March 26
EGYPT:
Egyptian Gets Death Penalty for Killings in Raid on Christians
A Muslim man was sentenced to death in Egypt for killing 2 people during a
dispute with Christians in the southern Sohag province.
A court in Upper Egypt yesterday found Mahmoud Abdel Nazir guilty also of
raiding Christian houses in the November 2011 incident, state-run Middle East
News Agency reported today.
In a separate incident yesterday, a group of Muslims surrounded a church in
Beni Suef governorate claiming local Christians had kidnapped a young Muslim
woman, and forced her to marry a Coptic Christian before sending her to live
abroad, state-run Ahram gate said today. Security forces were deployed to
protect the church and a police station, Ahram said.
At least 12 people died and more than 50 injured when 2 churches were burnt
down in May 2011 in clashes that erupted because of a rumor that a Christian
woman, who had allegedly converted to Islam, was being held hostage at a church
in Imbaba in Cairo.
(source: Bloomberg News)
INDONESIA:
3 Filipinos' appeals against death sentences dismissed
The Federal Court here yesterday dismissed 2 appeals by 3 Filipinos against
separate murder and drug trafficking convictions.
The 5-member panel chaired by Chief Justice for Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri
Richard Malanjum, who sat together with justices Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar,
Dato??? Ahmad Hj Maarop, Dato??? Hassan Lah and Datin Paduka Zaleha Zahari,
unanimously upheld the convictions of Ronny Abdullah, 37, Paul Tahir, 36, and
Quijano Gerry Saavedra, 44, who appealed against their death sentences.
In the first case, Ronny and Paul, who were jointly charged with killing an
18-year-old girl by slashing her neck with a machete at Sandakan Park, Mile 7,
Labuk Road in Sandakan on March 26, 2001, were sentenced to death by the
Sandakan High Court on Feb 17, 2006.
The duo, represented by counsel Ram Singh, were found guilty under Section 302
of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Code, which
carries the death penalty, upon conviction.
The 2 appellants then appealed to the Court of Appeal on Jan 18, 2011 which was
dismissed.
In the 2nd case, Saavera was sentenced by hanging on Sept 3, 2010 by the High
Court here after he was found guilty of trafficking in 759.52 grams of syabu.
He was convicted under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952
which is punishable by the death sentence, upon conviction.
The appellant who was defended by counsel Hamid Ismail was caught committing
the offence at Gate A, Arrival Hall at Terminal 1 of the Kota Kinabalu
International Airport here.
On March 30, 2012, the Court of Appeal dismissed Quijano's appeal.
In affirming the convictions, the court held that there were no reasons to
disturb with the lower courts' decision and the conviction on those appellants
was safe.
Deputy public prosecutor Tengku Amir Zaki Tengku Abdul Rahman appeared for the
respondent.
(source: The Borneo Post)
******************
Yudhoyono's hypocrisy in U-turn on death penalty; Dave McRae says Yudhoyono's
record does not support a reputation for being progressive
Indonesia's execution this month of narcotics convict Adami Wilson further
tarnishes President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's human rights record. It reflects
hypocrisy on the part of Yudhoyono, whose government continues to advocate for
all Indonesians facing possible execution abroad.
Wilson, a Malawi national, was the first prisoner to be executed in Indonesia
since 2008. His death should spur a more measured international appraisal of
Yudhoyono, as a leader who has repeatedly shrunk from progressive reform during
his second term.
On a series of human rights issues, Yudhoyono has flirted with a progressive
stance, before failing to deliver. He has not apologised to victims of past
human rights abuses, a plan publicised by an adviser last year. Nor has
Yudhoyono invested the same political capital into efforts to resolve conflict
in Papua as he did for Aceh in 2005. Yudhoyono has also allowed attacks on
minority groups to proceed essentially unchecked, despite assurances that his
government is serious about preventing violent religious intolerance.
On capital punishment too, rather than guide Indonesia to abolition despite
public support for the death penalty, Yudhoyono has now reverted to the pattern
of his 1st term. Then, he presided over 16 executions, more than double all of
Indonesia's other democratic-era presidents combined.
Shortly before this reversion, Indonesia had significantly shifted its stance
on capital punishment. In November, it abstained in the UN General Assembly
vote to call for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty, after opposing
previous resolutions.
Yudhoyono also reversed previous rhetoric and practice to grant clemency. He
had granted clemency to four narcotics death row inmates, in decisions that
became public late last year.
