July 22
IRAN----executions
50 prisoners have been hanged in Kerman during last 6 months
The judicial system has executed 50 people in Kerman from December last year
till now.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), since
the new government came to power in Iran the judicial system of the country has
increased the secret executions in prisons and refuses Public announcement of
the execution in the state run media.
Human Rights Activists in Iran has collected the names of those had been
executed in the central prison of Kerman, since the beginning of this year and
based on that date, 50 people were executed on charges of drugs transport and
storage.
However, in that period of time government agencies published execution of just
4 people without giving their name but they did not release any details of
other 46 people executions.
All the verdicts of the Revolutionary Court have been issued by judge Ahmad
Ghorbani and persecutor, Farajollah Kargar.
According to the Annual Report on Human Rights Activists in Iran, half of all
executions in Iran are running secretly and comparing to last year it has been
doubled.
(source: Human Rights Activists News Agency)
************************
Call on international community to work to revoke the death sentence of
political prisoner Arzhang Davoodi
In a sham trial, the anti-human clerical regime has condemned to death
political prisoner Mr. Arzhang Davoodi who has been in prison for past 11
years.
Mr. Davoodi, 61, from the city of Abadan and an engineer from University of
Texas, was arrested in November 2003.
The judiciary of the mullahs condemned him to 11 years in prison, 74 lashes,
and 5 years deprivation of social rights for founding the "Movement for Freedom
of Iranians" and "Confederation of Iranian Students", writing a "manifest
against the Islamic Republic system", and for insulting the clerical regime's
leaders.
The henchmen of the clerical regime who are infuriated about the firm stances
of this political prisoner against the mullahs' regime, tried him for a 3rd
time in absentia in the Revolutionary Court of city of Karaj presided over by
henchman Asef Hosseini and this time condemned him to death for "membership,
support and effective activity in advancing the goals of People's Mojahedin
Organization of Iran *PMOI/MEK) in prison". This sentence was also conveyed to
his lawyer yesterday, July 20.
In the past 11 years, Mr. Arzhang Davoodi has been transferred from one prison
to the next and exposed to all kinds of tortures and harassments.
He has numerously gone on hunger strike and has been held incommunicado for a
long time. He is currently in a prison in city of Bandar-Abbas.
Condemning a political prisoner for political activities inside the prison is a
new level of oppression and tyranny that only the fascists ruling Iran are
capable of.
The Iranian Resistance calls on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the
Human Rights Council, relevant international bodies, and organizations
defending human rights throughout the world to condemn the criminal execution
sentence of Mr. Arzhang Davoodi and to work to have this sentence revoked.
(source: Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran)
NORTH KOREA:
North Korea executed at least 17 people last year
North Korea carried out at least 17 executions last year and several others in
the 1st half of 2014, a global human rights group against death penalty said.
In its latest report, Hands Off Cain, headquartered in Italy, said all the
known executions in North Korea in 2013 were conducted by firing squad. In the
first 6 months of this year, at least 6 people were executed by firing squad,
it added.
The group pointed out the reclusive communist nation, like a number of other
countries, do not issue official statistics on the practice of the death
penalty.
"Therefore the number of executions may, in fact, be much higher," it said.
Hands Off Cain added its data on North Korea were compiled based on media
reports. Last December, North Korea's state media said Jang Song-thaek, once a
powerful uncle of leader Kim Jong-un, was executed on charges of anti-state
activities.
North Korea reduced the number of executions in the 2000s apparently due to
international pressure, but the figure has been rising again in recent years,
Elisabetta Zamparutti, an official at Hands Off Cain, was quoted as saying by
the Voice of America.
The North's young leader Kim Jong-un, who took over power in 2011, appears to
be using death penalty as a tool to solidify his power base, added Zamparutti.
