May 14




SINGAPORE:

JOINT STATEMENT ON IMMINENT EXECUTION OF KHO JABING


We, the undersigned, are troubled by the imminent execution of Jabing Kho in Singapore, despite strong concerns over the development of his case. We believe there are strong grounds for President Tony Tan of the Republic of Singapore to grant clemency in this case.

The family of Sarawakian Jabing Kho, 31, received a letter from the Singapore Prison Service on 12 May 2016 informing them that his execution had been scheduled for 20 May 2016. Jabing was convicted of murder in 2011.

The announcement came as a shock to the family and all involved in campaigning for Jabing. We had been under the impression that the authorities would allow his lawyer to submit a fresh clemency appeal on his behalf after the criminal motion filed in late 2015 was dismissed in April this year. His lawyer had sent President Tony Tan a holding letter informing them of his intention to file a new clemency petition, and had been in the process of drafting it when the execution was scheduled.

On 13 May 2016, Jabing's lawyer received a letter from the President saying that he would be willing to consider a clemency petition if it is filed, but will not be postponing the scheduled execution. Considering that past practice shows that the President usually takes 3 months before any decision regarding clemency is announced, we are concerned that this current state of affairs will leave the Cabinet and the President with insufficient time to properly consider a fresh plea from Jabing.

We do not condone Jabing's crime, nor do we seek to erase the hurt he has caused to the victim's family. Yet the course of Jabing's case has been tumultuous and traumatic. Due to amendments made to Singapore's mandatory death penalty regime and appeals lodged by the prosecution, Jabing had, over the years, been sentenced to death, then life imprisonment (with caning), then death again. This back-and-forth has taken a horrific toll not just on Jabing as the inmate, but his family.

Furthermore, 1 High Court judge and 2 Judges of Appeal had not believed that the death penalty was an appropriate punishment for Jabing Kho, as they felt that there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that he had exhibited a "blatant disregard for human life". (See Annex A, attached at the end of this statement, for relevant excerpts of the judges' ruling.)

The death penalty does not simply exact an irreversible punishment, but also imposes emotional and psychological tolls on both the inmate and the family and we oppose it unconditionally. Having been re-sentenced twice, from death to life and back again, Jabing and his family have already been put through a deeply painful process. The knowledge that 3 respected and honourable judges hold the belief that the current punishment does not fit the crime simply makes the situation doubly hard to bear.

We believe that Jabing Kho's case presents very strong and persuasive grounds for clemency, and that his death sentence should be immediately be set aside and commuted to life imprisonment as allowed by Singapore's Constitution.

We therefore urge the Cabinet of Singapore to advise President Tony Tan to grant clemency to Jabing Kho without delay and re-establish a moratorium on executions as a 1st step towards the abolition of the death penalty.

Signed:

Local Organisations

Community Action Network

Function8

Maruah

Sayoni

Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign (SADPC)

Think Centre

We Believe in Second Chances

Regional/International Organisations

Advocates Association of Sarawak

Amnesty International

Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN)

Center for Orang Asli Concerns

Civil Rights Committee KLSCAH

Damn the Dams

Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET)

People's Green Coalition

Reprieve Australia

Sembang-sembang Forum

Suara Rakyat Malaysia

Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP)

The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence

Victims' Family Organisations

Center for Prisoner's Rights Japan

Journey of Hope

Ocean

Individuals

Abdul Rashid bin Bakar, relative of inmate on death row in Singapore

Atiqah bte Zaimi, relative of inmate on death row in Singapore

Haminah bte Abu Bakar, relative of inmate on death row in Singapore

Idros Ismail, brother of inmate on death row in Singapore

Jolene Tan, writer and activist

Kokila Annamalai, activist and community organiser

Letchumy Arumugam, mother of inmate on death row in Singapore

Marilyn Siew, activist

M Ravi, anti-death penalty activist

Osman bin Bakar, relative of inmate on death row in Singapore

Priya Ratha Krishnan, fiancee of inmate on death row in Singapore

Sangeetha Thanapal, activist

Saraswathy Kataiah, sister of inmate on death row in Singapore

Sean Francis Han, activist

Sharmila Rockey, sister of inmate on death row in Singapore

Syida Ismail, sister of inmate on death row in Singapore

Tan Tee Seng, activist

Vanessa Ho, activist

Zaimi Bin Abdul Rahman, relative of inmate on death row in Singapore

Zarah bte Abu Bakar, relative of inmate on death row in Singapore

(source: wordpress.com)

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

Group appeals to President Tony Tan over Malaysian's impending execution


A coalition of NGOs and individuals have urged Singapore president Tony Tan to grant clemency to Malaysian Kho Jabing who is due to be executed next week for a murder he committed 8 years ago.

In a statement, the coalition said the announcement of Jabing's execution came as a shock to the family and all involved in campaigning for him as they were under the impression that the authorities would allow his lawyer to submit a fresh clemency appeal on his behalf. This was after a criminal motion filed in late 2015 was dismissed last month.

The coalition said that Jabing's lawyer had sent President Tony Tan a holding letter informing the former's intention to file a new clemency petition, and had been in the process of drafting it when the execution was scheduled.

