June 1
SOMALIA:
Military court sentences death to 2 men for murdering a teenage girl
Both men admitted the murdering of a teenage girl in Mogadishu in April 6th.
Mogadishu (RBC) The military court of Somalia National Army has on Saturday
sentenced death penalty to 2 young men for the murdering a teenage girl in
Mogadishu in April, RBC Radio reports.
The court also sentenced a woman to 10 years in a military prison for assisting
and giving shelter to the 2 murderers who were members of Al Shabab, according
to the court.
Military court judge General Liban Ali Yarow has announced the court's verdict
with the presence of the 3 defendants and 1 lawyer in an open court.
Shafi'i Abdiasis, 29 and Hassan Salman 39, were both sentenced to death. The 2
men were members of a group of 4 who killed Nafisa Osman Salad, who was a
teenage university student.
According to the court both men raped the teenage girl and then shot her to
death in front of her home in Yaqshid district in Mogadishu on April 6th. The
motive of the killing was that because of the girl was working with Turkish Aid
Agency.
The militant group of Al Shabab has vowed to behead those working with aid
agencies in the country.
(source: raxanreeb.com)
IRAN:
Iranian Political Prisoner, Gholamreza Khosravi, Was Executed This Morning
Iran Human Rights (IHR) strongly condemns Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani's
unlawful execution and holds the Iranian authorities' leader Ali Khamenei
responsible for his death. "The judicial process leading to Mr. Khosravi's
death sentence and his execution shows that the Iranian authorities not only
violate the international norms and obligations, they are not even capable of
following their own laws" said IHR's spokesperson.
The political prisoner Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani who was transferred to
solitary confinement yesterday, was executed in the Rajaishahr prison of Karaj
(west of Tehran) early this morning. The office of Tehran's Prosecutor
confirmed the execution and wrote that Mr. Khosravi "was convicted of moharebeh
(waging war against the God) through cooperation with Mujahedin-e-Khalgh
(PMOI/MEK) organization.
Iran Human Rights (IHR) and several Iranian and international human rights
organizations had reported about Mr. Khosravi's scheduled execution and asked
for international reactions.
Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani was arrested in 2007 and sentenced to 6 years in
prison for having given information and economic support to the Iranian
opposition group PMOI. However, while he was in prison in 2010, he was tried
again for the same charges and sentenced to death convicted of moharebeh. This
is a clear violation of the international and Iranian laws. Reports indicate
that he was subjected to physical and psychological torture after his arrest.
Mr. Khosravi was among the prisoners who was beaten and transferred to solitary
confinement under the brutal raid of the security forces in the ward 350 of the
Evin prison on April 17.
IHR strongly condemns the execution of Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani and asks
for a broad international condemnation of the execution. Mahmood
Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR said: "Mr. Khosravi had been subjected
to torture, unfair trial and a death sentence which is in violation of the
Iranian and international laws. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme leader of the Iranian
authorities, is responsible for Mr. Khosravi's unlawful execution and must be
hold accountable for this crime". Amiry-Moghaddam added: "The judicial process
leading to Mr. Khosravi's death sentence and his execution shows that the
Iranian authorities not only violate the international norms and obligations,
they are not even capable of following their own laws."
Background:
Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani was arrested in 2008 in Rafsanjan, Kerman for his
alleged cooperation with the exile TV station Simay-e Azadi (Voice of Freedom),
which is in connection with The Mujahedin-e-Khalgh organization (PMOI or MEK).
In 2008, Mr. Khosravi was sentenced to a total of 6 years in prison. He was
charged with espionage for cooperation with the pro-MEK TV channel. Despite the
fact that he already had been sentenced, he was re-tried for the same
accusations, this time charged with "Moharebeh" (enmity against God), and
sentenced to death. The death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court on
April 21. 2012 and eventually sent to the implementations of sentences office
in Evin Prison.
Mr. Khosravi was scheduled to be executed in September 2012, but his execution
was later postponed.
At that time, Mr. Khosravi had reportedly spent more than 40 months in solitary
confinement in different locations in the prisons, including ward 240 of Evin
Prison. Close sources state that Mr. Khosravi has been under torture and
pressure to make televised confessions. It is believed that Mr. Khosravi's
refusal to make confessions is the reason why he is sentenced to death.