(source: Korea Times)
TAIWAN:
Death penalty sought for Taipei Metro 'mass murder' suspect
New Taipei prosecutors on Monday indicted a man accused of killing 4 passengers
on the Taipei Metro system in May and recommended that he be given the death
penalty because of the brutality of the crime and the suspect's lack of
remorse.
The suspect, 21-year-old university student Cheng Chieh, was charged with 4
counts of murder and 22 counts of attempted murder for his actions on a moving
subway just before evening rush hour on May 21.
The indictment was handed down as Cheng's 2-month detainment period expired
Monday.
In defending their request for the death penalty, prosecutors described Cheng's
behavior in the indictment as "mass murder," and said the incident caused
collective panic across society and made people feel the need to be on guard
when taking public transportation.
They also said his action had spawned several potential copycats threatening to
kill people on public buses or the subway system.
A thorough assessment of Cheng conducted by National Taiwan University Hospital
concluded that Cheng had no mental disorders or deficiencies, meaning he is not
eligible under Article 19 of Taiwan's Criminal Code to avoid punishment for the
offense or have the sentence reduced because of mental incompetency,
prosecutors said.
In their 8,000-word indictment, prosecutors also focused on the brutality and
cruelty of the stabbings, saying that the surveillance footage showed a "scene
from hell."
Cheng was seen repeatedly stabbing his victims and even toying with them
without showing the slightest sliver of humanity, and he even admitted during
his mental evaluation that he felt pleased to have the fate of the passengers
in his hands, prosecutors said.
Even if he felt tired in the station, he had hoped to find a place to rest
before killing again, prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, the attacks were premeditated rather than done on
a whim and Cheng deliberately chose the subway line on which the attacks
occurred to bring about the most casualties possible.
He was determined to carry out his vow to kill people because failure to do so
would have negated his being, prosecutors said, and the brutality of the
attacks showed the suspect's dangerous nature.
Also, Cheng has shown no remorse since being detained and has not apologized to
the victims or the families of his victims, leaving prosecutors no alternative
but to ask for the death penalty for his heinous acts, prosecutors argued in
the indictment.
The prosecutors also explained in detail the suspect's motives, saying his
problems may have started in elementary school when he had disputes with female
classmates that hurt him and led him to vow to kill for revenge.
They described Cheng as being "indifferent to social conventions,
self-centered, antisocial and narcissistic," epitomized by his lack of empathy
for others.
Facing strict discipline in junior high school, he had a clash with his
teacher, and pocketed a knife for a month looking for an opportunity to stab
him.
Because of his inability to gain acceptance among mainstream groups at school,
he gradually developed a sense of nihilism, feeling it difficult to deal with
life, prosecutors said.
Despite his problems, Cheng lived up to the academic expectations of his family
and teachers and made it into a senior high school in New Taipei.
Starting in his 1st year, he penned essays on his blog explaining why he formed
the pledge to kill and posted articles with killing as the main theme.
To fulfill his commitment to kill, which had grown stronger, Cheng enrolled in
the Chung Cheng Institute of Technology in 2011 because he wanted to receive
military training there.
But the school kicked him out in 2013 because he failed academically and
physically, dealing him a severe blow that deepened his pain, made him more
inclined to think life was meaningless, and spurred him to act earlier rather
than later on his killing pledge.
Complying with his parents' wish, he transferred to Tunghai University the same
year, but he continued to flounder academically.
Compounding the problem was that one of Cheng's senior high classmates brought
Cheng's articles to the attention of a school counselor, who forwarded them to
the university.
The university put him under investigation and was on the verge of expelling
him.
The pressure of the investigation, his poor academic performance, his imminent
dismissal and his long-term suicidal and nihilistic ideas prompted him to move
up his killing plan to the eve of his expulsion, prosecutors said.
(source: Focus Taiwan News Channel)
***************
Prosecutors close probe into TRTC in MRT stabbing case
The New Taipei District Prosecutor's Office (NTDPO) yesterday closed their
ongoing investigation into the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC), finding
no incriminating evidence on the corporation in the Taipei Metro stabbing case.
