Aug. 21




GHANA:

I don't support killing of Kombian - Kwasi Jonah


Mr Kwasi Jonah, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) on Thursday said the state should offer Johnson Kombian, farmer and businessman sentenced to death for killing 2 police officers, an opportunity to reform and amend his ways.

"Kombian should have been given a life sentence to afford him the opportunity to change from his bad ways", Mr Jonah told the Ghana News Agency in an interview after addressing participants on "Ghana's Proposed Amendment: How Developmental Are They?"

"As a Catholic, I believe it is God who gives life and it is only God who can take life," he said.

Mr Jonah, who is also a Political Science Lecturer, explained that, he does not support the death penalty as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution that was why he was very happy with the Constitutional Review Committee report, which called for the replacement of the death penalty with life imprisonment among other issues.

The Economy of Ghana Network, in collaboration with the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, held the workshop to discuss whether the proposed amendments will move the nation from a political to a developmental Constitution.

In a related development, Mr George Asamaney, lawyer for Kombian, also told the Ghana News Agency in an interview of his intention to appeal against the death sentence verdict of the seven member jury.

He claimed that Kombian thinks that he did not get the justice he deserved hence "he is aggrieved had instructed me to launch an appeal against his conviction and sentence".

According to Counsel "the verdict was against the weight of evidence because public opinion was against him".

He said: "Kombian thinks the conviction and sentence was too harsh, excessive and out of date".

According to the Counsel, he would apply for proceedings and as soon as he secures it, he would file the appeal.

Mr Asamaney said his client felt that the state did not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.

He said Kombian was of the view that the motive for which he killed the Police was paramount adding; "There was no motive for committing the crime and he had nothing against the Police officers."

Mr Asamaney said no proper investigations were done to unearth the real culprits and wondered that since his arrest, none of the so called accomplices have been arrested.

"No efforts have been made by the Police to arrest other accomplices who are alleged to have committed the crime," he said.

Counsel recounted that Kombian had been described in the media as a "notorious armed robber" hence getting witnesses to testify for him was difficult.

As part of the grounds of Appeal, Counsel said there were so many inconsistencies in the case of the prosecution and that the jury was misdirected.

Johnson Kombian was on Wednesday sentenced to death by hanging by an Accra Fast Track High Court for killing 2 police officers in the Northern Region.

The deceased are Constable Prince Agyare and Constable Owusu Frimpong. A 3rd policeman, Corporal Osei Bonsu, survived after sustaining gunshot wounds.

Kombian was also sentenced to 30 years imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to commit crime the sentences were to run concurrently.

This was after a 7-member jury unanimously returned a verdict of guilty on 2 counts of murder and conspiracy to commit crime.

Kombian, alias Garkum, and his accomplices, who are currently on the run, are alleged to have ambushed 3 policemen on October 17, 2010 and succeeded in killing 2 of them.

Kombian also allegedly conspired with his friend, Kofi Naaman, known as Accra Boy, to rob Djato Mathias and then attempted to kill him.

He was, therefore, arrested, tried and sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment by the Tamale Circuit Court but he escaped whiles serving his jail term.

Kombian sought refuge at Nakpanduri in the Bunkpurugu Yunyoo District of the Northern Region, which happened to be his hometown.

On October 17, 2010, the accused person and his accomplices received information that a number of policemen had been detailed to perform duties at the Nakpanduri Scarp.

Kombian and his accomplices, however, ambushed and attacked the 3 policemen. They allegedly fired gunshots at the deceased policemen, who were then on a motorbike. The policemen fell into a 10-metre long valley.

The accused person and his group continued to fire sporadically into the valley, with the hope of killing the policemen, who also retaliated with occasional gun fires.

After some minutes of firing, Kombian and his gang stopped, and on realising that the gunshots had ended, Agyare and his colleagues mistakenly thought their attackers had left. They, therefore, came out of their hideout and were subjected to more gun fire.

Help finally came for Agyare and his colleagues whiles Kombian and his accomplices bolted. The wounded policemen were conveyed to the Nalerigu Hospital but Agyare was later pronounced dead.

Frimpong also died later, while Bonsu was transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra where he was treated and discharged.

Kombian escaped to Togo after the incident but he was later picked up by the Togolese authorities and handed over to the Ghanaian authorities.

(source: ghanaweb.com)






AUSTRALIA:

Parliament inquiry on death penalty states


A federal parliamentary committee will inquire into how Australia can engage with countries that still use capital punishment, and promote change.

The discussion follows the executions of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan in Indonesia in April, which led to a surge in activism by Australians against the death penalty.

Chair of the Human Rights Sub-Committee, Philip Ruddock, says it's a "unique and special opportunity for Australians to have their say," adding that public submissions should be received by October 2, before a report to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop by the end of the year.

(source: 9news.com.au)






IRAN----executions

4 Prisoners Executed in Rajai Shahr Prison


On the morning of Wednesday, August 19th 4 prisoners charged with murder were hanged to death in Rajai Shahr Prison, according to an informed source. The prisoners, whose names are not known at this time, were transferred to solitary confinement prior to their executions.

"2 days ago 9 prisoners in Rajai Shahr Prison were transferred to solitary confinement, but for unknown reasons the execution of five of them has been delayed for now," says the source.

The 4 executions on Wednesday morning have not been announced by the Judiciary's Press Department or Iranian state media.

********************

27 Death Row Prisoners Saved From Execution in Past Year in a Northern Iranian Province


Ali Akbar Ghafarian, the head of prisons in the province of Mazandaran, says at least 27 prisoners in this province have been spared from execution in the past year.

According to the Press Department of the Prisons Organization in Mazandaran, Ghafarian says the death sentences for 57 prisoners were sent in [for review], and after pardons by plaintiffs, approximately 27 of the prisoners have been saved from execution.

Additionally, the Press Department of the Judiciary in the province of West Azerbaijan has reported on 1 prisoner, identified as A.M., charged with murder and sentenced to death, who was saved from execution upon being pardoned by the murder victim's family. However, the prisoner must first reportedly pay blood money to the murder victim's family.

(source for both: Iran Human Rights)

**************

14 Things That Could Get You Executed In Iran


Iran has executed almost 700 people so far this year, in some cases for "crimes" that wouldn't even get you jail time in the U.S.

Iran is executing people at a record pace this year. Since January, 694 people have been given the death penalty, and Amnesty International says the number will probably top 1,000 before 2015 is over.

Earlier this year, we looked at all the things that can get a person executed in Saudi Arabia. But Iran in some ways is in a league of its own. It now has the highest per capita rate in the world for inflicting capital punishment - and the government widely underreports executions - Amnesty reported.

Iranian law imposes executions on people for a host of different things, from drug smuggling and homosexual relations to denouncing Islam. Sleeping with your stepmother can also get you killed. Often executions are carried out on ethnic minorities and peaceful activists fighting for minority rights. Some crimes are punishable by execution but only after the 4th violation. Those include having unwed sex or engaging in lesbian relations - and in such cases, both parties can be punished with the death penalty.

Most executions are hangings, and despite a 2008 judicial moratorium on public executions, the hangings are often carried out in public. Stoning reportedly has been used sometimes in recent years despite a 2008 judicial moratorium against it.

(source: vocativ.com)


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