July 11
UNITED KINGDOM:
UK to ban export of drug approved for use in US executions----Government to
announce export control on overseas sales of propofol after Missouri said it
could be used in lethal injections
A bar on exports from the UK of a drug approved for use to execute prisoners in
America is to be announced on on Wednesday - a move which could put pressure on
the US's already strained death row prisons.
The business secretary, Vince Cable, will publish details of a export control
on overseas sales of the drug propofol, which is more usually used as an
anaesthetic in hospitals.
The move is being made after Missouri became the first US state to allow
propofol to be used in lethal injections, with other states expected to follow
suit as they struggle to make up for a shortfall in a key ingredient of the
traditional cocktail of chemicals.
"This country opposes the death penalty," said a statement from Cable. "We are
clear that the state should never be complicit in judiciary executions through
the use of British drugs in lethal injections."
The government's move follows a long campaign by the Lib Dem MP Alistair
Carmichael, now deputy chief whip, who led anger about the use of a
British-made drug called sodium thiopental in executions in the US, where it
has been one of the three key ingredients in lethal injections for 3 decades.
The coalition announced its first export control on sodium thiopental in
November 2010, followed by controls on three further drugs used in lethal
injections last year – decisions which prompted other European states to advise
their pharmaceutical companies to avoid exports for lethal injection, and later
an EU-wide ban.
Following those bans, and controls imposed by manufacturers in the US, some US
states have struggled to access supplies of the drugs and there have been
reports of delays to planned executions. The total number of executions – all
by lethal injection – has dropped slightly in the last few years.
UK anti-death penalty campaigners said they hoped the latest control order
would continue to cause difficulties for US states which still use capital
punishment, and for other countries that follow US protocols such as Vietnam,
and potentially lead to public pressure to abandon the death penalty in "swing"
US states such as California.
Another headache for prison and state authorities is a legal challenge by a
group of prisoners on death row in Missouri against the choice of propofol for
executions, claiming it has no pain-killing properties and so is likely to
cause suffering.
"Some states will now be looking to change protocol for a second time; the
different method [not lethal injection] is unlikely; swing states will surely
consider the viability of executing ... [it] doesn't make financial sense,"
said Maya Foa, a campaigner with London-based anti-death penalty lobby group
Reprieve.
UK manufacturers of propofol had said the control order would not affect supply
to the medical trade, according to the Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills.
(source: The Guardian)
PAKISTAN:
Growing trend of vigilante killings and mob justice in Pakistan
Mr. Nasir Saeed, director of CLAAS UK has expressed his concern about the most
recent incident of vigilante killing in Pakistan.
There is a growing trend of mob attacks on people who have been accused under
the blasphemy law, where people take the law into their own hands before the
accused is even given the chance to prove their innocence.
According to reports the victim, Ghulam Abbas, was mentally ill and allegations
of blasphemy against him were being investigated by police.
However, after an announcement from the mosque he was grabbed by the public
from the police, killed and his body set alight (according to some reports he
was burnt alive).
Mosques are considered the house of God the most merciful, they are meant to be
used for preaching religion, to preach love and peace, not for provoking
religious feelings and ordering the killing of someone even if he is a
blasphemer.
There are no such laws which allow the public to take the law into their own
hands and kill an alleged blasphemer.
Even the courts cannot hang anyone without them being given a chance to prove
him or herself innocent.
Perhaps what is most disturbing about this recent attack on Ghulam Abbas is
that even by law his alleged crime would not have been punishable by death. For
desecrating the Holy Quran, he could have been charged under 295-B which
carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Pakistan is becoming an aggressive and intolerant nation especially when it
comes to matters of Islam and it is worse still when it is a matter of
blasphemy laws.
“It is definitely a matter of concern and an alarming situation, but we need to
try and understand the growing culture of ‘mob justice’ in Pakistan, where many
extremists even common Muslim believe they are entitled to take the law into
their own hands without waiting for due process to be followed in the judicial
system,” said Nasir Saeed.
“What is also appalling is that, in many instances, the perpetrators of mob
justice are themselves not brought to justice, which has created the impression
that the state in Pakistan supports vigilante killings,” he added.
