[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 15


INDONESIA:

Court to consider Bali bombers' application for execution delay


Indonesia's Constitutional Court has agreed to consider an application
from the Bali bombers for their executions to be postponed until the court
hears a challenge against their deaths by firing squad.

Lawyers for Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, Ali Gufron and Imam Samudra appeared in
Indonesia's Constitutional Court today in a preliminary hearing of their
application arguing that death by firing squad can be tortuously slow and
painful and therefore unconstitutional.

The court also agreed to consider an application that the bombers
executions be delayed.

Lawyer Wirawan Adnan said that while the Constitutional Court did not have
the power to order a stay of execution, it would be respectful if the
Government did so.

"It's up to them whether or not to do it, but, you know, I believe they
should respect this court and respect the constitution," he said.

The Attorney-General's office says execution preparations are continuing.

(source: ABC Radio News)






CHAD:

Exiled former president gets death sentence in Chad


A Chadian criminal court on Friday condemned exiled former president
Hissene Habre to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, judicial
officials said.

The court also sentenced 11 Chadian rebel leaders to death in absentia.

All 12 defendants were convicted for having attacked the "constitutional
order and the integrity and security of the territory."

Among the 11 rebel leaders convicted and sentenced was their overall
leader Mahamat Nouri.

Reacting to the sentence, Nouri, who was a close aide to Habre and served
as his defence minister, attacked President Idriss Deby Itno.

"I think that if there is anyone to condemn for the crimes they have
committed it is Idriss Deby," he told AFP by telephone from Libreville in
Gabon.

Nouri alleged that he was responsible for deaths among the civilian
population and for drug trafficking and forgery.

Another 31 rebels were sentenced, also in absentia, to life sentences with
hard labour for having carried out attacks designed to destroy or
overthrow the regime of President Idriss Deby Itno.

The court also ordered the confiscation of all the goods belonging to
those convicted, each of whom was ordered to pay a single CFA franc in
symbolic compensation to the state.

Habre has lived in Senegal since 1991. He was toppled from power in 1990
after an 8-year reign during which thousands of Chadians were allegedly
tortured.

>From Senegal, El Hadji Diouf, one of Habre's lawyers reacted angrily to
the news.

Reached by telephone, he told AFP: "I refuse to comment on this
announcement, I don't want to be trapped by ill-intentioned people and
give weight and credit to the lie.

"All that, it's manipulation, it's for you journalists to do some
research, to check the source of the information," he added.

"You should ask where it happened, before what kind of jurisdiction and
before which judge, and who was present at the trial."

An official truth commission report in 1992 accused Habre's regime of
committing some 40,000 political murders -- of which only 4,000 victims
have been officially named.

The chief prosecutor of Ndjamena's appeal court, Beassoun Ben Ngassoro,
told AFP he could not comment on the verdict.

Dakar-based African human rights watchdog Raddho, a civil party to the
planned Senegalese trial of Habre, said it "totally disapproved" of the
death sentence for the Chadian dictator.

"It is an iniquitous, political and hurried decision .... We are
fundamentally opposed to the death sentence and we have always been
against a trial for Habre in Chad due to the weakness of the judicial
system and the fact that it is often used for political means," Raddho
spokesman Alioune Tine, told AFP.

In July this year, Senegal took a step closer to putting the former
Chadian dictator on trial when parliament approved changes to the
constitution allowing Senegalese courts to lift the statute of limitations
and prosecute past crimes against humanity.

The change effectively gave Senegal one of the world's strongest laws for
prosecuting such crimes, said human rights activists.

In early February, rebel forces entered Chad from its eastern neighbour
Chad and came close to toppling Deby's regime.

Within a week they had fought their way into the capital and as far as the
gates of the presidential palace before they were forced to pull back.

Deby enjoyed the support of French forces based in the country, who
supplied ammunition to Chadian forces and protected the capital's airport,
allowing Chadian army helicopters to operate.

The rebels subsequently launched two further raids into Chad, in April and
June, without reaching the capital.

During their June offensive, the Chadian rebels clashed briefly with
European Union peacekeepers.

(source: Agence France Presse)






PHILIPPINES/KUWAIT:

Arroyo, Kuwaiti PM discuss fate of 2 OFWs on death row


President Arroyo on Friday took the opportunity to discuss with Kuwait's
prime minister the possible commutation of sentences of two Filipino
workers on death row in the emirate.

Esteban Conejos Jr., foreign affairs undersecretary for migrant workers
affairs, confirmed that the President had met with Prime Minister Sheikh
Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Conejos said Mrs. Arroyo first expressed her gratitude to the prime
minister for the commutation earlier this year of the death sentences of
OFWs Mae Vecina and Marilou Ranario.

Mrs. Arroyo then mentioned the cases of Bienvenido Espino and Jakatia Pawa
who were convicted in April and May this year.

Espino was convicted for killing a fellow Filipino. Pawa was sentenced to
death for killing the 22-year-old daughter of her employer.

According to Conejos, the prime minister said that they should first wait
for the result of the Kuwaiti legal process before talking about the
commutation. The cases are both on appeal before the Kuwaiti appellate
court.

Kuwaits prime minister arrived in Manila Thursday to witness the signing
of agreements on the energy cooperation agreement which includes joint oil
exploration, the agreement on health which will enhance the sharing of
expertise in health-related services and an agreement that aims to
increase tourist exchanges between the 2 countries and encourage
tourism-related investments.

(source: ABS-CBN News)