Feb. 11
IRAQ:
Human Rights Group Asks Iraq to End Excessive Executions
A human rights group has expressed outrage over the recent fast pace executions
in Iraq and has called for Iraqi authorities to put an end to the unjust
practice.
"The Iraqi government seems to have given state executioners the green light to
execute at will," Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch,
said in a statement on Thursday. "The government needs to declare an immediate
moratorium on all executions and begin an overhaul of its flawed criminal
justice system."
The group also noted that Iraq has executed at least 65 prisoners since the
beginning of 2012, 51 of those executions have occurred in January and 14 so
far this month, CNN reported.
"The government should disclose the identities, locations, and status of all
prisoners on death row, the crimes for which they have been convicted, court
records for their being charged, tried, and sentenced, and details of any
impending executions," the group said in its statement, adding that they were
especially concerned about Iraqi courts using coerced confessions as evidence.
Following reports late last month that 34 people, including two women, had been
executed in Iraq on Jan. 19 following their criminal convictions, U.N. High
Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called the executions "terrifying"
and doubted if any of the guilty parties were granted due process.
"Even if the most scrupulous fair trial standards were observed, this would be
a terrifying number of executions to take place in a single day," Pillay told
CNN.
"Given the lack of transparency in court proceedings, major concerns about due
process and fairness of trials, and the very wide range of offenses for which
the death penalty can be imposed in Iraq, it is a truly shocking figure."
Pillay added that the Iraqi government should institute a suspension on the
death penalty. But the complaints from the U.N. and Human Rights Watch may be
falling on deaf ears.
Justice Minister Hassan al-Shummari responded to the U.N.'s critique earlier
this month in a statement, defending the speedy executions.
"The implementation of fair punishment against terrorists and murderers comes
in accord with the law of the state," al-Shummari said.
"Questioning the credibility of the Iraqi judiciary system by the U.N. High
Commissioner is (a) strange thing and the High Commissioner should also (be)
aware of the size of the challenges that Iraq is facing by terrorist groups who
had committed heinous crimes and mass executions against innocent people,"
al-Shummari said in a statement posted to the ministry's website.
Since 2004, over 1,200 people are believed to have been sentenced to the death
penalty in Iraq, although the number of those executed is unknown, Pillay told
CNN. The severe penalty can be given for approximately four dozen crimes, in
some cases even public property damage, she added.
"Many defendants are unable to pursue a meaningful defense or to challenge
evidence against them, and lengthy pretrial detention without judicial review
is common," Human Rights Watch said in their statement.
The group maintains that it opposes the death penalty "because of its inhumane
nature and its finality."
(source: Christian Post)
MALAYSIA/SAUDI ARABIA:
Human rights group urges Malaysia not to deport Saudi journalist
An international human rights group on Saturday urged Malaysia not to deport a
Saudi journalist accused of making comments on Twitter that allegedly insulted
Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Hamza Kashgari, 23, a Jeddah-based
newspaper columnist, would face almost certain conviction and a death sentence
for apostasy if he is sent back to Saudi Arabia.
'Saudi clerics have already made up their up mind that Kashgari is an apostate
who must face punishment,' said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher
at Human Rights Watch.
'The Malaysian government should not be complicit in sealing Kashgari's fate by
sending him back,' he added.
Kashgari fled Saudi Arabia to Malaysia on Tuesday after a storm of outrage
erupted when he published over a fictitious conversation with the Prophet
Mohammed on his Twitter account.
On February 8, an official Saudi religious body declared him an apostate.
Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Kashgari was detained
Thursday in the departure hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at the
request of Saudi authorities.
'The Malaysian police will contact their counterparts (in Saudi Arabia) on the
next course of action,' he said.
A lawyer for Kashgari said he had not yet been granted permission to see his
client in police custody in Malaysia's capital, according to Human Rights
Watch.
The group also said officials for the United Nations refugee agency had sought
access to Kashgari without success.
(source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur)
INDIA:
Trial court gave the death penalty for terror act, conspiracy
A designated Prevention of Terrorist Activities (POTA) Act court had, on July
27, 2009, held 3 accused, including a woman, guilty in the 2003 Gateway and
Zaveri Bazaar blasts. A week later, designated judge MR Puranik handed down the
death penalty to Ashrat Ansari, 35, Hanif Sayed Anees, 49, and his wife
Fehmida, 46.
The designated court had held them guilty under section 120-b (conspiracy), 302
(murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the
Indian Penal Code and under Section 3 (terrorist acts), 3(3) Conspiracy, 3(4)
(voluntary harbouring a terrorist) of POTA, 4 (possession of arms) and 4(b)
possession of explosives. They were also held guilty for other minor offences.
On August 6, 2009, the trial court handed down capital punishment to the trio
on major charges of maiming innocent people through a terrorist act, and for
the conspiracy.
On August 25, 2003, 2 powerful blasts rocked the Gateway of India and Zaveri
Bazaar killing 54 people and injuring 244. Pakistani terrorist outfit
Lashkar-e-Taiba had used a family for the 1st time to carry out the blasts.
On the day of the blasts, Hanif, Fehmida and their daughter had boarded a taxi
from Andheri to the Gateway and left their bag in the vehicle, telling the taxi
driver they would return after lunch. The bomb exploded in the taxi after the
driver, who identified the family in the court, left the taxi to have his own
lunch.
Ansari had boarded another taxi to Zaveri bazaar and he, too, left his bag in
the taxi, saying he would return, but the vehicle exploded shortly thereafter.
The couple’s 16-year-old daughter was arrested for the offence but was later
discharged as she was a minor. 2 other accused, Mohammed Ansari Ladoowala and
Mohammed Hasan Batterywala, were also discharged by the POTA court after the
Supreme Court upheld a POTA review report that said there was no case against
them.
The LeT's role in the twin blasts was, however, revealed by an
accused-turned-approver, whose testimony helped the prosecution prove the guilt
of the 3. The approver had provided details of the conspiracy meeting in Dubai
and attended by the outfit’s activists from Pakistan.
(source: Hindustan Times)
_______________________________________________
DeathPenalty mailing list
DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu
http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty
Search the Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/deathpenalty@lists.washlaw.edu/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A free service of WashLaw
http://washlaw.edu
(785)670.1088
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
