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and out of date".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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