Citizens of Pakistan are increasingly accepting mob attacks as a legitimate
form of justice, which may explain why many do not intervene when they witness
such incidents.
The prime minister and President have taken notice of this incident but that is
not enough. It is their duty to get justice done and amend the laws which are
being misused for the last many years.
The government has made and continues to make changes to the constitution then
why not the blasphemy laws? If it is assuming that there will be opposition
from political and religious groups then they should constitute a committee
comprising of religious political leadership of different faiths who could
prepare recommendations which can be acted upon accordingly.
There is an urgent need for Pakistan to revisit themselves as a nation and for
the government too to introduce such legislation to stop the growing trend of
vigilante killings in the country. Killing someone and burning them in the name
of religion is an inhuman act and a crime unacceptable by all religions and
anywhere in the world and it should be stopped.
(source: Pakistan Christian Post)
IRAN----executions
2 prisoners were hanged in southeastern Iran today
2 prisoners were hanged in the central prison of Zahedan, the capital of the
Sistan-Baluchestan province (southeastern Iran) today.
According to the state run Iranian news agency Fars, the prisoners were
identified as "Mohammad Askani" and "Abdollatif Askani" (not brothers) and were
convicted of kidnapping, murder and sexual abuse of a woman last year.
The execution took place inside the prison of Zahedan, however, besides the
families of the offended and representatives of the judiciary, some teachers
were also present under the execution.
****************
Death Sentences Issued to 5 More Ahwazi Arabs
Only 2 week after the execution of 4 Ahwazi Arab activists, news of new death
sentences against Ahwazi Arab political prisoners has created concern among the
human rights community. This time, the possible victims of the Iranian regime’s
execution machine are 5 political and civil activists from the city of
Khalafabad (a.k.a. Ramshir) in the province of Khuzestan (southwestern Iran).
According to the latest reports, Judge Seyed Mohammad Bagher Mousavi from
branch 2 of the Ahwaz Revolutionary Court has notified the lawyers and family
members of five Ahwazi Arab activists about their death sentences. These
activists are: Mohammad Ali Amouri, Hadi Rashedi, Hashem Sha’bani, and two
brothers by the names of Seyed Mokhtar Albooshooke and Seyed Jaber Albooshooke.
Mohammad Ali Amouri is a cultural activist and the editor in chief of Altaras,
a student publication at the Isfahan University of Technology. Hashem Sha’bani
is a teacher at numerous high schools in the city of Khalfieh. Hadi Rashedi and
the 2 brothers (Mokhtar and Jaber) were condemned to death based on the charges
of "Acting against national security" and "Moharebeh" (enmity against God).
According to reports, there are more civil activists held in Iranian detention
centers who are serving long prison sentences. For example, Abdolrahman Asakare
is a chemistry teacher and a high school principal sentenced to 20 years in
prison.
Earlier this week Iran Human Rights (IHR) together with 14 other human rights
NGOs published a statement condemning execution of the Ahwazi Arabs and urging
the United Nations to act in order to stop the Iranian authority’s execution
machine.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR, said recently about the new
execution sentences: "The Iranian authorities are trying to crack down on
dissent among Ahwazi Arabs by physically eliminating the activists. The world
must not let that happen.
(source for both: Iran Human Rights)
AFGHANISTAN:
Afghans rally in protest of recent public slaying of woman, call for more
rights for women
Dozens of men and women took to the streets of Kabul on Wednesday to protest
the recent public slaying of an Afghan woman accused of adultery whose
gruesome, execution-style killing was captured on video.
The footage, which surfaced recently, shows the woman being shot multiple times
about 10 days ago in Parwan province, north of the Afghan capital. The gunman
was encouraged by people who stood nearby, smiling and cheering.
Police in Parwan said the Taliban were behind the killing, but the insurgents
have denied they ordered or carried out the slaying.
The death of the unidentified woman, who was said to be in her 20s, set off a
storm of condemnation. President Hamid Karzai, the U.S. Embassy, the top NATO
military commander in Afghanistan and activist groups all denounced the
killing.
It was a reminder that girls and women still suffer shocking abuse in
Afghanistan, but the protest also indicated that people’s views on women’s
rights here could be slowly changing.
