July 29
IRAN----executions
Iranian Authorities Hang 14 Prisoners to Death, 3 of the Executions Carried Out
in Public----In the past 1 days Iranian authorities have reportedly hanged 14
prisoners to death, 3 of the executions were carried out in public.
Based on official and unofficial reports, Iranian authorities have executed at
least 14 prisoners in the province of Alborz since Monday.
Close sources say seven prisoners with drug charges were hanged to death on
Monday in Karaj Central Prison. On Saturday the Iranian authorities had
reportedly transferred the 7 prisoners along with 2 more prisoners to solitary
confinement. The executions of the 2 others prisoners have reportedly been
delayed for unknown reasons.
On Tuesday 4 prisoners at Ghezel Hesar Prison were hanged to death for drug
charges, according to close sources. The prisoners were reportedly removed out
of their prison wards on Sunday and transferred to solitary confinement along
with 2 more prisoners. The executions of the 2 other prisoners have reportedly
been delayed for unknown reasons.
Today Iranian authorities hanged 3 prisoners to death in a public area in the
city of Karaj, reports state media Mehr News. The report does not mention the
names of the prisoners or their charges.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
****************
UN drugs deal with Iran is sending people to the gallows.
Jannat Mir was in the 9th grade when he left Afghanistan for Iran. Like many
who journey across the border, he was probably looking for more opportunity in
the comparatively more stable neighbouring country. But instead, on the 18th
April 2014, 15- year- old Jannat was hanged in Dastgerd prison in the city of
Isfahan, Iran.
He had been arrested by the Iranian authorities and sentenced to death for
allegedly moving heroin across the border. Jannat didn't have access to a
lawyer and, after his death; the Iranian authorities reportedly did not allow
the family to take the body back to Afghanistan.
A month before Jannat was executed, Yuri Fedotov, the Executive Director of the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), applauded the Iranians'
effort to combat drug trafficking. "Iran takes a very active role to fight
against illicit drugs Fedotov told reporters. "It is very impressive." While
Janat was in custody, UNODC was co-funding a $5.4m project that provided
support for Iran's war on drugs.
Many have lost their lives to this war. So far this year, the Iranian
authorities are believed to have executed an equivalent of more than 3 people
per day; 80% of those awaiting execution are convicted of drug-related
offences, according to the Iranian authorities. UNODC is now reportedly about
to finalise a new multimillion-dollar funding package for Iran's
counter-narcotics trafficking programmes, despite the country's high execution
rate of drug offenders.
The new 5- year deal will be funded with money from some European donors. The
UK, Denmark and Ireland have stopped funding the Iranian campaign due to the
human rights concerns. However, according to the organisation Reprieve, France
and Norway continue to give money.
The news of the deal comes at a time when Amnesty International called Iran out
for its "staggering execution spree". Last week, the group released a statement
noting that the Iranian authorities are believed to have executed an
astonishing 694 people between 1 January and 15 July 2015; an unprecedented
spike in executions. Amnesty pointed to Iran's Anti-Narcotics Law as a possible
explanation of the spike. The law provides mandatory death sentences for a
range of drug-related offences, including trafficking more than 5kg of
narcotics derived from opium or more than 30g of heroin, morphine, cocaine or
their chemical derivatives.
Under article 6(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
which Iran has ratified, the death penalty may be applied only to the "most
serious crimes". The UN Human Rights Committee has said that drug offences do
not constitute "most serious crimes", and that use of the death penalty for
drug offences violates international law. According to figures obtained from
Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre (IHRDC), in one week in June this year,
47 people were allegedly hanged for the crime of drug trafficking, although
most were not "officially" recognised.
The death penalty sentences are handed down by a flawed legal system, notes Rod
Sanjabi, Executive Director of IHRDC. "There's typically no appeal, no right to
appeal," he says. "The trial court judgement is final and that's even in death
penalty cases, which is quite starkly in violation of domestic law, let along
international obligations." The standard of evidence is typically not very
high, he adds, noting there is reliance in the Iranian legal system on
confessions: "The arrest will be followed by some lengthy period, sometimes
days, sometimes weeks, sometimes months, of pre-trial detention where the
defendant is in held incommunicado for periods of time, kept in solitary
confinement, usually denied legal counsel... they'll be held for this long
pre-trial period, specifically with the aim of extracting a confession from
them."
Human rights organisations have campaigned for the UN to freeze the funding of
Iran's anti-narcotic efforts on account of this. In December 2014, six
organisations; Reprieve, Human Rights Watch, Iran Human Rights, the World
Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Harm Reduction International and the
Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation called on UNODC to follow its own human rights
guidance, which explicitly stated that UNODC actions should take every
opportunity to further the realization of human rights.