The NTDPO is in charge of prosecuting the MRT stabbing case and indicted Cheng
Chieh yesterday on charges of murder and attempted murder, asking the court to
impose the death penalty if Cheng is found guilty.
After families of the stabbing victims filed claims against the TRTC and the
Rapid Transit Division of the Taipei City Police Department, as well as the
TRTC's Industrial Safety Division section manager Lin Hsien-liang, Train
Operations Division Control Center chief operator Yang Tsung-che, MRT
Jiangzicui Station station master Feng Yi-chang and metro train operator Lin
Ming-hsien, the NTDPO also conducted investigations centering on the to be sued
parties as part of the stabbing incident probe.
Following investigations, the NTDPO found no incriminating evidence that would
hold the TRTC and the Rapid Transit Police accountable, which prompted the
NTDPO to close the cases on the company and the police division.
The NTDPO also ruled not to prosecute the four individuals, freeing them of the
charges of negligent homicide, negligence resulting in bodily harm and disaster
as a result of occupational negligence from civil servants.
The TRTC released a statement saying that it respects the investigation results
of the NTDPO, and made no further comments on the matter.
Victims' Families Unsatisfied with Assailant's Family, TRTC
Following the NTDPO's official indictment and death penalty request, the
majority of the families of Cheng's victims stated that they are unsatisfied
with the assailant's family and the TRTC.
The families stated that Cheng's family has yet to apologize to the families of
the victims, and hasn't so much as made one phone call. The husband of victim
Pan Pi-chu said that even if Cheng was to receive ten thousand death sentences,
it still wouldn't suffice.
The mother of victim Chang Cheng-han told local press that death penalties will
not bring back her son, and that the family is not happy with the lack of
responsibility from the TRTC.
Chang's mother said that her husband had been suppressing his emotions to the
point where he had to undergo gallstone removal surgery following her son's
funeral, which was the last time she saw or heard from the TRTC.
***************
Cheng indicted for Taipei Metro stabbings
MRT stabbing suspect Cheng Chieh yesterday was indicted by the New Taipei
District Prosecutors Office (NTDPO) on 4 counts of murder and 22 counts of
attempted murder, with prosecutors also asking the court to levy the death
penalty on Cheng for the crime.
On the afternoon of May 21 the 21-year-old suspect boarded a Taipei MRT train
at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station heading in the direction of Yongning
Station. At 4:24 p.m., while the train was driving from Longshan Temple Station
to the Jiangzicui Station - the longest ride on the entire Taipei metro system
- Cheng allegedly took out a 30-centimeter-long knife and started to randomly
stab victims, the NTDPO said.
This stabbing spree was the 1st of its kind on Taipei's MRT system since it
began operating in 1996. During the 4-minute ride, Cheng allegedly attacked and
stabbed victims in the 4th, 5th and 6th compartments of the train, leading to 4
deaths and 22 injuries, prosecutors said. The suspect has been detained since
the incident took place.
Psychiatric Tests
During a press conference yesterday morning, the NTDPO said in order to further
interpret Cheng's motives, the prosecutors sent Cheng to National Taiwan
University Hospital to undergo a series of psychiatric evaluations.
New Taipei prosecutors said that based on Cheng's psychiatric evaluation, he is
not insane or feeble-minded, however, the evaluation described Cheng an
"anti-social, narcissist, apathetic and suicidal" person. The psychiatric
evaluation indicates that Cheng is fit to stand trial, the prosecutors added.
According to the investigation, the prosecutors discovered that Cheng allegedly
made a vow to murder people when he was in elementary school and had a dispute
with 2 female classmates.
Prosecutors further said that as Cheng deemed it would be hard to kill the two
classmates, he allegedly decided to randomly attack people on an MRT train to
fulfill his childhood vow.
New Taipei prosecutors said they also discovered that Cheng had written over 10
short stories about murders on his laptop, noting that one of the stories
included a scenario whereby the killings took place on an MRT train.