“We want the government to take action on behalf of these women ... who are
victims of violence and who are being killed,” said Zuhra Alamyar, a woman
activist who was at the Kabul rally. “We want the government to take serious
action and stop them.”
The crowd of about 50 demonstrators carried large white sheets that said
“International community: Where is the protection and justice for Afghan
women?” They marched from the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs to a traffic
circle near a U.N. compound, and some shouted: “Death to those who did this
act!”
Despite guaranteed rights and progressive new laws, the U.N. Development
Program still ranks Afghanistan as one of the world’s worst countries when it
comes to equal rights for women. Afghan advocates say attitudes have subtly
shifted over the years, in part thanks to the dozens of women’s groups that
have sprung up.
Still, ending abuse of women is a huge challenge in a patriarchal society where
traditional practices include child marriage, giving girls away to settle debts
or pay for their relatives’ crimes and so-called honor killings in which girls
seen as disgracing their families are murdered by relatives.
Women activists worry that gains made in recent years could erode as the
international presence in Afghanistan wanes and the government seeks to
negotiate a settlement with the hardline Islamic Taliban insurgents.
During the Taliban regime, women were banned from working and going to school,
or even leaving home without a male relative. In public, all women were forced
wear a head-to-toe burqa veil, which covers even the face with a mesh panel.
The video surfaced just before donor nations met this weekend in Tokyo and
pledged $16 billion in aid for Afghanistan. The donors expressed strong
concerns over how the money will be handled and also called on Kabul to improve
human rights, especially women’s rights.
“We want from the government to follow the killing of the women in Afghanistan
and hand over those responsible to face justice,” said Afghan woman’s rights
activist Simi Samar.
Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a NATO service member died Wednesday in a roadside
bombing in the south. NATO did not disclose any other information about the
death.
So far this year, 232 NATO service members have been killed in Afghanistan.
Separately, an Afghan policeman has been arrested in connection with the
alleged rape of a 16-year-old boy in Zabul province in southern Afghanistan,
the interior ministry said Wednesday.
A video, which was taken with a mobile phone and widely shared throughout the
province, shows the policeman sexually assaulting a boy inside a room earlier
this year. The commander of the accused policeman’s unit also has been
detained, along with 2 other people suspected of being involved in the alleged
assault.
(source: Associated Press)
SAUDI ARABIA/SRI LANKA:
Rizana Nafeek awaiting beheading is forgotten by the government
The AHRC releases a dossier on all relevant documents relating to the campaign
to obtain release for Rizana Nafeek.
Rizana Nafeek, arrested in 2005 and sentenced to death by beheading in 2007 is
still languishing in the Dawadami Prison in Saudi Arabia as the government of
Sri Lanka has failed to take the necessary diplomatic steps to obtain her
release despite of their promises to do so.
As pointed out by the Asian Human Rights Commission the allegations against
Rizana, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident was baseless. She was
charged with the murder of an infant under her care while by all circumstances
it is clear that she had no involvement of any sort regarding this death and
that in all probability the child died of natural causes. No foul play of any
sort by her was alleged, even at the courts and there was no post mortem report
giving the cause of death. Purely on the basis of a confession obtained under
severe duress by police officers who spoke only in Arabic, a language she had
no understanding of and without the benefit of a translator.
The sole basis for her conviction and the later affirmation of the conviction
during appeal was that under Saudi Arabian laws a confession has finality and
there is no room to challenge such confession during the trial.
There was an international outcry against the sentence and concern for her has
been expressed by way of massive interventions on her behalf requesting her
pardon from His Royal Highness, the King of Saudi Arabia.
His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa also wrote a
letter to His Royal Highness requesting a pardon. In Sri Lanka the government
spokesmen have repeatedly claimed that missions have been sent and negotiations
conducted with the family of the deceased child to obtain a pardon. However, in
close examination of reports available in the media it becomes clear that the
Sri Lankan government has failed to established contact with the family and
therefore there are no effective negotiations going on at all.
This means that the order for her execution could be carried out at any time.
Among those who have expressed concern for this case is the European Parliament
where the EU High Representative and Vice President, Catherine Ashton has said
that, "The EU will continue to follow it (Rizana's case) very attentively in
close coordination with the authorities in her home country, Sri Lanka (May 10,
2012)."