They described the agency's decision to continue funding supply-side
counter-narcotics efforts in the country as "ineffective if not
counterproductive." This point was reiterated in the Amnesty International
press release. Earlier this year, the deputy of Iran's Centre for Strategic
Research admitted that the death penalty has not been able to reduce drug
trafficking levels.
What would be more effective argues Sanjabi, is to tackle the underlying issues
pushing people towards drug trafficking. "There are, in the border areas
especially, a widespread lack of opportunity for youth, educated or
uneducated," he said. "It is probably far more effective for the state to focus
on creating those opportunities and far more constructive as well, rather than
to simply continue to deal with the drug trafficking problem in a reactive
manner."
Reprieve spoke to Memo about the deal. Maya Foa, Director of Reprieve's death
penalty team, said: "Iran has hanged hundreds of alleged drug offenders this
year, but the UNODC still refuses to come clean about its generous new funding
deal for Iranian drug police.
"It is an untenable hypocrisy for European nations like France and Germany to
claim they oppose capital punishment "in all circumstances" while funding raids
which send drug mules to death row. If these states' commitments on the death
penalty are to count for anything, they should impose effective and transparent
conditions to ensure their aid does not lead to executions", she added.
As UNODC looks set to provide millions of dollars to Iran for its
counter-narcotics efforts, the spike in executions will no doubt continue to
rise. And the UN will continue to have blood on its hands.
(source: Jessica Purkiss, Middle East Monitor)
BANGLADESH:
Bangladesh apex court upholds top BNP leader's death penalty
The panel, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, upheld the death sentence
of the 66-year-old leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for
involvement in the killing of a herbal medicine company owner Nutan Chandra
Singha, Awami League leader Mozaffar Ahmed and his son, and 2 incidents of
genocide in the country's southeastern region in Raozan, Chittagong, the Daily
Star newspaper reported.
On 1 October, 2013, the worldwide Crimes Tribunal-1 found the BNP leader guilty
of crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation and condemned him to
death.
But defence lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said Chowdhury's legal team was
disappointed and would seek a review of the judgement at the same court.
"The verdict has fulfilled our expectations", said Attorney general Mahbubey
Alam.
A Bangladeshi activist celebrates after the Supreme Court cleared the way for
the execution of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salauddin
Quader Chowdhury, convicted of war crimes in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, July
29, 2015.
Salahuddin Chowdhury, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was acquitted
of 1 charge, but the Supreme Court upheld the rest of the convictions.
Security has been beefed up in places in Dhaka and Chittagong, some 242 km
southeast of the capital city.
SQ Chowdhury was charged for committing crimes against humanity by the war
tribunal. He was, however, acquittal over the killing of Satish Chandra Palit
in Raozan, for which the tribunal had sentenced him to 20 years in jail. His
father was also a former speaker of Pakistan and served as an acting president
several times.
Later, he joined BNP and was elected to parliament on its tickets.
He is the 2nd former minister to have the death sentence upheld after
Jamaat-e-Islami's Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and the 5th to get a verdict on
the appeal against the tribunal's judgment.
After the partition of India in 1947 and until 1971, Bangladesh was known as
East Pakistan.
Another Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla, convicted of war crimes in 1971, was
executed on December. 12, 2013.
After returning to power in January 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the
daughter of Bangladesh's independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, established
the 1st tribunal in March 2010, nearly 40 years after the 1971 fight for
independence from Pakistan.
(source: lidtime.com)
INDIA:
Rajiv Gandhi Killers Will Not Hang, Confirms Supreme Court
The Supreme Court today confirmed its decision of commuting the death sentence
to life imprisonment of three persons convicted of killing former Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The apex Court dismissed the curative petition filed by the Centre which was
seeking a review of the decision in February last year.
Centre's curative petition said that the victims in the former Prime Minister's
assassination case were not heard before commuting their death sentence.
In February last year, the Court had commuted the death sentence of 3 persons -
Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, citing the 11-year delay in deciding their
mercy petitions.
The 3 convicts are lodged in a Vellore prison. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on
May 21, 1991 in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.
(source: ndtv)
***************
India should say no to death penalty, says CPI's D Raja
Reiterating his party's opposition to capital punishment, Communist Party of
India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Wednesday said India should say no to the death
penalty.
"We continue to hold our position, we oppose capital punishment. India should
say no to capital punishment," Raja told ANI.