Admittedly, Yudhoyono's clemency decisions triggered a backlash. Wilson's
execution, and at least nine others slated for this year, are the culmination
of that backlash.
Ironically, the main factor that appeared to shift Indonesia's position has not
gone away. Despite resuming executions, Indonesia continues to advocate for
around 200 Indonesians facing the death penalty abroad. Indonesia thus opposes
the death penalty for all its citizens abroad, regardless of their crime, but
continues to apply capital punishment domestically.
Despite these irreconcilable positions and his other human rights failures,
Yudhoyono continues to enjoy a stellar reputation outside Indonesia, along with
generous international praise.
It is time to bring Yudhoyono's reputation into line with the reality of his
record.
(Dr Dave McRae is a research fellow in the East Asia Programme at the Lowy
Institute for International Policy.)
(source: South China Morning Post)
INDIA:
Youth gets death for rape, murder of 60-yr-old
A local court in Odisha's tribal-dominated Nowrangpur district has awarded
death penalty to a youth for the rape and murder of a 60-year-old woman.
The incident happened on February 27, 2011, when Lachan Dei, a widow and a
resident of Kesarabeda village, had gone to the nearby forest to collect
fodder. Misra Paraja, a tribal in his early 30s of the same village, raped her
taking advantage of the isolated area.
However, a couple who were passing by and had reached the spot after hearing
the old lady's screams had tried to rescue her but in vain as Paraja threatened
to kill them if they did not leave immediately.
The couple then rushed to the village and informed others. When the villagers
reached the spot, the accused was trying to take the victim's body to the
village burial ground in a bicycle. He was caught and then handed over to the
police.
The judgment was delivered on the basis of statements made by 18 witnesses,
including the 2-eyewitnesses.
This is the 3rd death sentence in the state in a rape and murder case in 2013.
Last week, a local court in Jharsuguda district awarded capital punishment to a
youth for killing a minor girl and subsequently raping her body.
Similarly, in January, a local court in Sambalpur district had awarded death
penalty to a man in a rape and murder case involving a minor girl.
(source: Deccan Herald)
SAUDI ARABIA:
PH gov't submits P7.6M to Saudi court to save OFW from death row
Jailed Filipino migrant worker Rodelio Lanuza is a step closer to freedom as
the Philippine government has deposited to the Saudi court its 700,000 Saudi
Riyals or P7.6 million contribution to the blood money for his release, Vice
President Jejomar Binay said.
Binay, the Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), said the
amount completed funds for the blood payment as the Saudi government earlier
vowed to shoulder 2.3 million Saudi Riyals (P25 million) of the total 3 million
Saudi Riyals (P33 million) to spare Lanuza's life.
"We have already deposited the amount through a tender to the Saudi
government...That combines the amount from the government and contributions
from the family and others...We are awaiting a hearing date where the court
will issue an affidavit of release," Binay said late Monday afternoon.
The Philippine government informed Lanuza of the development on Monday. He has
been jailed in Saudi Arabia for more than a decade.
The Saudi government in January issued a royal directive for the payment of
more than 2/3 of blood money that Lanuza has been ordered to pay the heirs of
Mohammad bin Said Al-Qathani, the Saudi national he killed in self-defense in
2000.
According to Binay's office, the Saudi side is expected to facilitate the
deposit of the P25 million to a bank account opened for blood money donations.
Per procedure, a check will then be handed over to Al-Qathani's heirs.
They are then expected to issue a tanazul or affidavit of forgiveness in
exchange for the payment. Proceedings for his release will then begin.
The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in the Philippines earlier said the Saudi
government made the "royal goodwill gesture" of covering bulk of Lanuza's blood
money following coordination with Binay.
Earlier this month, the Saudi government also granted a reprieve to Filipino
death row convict Joselito Zapanta just as the deadline for his blood money
payment lapsed.
On March 12, Saudi King Abdullah issued an order to "defer the execution of all
qizas or death penalty cases" in his country for 3 months.
As Zapanta is covered by the reprieve, his execution is deferred until June 8,
giving government and his family more time to raise in full the P44 million in
blood money he must pay to the heirs of his Sudanese victim.
Zapanta was meted capital punishment for the 2009 slay of his Sudanese landlord
due to an argument over rental payments.
(source: Philipine Inquirer)
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