The Asian Human Rights Commission is today issuing a dossier on all documents
relating to the case of Rizana Nafeek and call upon everyone to make a renewed
attempt to get her release by intervening with His Royal Highness the King of
Saudi Arabia and also pressuring the Sri Lankan government to undertake
effective diplomatic efforts to obtain her release.
(source: Asian Human Rights Commission)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:
Man gets death for ‘Ninja killing’
An Emirati was awarded death penalty by the Fujairah Criminal Court of First
Instance on Tuesday for stabbing a compatriot to death with a ‘Ninja’ sword for
the latter’s alleged affair with his sister.
According to the court records, the crime took place behind the Trade Centre in
Fujairah city in November last year.
The 35-year-old defendant, A.M.A., stabbed the 36-year-old victim, M.A.A., who
hailed from Dibba Al Hisn, many times in the chest, killing him on the spot.
The woman was in the victim’s car at the time. Another brother of the woman
intercepted them behind the Trade Centre and quizzed M.A.A. about his
relationship with his sister. He remained tight-lipped and the woman’s brother
called A.M.A. who arrived on the scene. A brawl ensued and A.M.A stabbed M.A.A.
with the sword repeatedly even as the woman was sitting in the car.
Immediately after that, the defendant turned himself in to the police. The
police rushed to the scene and took the victim to a hospital but he had died
already.
The defendant was arrested and referred to the Public Prosecution. The court
heard the testimonies of the police officer who investigated the incident and
the woman’s other brother who was seated next to the victim in the latter’s car
behind Trade Centre when the crime took place.
The 3-member bench presided by Judge Saeed Abdullah Masoud found A.M.A. guilty
and handed him capital punishment.
The verdict is subject to appeal within 15 days. At the same time, the verdict
is automatically referred by the court to the Court of Appeal, said Emmad
Ibrahim, a lawyer. It will be confirmed by the appellate court within a month
if the convict does not file an appeal in the stipulated time.
(source: Khaleej Times)
MALAYSIA:
M'sia mulls scrapping death penalty for drug couriers
Malaysia may follow Singapore's move to abolish the mandatory death penalty for
drug couriers. Attorney--General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said his Chambers
was working towards proposing an amendment to the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 to
give judges the discretion of not imposing death sentences on couriers.
"We are getting advice from law experts throughout the world regarding drug
laws and how are they applied in their country," Abdul Gani told The Malay
Mail, yesterday.
"Since late last year, we have been doing research and studies, and one of the
suggestions is that we want to allow those on death sentence to be resentenced.
"This means those on death row would be referred back to the courts, with legal
representation, to be re--sentenced," he said, in response to a query following
Singapore's decision to scrap the mandatory death penalty for drug couriers.
On Monday, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the proposal
would give judges the discretion to sentence drug couriers to life imprisonment
and caning.
Teo, who is also Minister for Home Aff airs, had said in parliament that the
changes would apply to drug couriers and those convicted of homicide where
intention to kill could not be established.
However, the mandatory death penalty for drug kingpins and traffi ckers
remains.
Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said Malaysia should abolish the mandatory
death penalty or at least begin with a moratorium on execution.
He said leaders and lawmakers should stop thinking of politics namely the
impact of such abolition would have on votes adding that the statistics show
that mandatory death penalty has not reduced the number of drug trafficking
cases.
"The Bar has consistently taken the position that the government must abolish
the death penalty if we are to be called a just, democratic and progressive
society in the eyes of the world.
"We urge the government to demonstrate leadership by immediately declaring a
moratorium on any imposition for the death penalty," Lim said.
He said the majority of arrests for drug trafficking is usually of low--ranking
"drug mules" who are the most visible and easy to apprehend.
"In other words, while policymakers hope that the death penalty serves as a
deterrent, the reality is that the majority of these arrests of "minor
offenders" would not impact the scale or profitability of the drug market," he
said.
Lim said as it is well--acknowledged that no legal system in the world is
foolproof or error--free the opportunity to right a wrong is, however, not
available if the death sentence on a person has been carried out.
"In such event everyone will be collectively responsible for having sent an
innocent man or woman to the gallows. We should take no risks to subject a
person to death, as the execution of the death sentence is irreversible," he
said.