"In this regard I am moving a private member resolution in the Rajya Sabha, its
listed for 31st July. Till the Government and Parliament decide upon death
penalty statute, India should have a moratorium of death sentences," he added.
The Supreme Court earlier rejected 1993 Mumbai balsts convict Yakub Memon's
petition on his death warrant, paving the way for his execution tomorrow.
He is expected to be hanged inside the Nagpur jail at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
The apex court had earlier dismissed the curative petition of Yakub. A 3-judge
bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Prafulla C. Pant and Amitava Roy said
proper procedure was followed in disposing of Yakub's curative petition.
(source: ANI news)
PAKISTAN:
Pakistan Must Release Asia Bibi To Demonstrate Protection For Its Religious
Minorities - Analysis
Pakistan's Supreme Court took an encouraging step forward last week when it
decided to reconsider blasphemy charges against Pakistani Christian woman, Asia
Bibi, who is facing a death sentence. This decision provides an opportunity for
Pakistan to acquit Bibi and show the world its commitment to protecting its
religious minorities. The U.S. must prioritize the issue of religious freedom
in its dialogue with Pakistan to discourage any further persecution of
religious minorities and to undercut support for Islamist extremist ideologies
that leads to targeted violence against these vulnerable communities.
Bibi, a mother of 5 and a farmworker, was arrested in 2009 after her Muslim
co-workers alleged that she had committed blasphemy during an argument about
sharing the same water bowl. In November 2010, she was sentenced to death by a
Pakistani trial court, a decision that was upheld by the Lahore High Court in
October 2014.
Growing Intolerance
Under Pakistani law, blasphemous acts include making derogatory remarks against
the Muslim prophet Muhammed and defiling the Koran. Allegations of blasphemy
are often fabricated and are commonly used to intimidate religious minorities
or settle personal vendettas, including against fellow Muslims. Moreover,
blasphemy charges do not require proof of intent or evidence, and there are no
penalties for false allegations. Since the laws do not provide details on what
constitutes a violation, accusers have broad leeway to define what they deem an
offense. In 2013, 38 individuals were imprisoned in Pakistan on blasphemy
charges.
Pakistanis who have sought changes to the blasphemy laws or who have defended
those wrongly accused have often been killed, demonstrating the rise in
religious intolerance and support for extremist ideologies there. In early
2011, Pakistan's Governor of the Punjab Salman Taseer and Minority Affairs
Minister Shahbaz Bhatti were assassinated by religious extremists because of
their efforts to defend Bibi and roll back the controversial blasphemy laws.
Human rights lawyer Rashid Rehman was assassinated in June 2014 for defending
an English professor, Junaid Hafeez, who was accused of blasphemy. Rehman had
received several death threats in the weeks prior to his assassination, but the
Pakistani government failed to provide him with protection.
Former Pakistan People's Party parliamentarian and Pakistani Ambassador to the
U.S., Sherry Rehman, introduced a bill in parliament in late 2010 to amend the
blasphemy laws, but she was later forced to withdraw it under political
pressure. Ambassador Rehman continues to face threats from extremists due to
her support for re-examining the legislation and removing the death penalty as
punishment. In January 2013, the Supreme Court of Pakistan approved admission
of a blasphemy case filed against Ambassador Rehman for remarks she made on a
television program in November 2010. The growing influence of extremist
ideologies are endangering Pakistan's minority communities and jeopardizing the
country's democratic institutions and values, including freedom of religion and
speech.
The miscarriage of justice against Bibi is just the latest example of declining
religious freedom in Pakistan. The U.S. Commission for International Religious
Freedom's 2015 Annual Report calls on the State Department to designate
Pakistan as a country of particularly concern (CPC) under the International
Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) - something it has called for since 2002.[1] 95 %
of Pakistan's population is Muslim, including a 20 % Shia minority, which
increasingly faces brutal attacks by Sunni extremists. Ahmadis (about 2 % of
the Pakistani population), who consider themselves Muslim but are not
recognized as such under Pakistani law, also face discriminatory legislation
that prohibits them from calling themselves Muslims or their places of worship
mosques, performing the Muslim call to prayer, using the traditional Islamic
greeting in public, or publicly quoting from the Koran.
Bibi's case is a particularly pernicious example of the negative effects of
blasphemy laws. Bibi's family has been forced to go into hiding, and Muslim
clerics placed a $5,000 bounty on her head.[2] Bibi also faces extreme health
challenges, including intestinal bleeding, that could be life-threatening.[3]
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Bibi, the court would overturn the
decision by the Lahore High Court to sentence Bibi to death. If Bibi were
released from jail, her life would still be in grave danger from vigilantes who
could decide to take the law into their own hands. In April 2012, a Pakistani
man accused of blasphemy was shot dead by religious zealots after he was
acquitted and released from prison.
