
the right to appeal to the President for clemency.
Executions are carried out after all these appeals have been
exhausted.

The number of prisoners sentenced to death has increased in
recent years. In 2005, at least 217 men and one woman were
sentenced to death, and at least three men were executed by
hanging.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases
as a violation of the right to life and the right not to be
subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as
proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The death penalty is an inherently unjust and arbitrary
punishment, however heinous the crime for which it is
inflicted. Studies globally have shown that it is more
likely to be imposed on those who are poorer, less educated
and from marginalized segments of society. The death penalty
is irrevocable, yet the risk of error in its application is
inescapable. Amnesty International recognizes the need to
combat violent crime, but the death penalty has never been
shown to deter crime more effectively than other punishments.


RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly
as possible:
- saying that Amnesty International recognizes the gravity
of the offences of which Shayek Abdur Rahman, Siddikul Islam
Bangla Bhai and four other men have been convicted, but
opposes the death penalty in all cases, as it violates the
most fundamental right of every human being, the right to
life;
- urging the president to commute the men's death sentences;
- urging the president to call for a moratorium on
executions, with a view to abolition of the death penalty,
in line with the April 2005 UN Commission on Human Rights
resolution on the question of the death penalty.


APPEALS TO:
President Iajuddin Ahmed
President Office
Bangabhaban
Dhaka
Bangladesh
Fax:              011 8802 9566593
Salutation:       Dear Mr President


COPIES TO:
Ambassador Shamsher M. Chowdhury
Embassy of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
3510 International Drive NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202-244-2771
Email: bdenq at bangladoot.org

Please send appeals immediately. Check with the AIUSA Urgent
Action office if sending appeals after 18 April 2007.

Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement
that promotes and defends human rights.

This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including
contact information and stop action date (if applicable).
Thank you for your help with this appeal.

Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: uan at aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.544.0200
Fax:     202.675.8566

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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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