(source: Yahoo News)
INDONESIA:
Prosecutors step back from death penalty threat
Correspondent prosecutors in Bali have stepped back from their threat to call
for the death penalty for Australian drug smuggler Edward Norman Myatt.
They have asked the judge for 15 years imprisonment instead.
Myatt, 54, an Australian citizen who had been living in London before his
arrest, has admitted to smuggling just over a kilogram of hashish and five
grams of crystal methamphetamine into Bali.
The drugs were found in 72 capsules which Myatt had swallowed. Judges in
Denpasar court were told authorities became suspicious at Myatt's "abnormally
large belly" and took him to a hospital for scans.
However, on the way to the hospital he had jumped out of the car and tried to
run away.
Calling for the 15-year sentence and Rp.2 billion (NZ$276,000) fine, prosecutor
Putu Atmaja said Myatt had escaped the death penalty because had been polite
during the trial, admitted his guilt and apologised to the Indonesian public.
Myatt had told the court he obtained the drugs in New Delhi. He has variously
argued that the drugs were for personal use, and that he had brought them in
under pressure from an unidentified man.
His lawyer, Nyoman Sudiantara, said Myatt had been addicted to cannabis since
he was 16 and, because of his advanced age he need to be able to start
rehabilitation as soon as possible.
"We plead for a lighter sentence, if possible, lighter than what the prosecutor
is asking," Mr Nyoman said.
Last year another Australian, Michael Sacatides, was sentenced to 18 years for
importing 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine to Bali.
(source: Stuff.co.nz)
SINGAPORE:
Singapore to ease application of death penalty
Singapore announced plans to ease the application of the death penalty in some
murder and drugs cases but maintained that capital punishment, carried out by
hanging, will remain.
The proposed changes, unveiled in parliament by senior cabinet ministers,
follow a year-long review of the mandatory death penalties for murder and drug
trafficking, which critics say are too harsh and sweeping.
Executions have been suspended since July 2011 as part of the review and
convicts on death row would be allowed to seek resentencing under draft
legislation expected to be ready later this year.
Officials say there are currently 35 inmates awaiting execution in Singapore,
which prides itself on its low crime rate despite condemnation of its capital
punishment system by local and international rights groups.
Among the inmates is Yong Vui Kong, a Malaysian drug courier convicted of
trafficking 47 grams (1.65 ounces) of heroin in 2007.
From 2004 to 2010 there were a total of 26 Singaporeans and 12 foreigners
executed in Singapore, according to official figures.
Hanging, which dates back to British colonial rule, is the only method of
execution used in the nation.
"Singaporeans understand that the death penalty has been an effective deterrent
and an appropriate punishment for very serious offences, and largely support
it," said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also home affairs
minister.
He said the review was carried out "to ensure that our laws keep pace with the
evolving operational landscape and societal changes".
Under the planned legislation, low-level drug couriers who provide
"substantive" cooperation to police can be sentenced to life imprisonment at
the discretion of trial courts, Teo said.
People who commit murder with "no outright intention to kill" will also qualify
for the lesser punishment, Law Minister K. Shanmugam added.
Judges currently have no choice but to impose the death penalty on anyone
convicted of murder and trafficking in drugs above specific amounts.
Under current laws, anyone found to be trafficking more than 15 grams of
heroin, 30 grams of cocaine, 250 grams of methamphetamine or 500 grams of
cannabis will be sentenced to death upon conviction.
The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) holds 81 of the 87 seats in parliament,
enabling it to pass legislation without any obstruction.
"Capital punishment will continue to remain an integral part of our criminal
justice system," Shanmugam said.
"But justice can be tempered with mercy and where appropriate offenders should
be given a second chance," the law minister added.
Human rights campaigners welcomed the government's move but said it did not go
far enough.
"We applaud the Singapore Government for taking this important 1st step," said
Braema Mathi, president of local human rights group MARUAH.
"But this is only a small step in the right direction, as the mandatory death
penalty is fundamentally troubling, and it continues to be applied to a
substantial number of criminal offences," she said in a statement.
The death penalty is still compulsory for offences such as the illegal use of
firearms as well as kidnapping with intent to murder.
(source: Agence France-Presse)
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