Prosecutors said, however, that the plot of the short story does not have a
direct relation to the MRT stabbing incident.
In the indictment, the prosecutors characterized the incident as a "mass
killing" that was "heinous and appalling." Prosecutors said that Cheng caused
permanent trauma to the victims and their families and showed no remorse for
what he had done, noting that, because of this, the prosecutors asked the
district court to give Cheng the death penalty if found guilty.
Families' Responses
New Taipei City Councilor Lin Kuo-chun, who had released a press statement on
behalf of Cheng's parents in May, yesterday quoted Cheng's father as saying
that his parents have already expected that their son would face the death
penalty for the incident.
Chang Su-mi, mother of one of the deceased victims, yesterday responded to the
NTDPO's indictment, saying that even if the prosecutors had asked to issue 100
death penalties to Cheng, it would not bring her son back to her.
Chang said her heart aches whenever people mention the MRT stabbing incident,
noting that outsiders can never really understand the pain and suffering of the
families of the victims.
(source for both: China Post)
CHINA----execution
Ex-Chinese policeman executed for shooting pregnant woman
A former policeman was executed Tuesday for shooting a pregnant woman in south
China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Xinhua reported.
Hu Ping, formerly of the public security bureau of Pingnan County, was drunk
when he shot the woman and her husband, who ran a rice noodle restaurant, Oct
28, 2013.
The husband, Cai Shiyong, sustained minor injuries in his right shoulder. His
wife, Wu Ying, and their unborn child died after being shot twice.
Hu was sentenced to death for intentional homicide in February by Guigang
Intermediate People's Court.
He appealed, but the Higher People's Court of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
upheld the verdict in April and the death penalty was approved by the Supreme
People's Court.
Hu's crime caused an "abominable influence on society", said the court.
The rulings in the 1st and 2nd trials were based on "clear facts" and "valid
and adequate evidence" and "the conviction was accurate and then penalty
proper", it said.
(source: Zee News)
BURMA:
Man sentenced to death for near beheading case
A man who murdered another man by nearly beheading him for bumping his shoulder
has been sentenced to death by East District Court. East District Court's
deputy judge (4) made the ruling at 1 pm on July 22 after both sides submitted
their closing arguments.
Although the defendant Chit Po (age 22) testified that he did not kill the man
with intention, the testimonies given by plaintiff's witnesses, the dead man's
injuries, and the knife confiscated for evidence clearly show that the crime
has been committed. Besides, Chit Po had enough time to think whether or not he
should kill the man, but he went back home after the man fell down and came
back half an hour later to hack him continuously. According to Section 302 (1)
(b) of the Penal Code, it is clear that he committed the crime so he has been
given a death sentence. Currently, the country is moving towards a democracy
path so rule of law is important. As the local residents felt distressed over
this incident, this ruling has been made, the judge said during the ruling.
However, the death penalty needs to be confirmed by the Supreme Court and the
defendant can file for appeal to the Supreme Court within 7 days, according to
the judge.
After the ruling, Chit Po asked for permission to a 30-minute meeting with his
family and his family members said they will file for appeal on his behalf.
On March 15, Chit Po, who resided in 12th Ward in Yankin Township, bumped his
shoulder with Myo Min Oo on Myittar Yeikthar Road and got into a fight with
him. He hit Myo Min Oo with an alcohol glass bottle and stabbed him in the
chest with the broken glass. Then, he hacked the man's head several times until
he was nearly beheaded, according to testimonies given at the trial.
Nearly 5,000 residents of Yankin Township staged a protest two weeks later to
condemn the murder and called for the authorities to give the severest penalty
to the alleged killer.
When he was 16, Chit Po was sentenced to prison for stabbing a 9th Standard
student to death on Moe Kaung Road in Yankin Township, according to police
records.
(source: elevenmyanmar.com)
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