Gholamreza Khosravi Savadjani was transferred from the ward 350 of Evin Prison
to the Rajaishahr Prison some days ago. He was then transferred to solitary
confinement at Rajaishahr Prison and his family were informed that they could
visit him for the last time. Abdolfattah Soltani, one of Mr. Khosravi's
lawyers, is currently held the Evin Prison.
Sources within the prison say that Mr. Khosravi's scheduled execution could be
the authorities' reaction to the prisoners' resistance towards the brutal raid
by the Iranian security on April 17, where many prisoners were brutally beaten.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
************************
Execution of PMOI/MEK Activist Gholamreza Khosravi
The clerical regime hanged Gholamreza Khosravi of the People's Mojahedin
Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), 49 years-old, in Gohardasht Priosn in the
early hours of Sunday, June 1, for supporting the PMOI and standing up to the
despicable Velayat-e-faqih rule (the absolute rule of clergy).
The so-called Prosecutor's Office of the clerical regime this morning declared
the slain PMOI activist Gholamreza Khosravi was charged with "Moharebeh (enmity
against God), through active effort to pursue the goals of the PMOI",
disseminating information "through medias affiliated to the PMOI", "providing
financial contribution", and connecting "a number of people to PMOI
organization".
The clerical regime Executed Gholamreza to avenge the prisoners of ward 350 of
Evin Prison and other prisoners who are resisting in the prisons of the
religious fascism ruling Iran and on the verge of June 20 (the beginning of the
resistance against the regime in 1981). The mullahs henchmen and torturers
considered Gholamreza as the key person in the protest and resistance of
political prisoners in the Ward 350 of Evin Prison.
Gholamreza Khosravi was placed on the verge of execution on several occasions
in the past but his execution was halted due to international protests and
warnings and the regime's concerns regarding the reaction and the public
opinion.
The mullahs' henchmen put him under sever duress until the last days but
despite intolerable prison conditions and serious ailment due to years of
imprisonment, he remained steadfast in his commitment and aspiration for
freedom of Iranian people and while even in solitary confinement his hands and
feet were chained, he remained firm.
Gholamreza Khosravi was born in Abadan (southern Iran). He has a 17 years-old
son and was an expert in welding and installation of industrial facilities. He
was arrested in 2 occasions and spent 12 years in total in the clerical
regime's dungeons.
**********************
Executions in Iran and Ashraf, futile attempts to save a crumbling regime
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, offered her
condolences to the bereaved family and relatives of PMOI activist Gholamreza
Khossravi Savadjani, all PMOI (MEK) members and the great family of the Iranian
Resistance, the political prisoners, and the Iranian people in general for his
execution after suffering 12 years of imprisonment and torture. She described
the resolve of this steadfast and unwavering PMOI activist as a sign of the
resolve of the people to bring down the ruling religious fascism and to bring
democracy and rule of the people to Iran.
Mrs. Rajavi added: "It was after the savage raid on the political prisoners in
Ward 350 of Evin Prison that Ali Khamenei's henchmen decided to carry out this
criminal sentence. They considered Gholamreza as the main leader of protest and
revolt by prisoners in Ward 350 last April."
She emphasized: "The execution of Gholamreza is a marker of ???moderation??? in
the regime of the mullahs that through executing and slaughtering of PMOI (MEK)
members in Ashraf, Camp Liberty, Evin, Gohardasht and other prisons is futilely
attempting to keep its devastated and crumbling regime standing. However, these
anti-human atrocities only bring closer its demise and further ablaze the
flames of the resistance of the Iranian people.
Amnesty International in a statement on May 31, described the execution
sentence of Gholamreza Khosravi as a violation of "international law" and even
the violation of the regime's own laws. The mullahs' judiciary in its statement
this morning charged him with "Moharebeh (enmity against God), through
effective effort to pursue the goals of the PMOI", providing information "to
the medias affiliated to the PMOI", "providing financial contribution", and
connecting "a number of people to the PMOI organization".
The growing executions in Iran proves that human rights should not be
overlooked in any negotiations and deals with this regime. Taking effective
international measures to prevent executions in Iran and a comprehensive
Sanction of this illegitimate regime, which has no respect for human dignity
and international laws is needed more than ever.