The U.S. Must Prioritize Religious Freedom in Pakistan
The growing pattern of religious intolerance and persecution of religious
minorities in Pakistan is threatening the very fabric of Pakistani society and
undermining democracy, not to mention putting the lives of millions of members
of religious minorities in danger. The U.S. must make the protection of
Pakistan's religious minorities a central plank of its dialogue with the
country. More specifically, the U.S. should:
--Publicly advocate for the release of Asia Bibi. While the Pakistani Supreme
Court has taken a step in the right direction with its decision to review
Bibi's appeal, the U.S. must keep up the pressure for her immediate release
from jail and help ensure that she receives proper medical care.
--Announce that unless Pakistan makes substantive changes to its blasphemy laws
and how they are implemented, it will be designated a "Country of Particular
Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The IRFA was
passed in 1998 and requires the U.S. Secretary of State to designate annually
"countries of particular concern" and to take specific action aimed at
improving religious freedom in those countries. A CPC is defined as a country
in which the government either engages in or tolerates severe violations of
religious freedom.
--Urge Pakistan to review all blasphemy cases. In 2014, the Pakistani courts
conducted a review of blasphemy cases but did not include in the review any
cases against members of religious minority groups.[4]
--Encourage Pakistan to implement steps called for by the Pakistani Supreme
Court in 2014, including creating a special police force to protect religious
minorities and elevating the work of the religious minority commission. The
U.S. should structure its aid programs to support these activities through
technical assistance, training, and exchanges.
--Support increased civil society engagement between Americans and Pakistanis
to help elevate the voices of moderation and tolerance in Pakistan. There are
plenty of Pakistani citizens who are working hard and, indeed, risking their
lives to reverse extremist trends and ensure the rights and freedoms of all
Pakistanis. U.S. - Pakistan government-to-government interactions alone will
not get the job done. There is a need for more and deeper civil society
engagement between our 2 countries that can help mobilize grassroots support
for preserving religious freedom.
Reviving Pakistan's Founding Vision
Pakistan's founding father, Muhammed Ali Jinnah, supported the idea of Islam
serving as a unifying force and believed Pakistanis had a responsibility to
uphold the principles of religious freedom and to protect the rights of
religious minorities. Releasing Asia Bibi from jail would be a good first step
in reviving the country's founding ideals of religious tolerance.
(source: About the authors: Lisa Curtis is Senior Research Fellow for South
Asia in the Asian Studies Center, of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis
Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, at The Heritage Foundation.
Olivia Enos is a Research Associate in the Asian Studies Center----
eurasiareview.com)
SAUDI ARABIA----execution
Saudi executed for smuggling hashish
Saudi Arabia executed one of its citizens for drug trafficking on Tuesday. Saif
Al-Hadissane was found guilty of smuggling a large amount of hashish and was
executed in the Al-Ahsa region of eastern Saudi Arabia, the Interior Ministry
said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
The Interior Ministry has cited deterrence as a reason for carrying out the
death penalty because of the physical and social harm caused by drugs. Under
the Saudi law, drug trafficking, rape, murder and armed robbery are punishable
by death.
(source: The Saudi Gazette)
SUDAN:
Sudanese pastors facing execution make final plea for justice; verdict set on
Aug. 5
The lawyers representing the 2 South Sudanese pastors facing the death penalty
made their closing arguments on July 23 in Khartoum before a judge who, sources
said, appeared to be favouring the prosecution, according to Christian News.
A verdict is expected at a hearing on Aug. 5.
Speaking before the judge at the Khartoum Bari Court, the defence lawyers of
Yat Michael and Peter Yein Reith maintained that agents of the National
Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) illegally apprehended 49-year-old
Michael on Dec. 14 last year and 36-year-old Reith on Jan. 11.
"Justice requires that you don't judge [arrest] simply because you doubt
[suspect] them without any concrete evidence," one of the lawyers said.
Michael was arrested by authorities after he delivered a message of
encouragement to a North Khartoum church amid a looming state-aided takeover of
the congregation's property.
Reith was taken by security agents after he submitted a letter from the leaders
of the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church which requested for
information on the whereabouts of Michael.
A national intelligence agent accused the 2 of gathering information for a
human rights group.
However, the charges, which include espionage and promotion of hatred against
or among sects, were created months after their arrest.
