Jan. 15
ALGERIA:
Human right activists to Sheikh Chibane: "Death penalty in Algeria meant
to terrify political opponents"
The statements made by Sheikh Abderahmane Chibane, Head of Muslim Scholars
Association, have raised the upset of several human rights activists who
plead for abrogating death penalty from the penal system. Sheikh Chibane
had accused them of infidelity to Islam, for they objected a Quaranic
statement, namely Talion.
Boudjemaa Ghachir, Head of the Algerian Human Rights League, told El
Khabar, yesterday: "the League is hurt by statements of Sheikh Chibane; we
wish Chibane was a man of dialogue and persuasion, rather than a Takfiri
man, because the latter is easier than persuading by arguments."
In turn, Mustapha Bouchachi, Head of Algerian League for Human Rights
Defence, said: "the majority of crimes that law subjects death penalty on
in Algeria are of political purpose. Therefore, death penalty is used to
terrify political opponents." He further recalled the case of Colonel
Chaabani who was executed in 1964, saying: "If he had not been executed,
he would have had given interesting testimonies."
Bouchachi has displayed motives that urge for abrogating death sentence,
including the non independence of judicial branch from the executive, and
that the Algerian Justice does not acquire high tech means to conduct
accurate investigate on crimes, thus the rate of making mistakes in terms
of issuing death sentences is going to be high, yet it would be impossible
to bring someone to life again.
(source: El Khabar)
PHILIPPINES:
Death penalty backers warned: Be careful what you wish for
Those calling for the revival of the death penalty in the wake of the
"Alabang Boys" drug mess should be careful of what they wish for - they
may end up at the receiving end, a Catholic bishop said.
Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Oscar Cruz said the death penalty may be a
dangerous weapon especially when used together with weak law enforcement,
dysfunctional justice and the great divide between rich and poor.
"Would that those advocating death penalty are very, very certain that
they themselves would not be subjected thereto in the event that they are
found - truly or falsely - guilty of heinous crimes in the course of
time," he said in his web log.
Several sectors called for the revival of the death penalty law in the
wake of irregularities surrounding the "Alabang Boys" drug scandal.
On the other hand, Cruz said those "publicly and loudly" advocating the
revival of the death penalty appear to be seeking political mileage.
"With weak law enforcement agencies, a dysfunctional justice system plus
the great divide between the powerful rich and the helpless poor before
the law of the land, how on earth could death penalty be justified? While
there are still some capable and upright law enforcement agents, while
there are also certain competent and trustworthy members of the judiciary
all of whom look and treat everybody as equal before the law these
valuable public servants are not only relatively few but in fact still
becoming fewer during the incumbency of a locally and internationally well
acknowledged corrupt and corrupting national leadership," he said.
On the other hand, he said criminals in uniform plus hoodlums in robe
equal injustice, while power plus corruption equal injustice, and goons
with guns plus gold equal injustice.
This is why all kinds of prisons all over the land are filled with
powerless and penniless individuals who are readily caught, ceremoniously
tried and immediately convicted, he said.
"As usual, the well-known 'big fishes' much bigger criminals, more
lawless characters and antisocial individuals are all together free to
benefit from their gross misdeeds and enjoy life much. These basically
unjust realities in the Country are definitely neither the rational nor
decent premises of a death penalty," he said.
Cruz said, a credible and effective law enforcement and dependable and
trusted justice system is the winning combination that deters crimes.
"The truth of the matter is that human justice, no matter how strict and
proper, nevertheless still remains fallible. And death penalty is so
terminal that human life remains ended no matter how well a wrong judgment
is subsequently corrected. That is why life imprisonment, no matter how
long since inflicted and notwithstanding the prolonged difficulty thereto
appended, is nevertheless subject to correction when proven unjustly
imposed. How does one correct an execution once already done?" he added.
(source: GMA News)
MEXICO:
Mexico: Death Penalty Gaining Support
The street peddler's face darkened when asked how the Mexican government
should deal with the rash of kidnappings and drug slayings terrorizing the
nation.
"They should catch the perpetrators and kill them," said Luis Bote, 21, as
he served steaming tacos from a basket on his bicycle. "Only if the
criminals are afraid will these crimes ever stop."
Bote isn't alone. Such calls to reinstate the death penalty are gaining
ground in Mexico amid an unprecedented surge in violent crime. Most of the
violence is tied to the warring narcotics gangs, who killed a record 5,500
people last year, including a growing number of kidnapping victims.
In December, the governor of northern Coahuila state sponsored a bill in
the Mexican Congress that would bring back the death penalty for
kidnappers who murder their victims. Legislators are expected to debate
the proposal when they resume sessions in February.
"These are people who won't be rehabilitated in jail," said Coahuila Gov.
Humberto Moreira, whose cattle ranching state borders Texas. "Let's get
real and let's start executing the kidnappers."
The Green Party, a minority party in Congress, has gone further,
advocating capital punishment in all homicide cases. "Because we worry
about your life, we're going to end the life of murderers," declare the
party's billboards, which are plastered across the capital.
The proposals have sparked outrage from human rights activists, the Roman
Catholic Church and some politicians, who denounce them as immoral and
illegal. Mexico eradicated the final vestiges of the death penalty in
2005. The last time the punishment was applied here was in 1961.
(source: Huffington Post)