Mrs Maryam Rajavi, emphasized that the leaders of the mullah's regime that rely
on torture, execution and repression for the continuation of their illegitimate
rule must be held accountable before an international tribunal. She reiterated
that turning a blind eye on the growing trend of executions that has increased
unprecedentedly during Rouhani's tenure under any pretexts is a breach of the
International values that all members of the United Nations are committed to
and the Security Council must up hold.
(source for both: The Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of
Iran)
SIERRA LEONE:
Walking the talk this time: abolishing the death penalty in Sierra Leone
As the botched execution of United States citizen, Clayton Lockett reignites
the global debate on the application of the death penalty, Sierra Leone's
Attorney General and Minster of Justice has made a public commitment to the
Committee overseeing the Convention against Torture on behalf of the
government. The country will abolish the death penalty as a form of punishment
"in the space of a few weeks".
In his statement of 2 May 2014 to the Committee, during a public hearing on the
country's initial report which was due in 2002, the Minister stated that Sierra
Leone was already a defacto abolitionist state. Giving an overview of progress
made in implementing the convention, he reported that the President had during
a national event commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment. His office,
according to him had received direction from the Presidency to develop
legislation "as a matter of urgency" to remove the death penalty from the
country's laws. As part of his progress report, the Attorney General informed
the torture watchdog that the government has presented a new Criminal Procedure
bill to parliament for enactment. When passed, the law would simplify and speed
up criminal trials and provide for alternative sentencing.
This commitment to abolish the death penalty would seem to validate years of
advocacy by civil society organisations both within and outside the country.
Sierra Leone is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and its first optional protocol, but the country has not signed up to
the second optional protocol which aims at the abolition of the death penalty
by member states.
As important as this public expression of commitment is, many jaded campaigners
may not be impressed. This is not the first time that the government has made
such a public commitment to abolish the death penalty. It made a similar one in
2011 during Sierra Leone's Universal Periodic Review by the Human Rights
Council. What might be different this time perhaps is the allusion to a short
albeit uncertain time span within which the action would be done rather than an
open-ended promise. Even with this hopeful view, we might still have to wait
many months yet for a final de jure removal of the death penalty from our laws.
Sierra Leone is currently reviewing its 1991 constitution, a process likely to
last for about 2 years. Section 16 (contained in chapter 3 of the constitution)
provides for the application of the death penalty as a form of punishment and
an exception to the right to life. The entire chapter three of the constitution
also known as the bill of rights is an entrenched clause. This means that none
of its provisions could be ordinarily amended by a vote in parliament. It would
require a referendum to be conducted in addition to a vote in parliament.
Removal of the death penalty provision from the constitution would therefore
have to be done within the framework of the general constitutional review which
is now ongoing.
As this process tackles a wide range of issues, it is important that both
government and abolitionist civil society organisations continue to keep the
death penalty sharply in focus as many issues compete for the attention of the
review committee.
Nevertheless, there is something the government could do now to 'action' this
public pronouncement on the death penalty and lay the ghost of an unfulfilled
promise to rest. It could remove all references to the death penalty as a form
of punishment in existing statutes 'within the space of a few weeks'. The
government could start with the draft criminal procedure bill which is to be
laid before parliament. This draft bill currently contains 19 provisions
(section 221-239) on the application of the death penalty, covering matters
such as the method of execution and the form and substance of the 'death
warrant' which is issued by the president. All of these sections should be
expunged from the bill.
The government could then proceed to review the Treason and State Offences Act
1963 as amended, the Offences against the Person Act 1861, the Larceny Act 1916
as amended and the Sierra Leone Military Forces Act 1961 which make the four
capital offences namely, treason, murder robbery with aggravation and mutiny
punishable by death. Given the earlier action of the President, the death
penalty may well be substituted with a life imprisonment sentence.
In a country with enormous challenges to criminal justice delivery, abolishing
the death penalty is a real safeguard. Miscarriages of justice leading to its
imposition are irreversible. With its elimination, that would no longer be the
case. Action must now follow words.
(source: Sonkita Conteh, Director, Namati Sierra Leone; SierraExpressMedia.com)
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