Spying under the Sudanese Penal Code is punishable by death while inciting
hatred is punishable by up to 2 years in jail.
"The judge in the last hearing seemed to be supporting the prosecution," said
the source who asked not to be named. "The whole issue is politically
motivated, and the 2 pastors are innocent, but the lawyers asked the judge to
respect laws and the constitution and not aid NISS in violation of the
Constitution."
The pastors are also accused of undermining the constitutional system - which
is punishable by death - life imprisonment, and confiscation of property.
Disclosure and obtaining information and official documents is punishable by a
year in prison while blasphemy or insulting religious creeds is punishable also
by a year in jail or a fine or a maximum of 40 lashes.
The national intelligence agency used as evidence maps and easily accessible
documents said to have been taken from the pastors' confiscated laptops.
A NISS study guide, which the pastors said was not in their computers before
their arrest, was also presented as evidence.
The persecution of Christians intensified in Sudan following the secession of
South Sudan in July 2011. President Omar al-Bashir is pushing for the country's
adoption of a stricter version of sharia law and for the recognition of Islamic
culture and the Arabic language only.
Since 2012, Sudan has kicked out foreign Christians and razed church buildings
on the claim that they belonged to South Sudanese. Sudanese authorities have
also been raiding Christian bookstores and arresting Christians, with some
state agents even threatening to kill South Sudanese Christians who do not
leave or cooperate with them in their effort to get rid of Christians.
Sudan ranked 6th on Christian support organisation Open Doors' 2015 World Watch
List of 50 countries where Christians face persecution, moving up from 11th
place from the previous year.
(source: Christian Today)
CHINA:
Colombian model who has her own TV show faces death penalty in China for
carrying drugs 'inside her laptop'
A 22-year-old Colombian model is facing the death penalty after she was caught
with a plastic bag full of drugs hidden inside her laptop.
Juliana Lopez seemed to have the world at her feet, running a trendy boutique
and hosting a television show, as well as being a well-known professional
football player.
And winning the Miss Antioquia beauty pageant, she was going to participate in
the Miss World Medellin competition this week but her family suddenly lost
contact with her while she was in China to purchase items for her shop.
Worried about her whereabouts, her family contacted the Colombian embassy
saying that she had vanished. She had apparently flown into the airport in the
city of Guangzhou, in the southeast Chinese province of Canton, after which
they lost contact with her.
Chinese officials confirmed to the family she had been arrested for drug
smuggling. It was not specified what kind of narcotics were inside her laptop
but police say they found a large quantity of a banned substance.
Lopez plays for the women's team Divas del Futbol in Medellin. She is also a
student at the University of San Buenaventura, in the city of Bello, in the
north central Colombian district of Antioquia.
Carrying drugs in China is not only banned, but can carry the death penalty and
relatives and friends are now desperately trying to collect money to get top
lawyers and a team sent over to defend Lopez. They also want family and friends
to travel over to support her.
The smiling profile picture of the model's Facebook page was taken on her first
visit to China last year, and she has since been back to buy goods for her
business.
Alejandro Duque is the coach of Divas del Futbol. He said: 'Juliana was the
central point of the group, she spoke a lot with the press and she gave her
face to the team.'
About the drug charges he added: 'She is a good girl, student, model,
contestant of beauty contests, and she has always been an athlete.'
He said he had last seen her 2 weeks ago shortly before she travelled to China
to buy shoes, clothes and other accessories.
Duque said: 'My heart tells me that she is not guilty, she is a fighter. She
cannot be sentenced yet, I have hope that she is innocent and that everything
can be sorted out.'
According to the newspaper El Tiempo, the Colombian Foreign Ministry has
provided legal assistance and support to Lopez and her family through her
mother, Nubia Sarrazola.
A spokesman for the ministry said: 'We work to ensure the preservation of the
rights of private individuals and the right to a proper defence and the
presumption of innocence, as well as respect for due process and the
preservation of her personal integrity and her health.'
But the Chinese police investigation could take between 6 months and 2 years
and the amount of contact the model will be allowed with her family is likely
to be limited.
Currently, there are 138 Colombian prisoners in China's jails for a range of
offences and 12 of them have been sentenced to death. 9 of these cases have
been frozen thanks to the efforts of the Colombian government. Another group of
11 has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Of those detained, 90 % were linked with drugs-related crimes and the rest were
related to prostitution.
China executes the highest number of people of any country annually and is
believed to put to death more than the rest of the world put together,
according to Amnesty International.
(source: Daily Mail)
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