Jabing's family received a letter from the Singapore Prison Service on Thursday about the execution that has been scheduled for May 20.

On May 13, Jabing's lawyer received a letter from the President saying that he would be willing to consider a clemency petition if it is filed, but will not be postponing the scheduled execution.

"Considering that past practice shows that the President usually takes 3 months before any decision regarding clemency is announced, we are concerned that this current state of affairs will leave the Cabinet and the President with insufficient time to properly consider a fresh plea from Jabing," the coalition said in a statement on Saturday.

The coalition is made up of groups such as We Believe in Second Chances, Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign, Amnesty International and others.

It added that Jabing's case presented very strong and persuasive grounds for clemency, and that his death sentence should be immediately be set aside and commuted to life imprisonment as allowed by Singapore's Constitution.

"We therefore urge the Cabinet of Singapore to advise President Tony Tan to grant clemency to Jabing Kho without delay and re-establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards the abolition of the death penalty," it said.

(source: asiaone.com)






INDONESIA:

Zimbabwean to be executed in Indonesia


An unnamed Zimbabwean is among the 15 inmates who will soon face the firing squad in Indonesia's next round of executions for various crimes, reports said this week.

According to the Time Magazine, the composition of execution line-up suggests an attempt to avoid the intense international attention and outcry that happened when Jakarta executed a total of 14 drug convicts last year - all but 2 of them foreign citizens.

Then, there were rallies and social-media campaigns for the Australian Bali 9 ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Filipina migrant worker Mary Jane Veloso and Frenchman Serge Atlaoui, urging President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to pardon the condemned.

This time around there are 5 Indonesians while the rest, according to local media, are foreign - 4 Chinese, 1 Pakistani, 2 Nigerians, 2 Senegalese and 1 Zimbabwean.

"There is unlikely to be the same kind of uproar when the prison authorities in the penal island of Nusakambangan conduct the next round of executions, however," said the report.

7 of the 10 foreigners set to be executed came from countries that implement the death penalty (China, Pakistan and Nigeria). The remaining 3 foreign citizens came from poor African countries: Zimbabwe, which is moving toward eliminating capital punishment, and Senegal, which abolished death penalty more than a decade ago.

According to the report, the 5 Indonesian inmates have been transferred to the Nusakambangan in the past month - 3 of them of them last Sunday - raising speculation that executions are imminent. The government hasn't announced the execution date and convicts' identities, however.

"The executions can take place any time, but there will not be a 'soap opera' about it this time," Chief Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told journalists recently.

In 2001, it was reported that a Zimbabwean by the name Ozias Sibanda was executed in Indonesia for drug trafficking. But officials at the Zimbabwean embassy in Malaysia, at the time, said they thought Sibanda was a national from any other African country who had either stolen or cloned a Zimbabwean passport.

(source: New Zimbabwe)

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

Police arrest man, seize over one kilo of Syabu


Police foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs into the state by arresting a local man and seizing over a kilogramme of Syabu worth an estimated RM163,000.

State deputy police commissioner Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusuf revealed that the arrest was made around 11am on Thursday when personnel from the state Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) detained the suspect in a parking lot at Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce.

"Acting on information received, state NCID officers searched the 27-year-old suspect's car and discovered drugs believed to be syabu weighing 1.325kg packed inside food packages and boxes of sugar to avoid detection.

"The suspect was immediately arrested while his car, a Perodua Viva, was seized along with RM2,100 cash found in his possession," he said during a press conference at state police headquarters here yesterday.

The suspect's urine tested positive for amphetamine.

Abdul Aziz further disclosed that he had been remanded until May 19 to facilitate investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, that carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

"We thank the public for the tip-off that led to this arrest and urge members of the community to support our war against drugs by relaying to us any information on drug-related activities so we can eradicate this menace together."

Among those present were district police chief ACP Abang Ahmad Abang Julai and state NCID head Supt Lukas Aket.

\ (source: theborneopost.com)






MALAYSIA:

Nabbed for growing cannabis in house compound


Thinking that no one will make out what they are, a 28-year-old lorry driver planted 3 cannabis plants in the compound of his rented house in Pasir Putih here.

Unfortunately for him, the plants did not go unnoticed and they led police straight to his tiny drug farm.

Police raided the place on Wednesday following a tip-off by the public, said Perak deputy narcotics chief Supt Abdul Latiff Meha.

The 7.30pm raid also resulted in the discovery of 2.7kg of heroin and 59g of methamphetamine with a street value of RM171,000.

"This is one of the rare times when we actually find the plant itself.

"In fact, it is the 1st such case in Perak this year," Supt Abdul Latiff told reporters here yesterday, adding police also seized a Proton Iswara Aeroback worth RM15,000 and a motorcycle worth RM7,500 on the premises.

Supt Latiff said the drugs were enough to fuel the habits of some 2,400 addicts. The substance is believed to be for distribution in Perak.

???Initial investigations show that the suspect is from Klang and does not have any previous convictions.

"He is being remanded for 7 days until May 18 to facilitate investigations," said Supt Latiff.

The case, he added, was being investigated as drug trafficking under Section 39B of Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty.

The suspect is also being investigated under Section 6B of the same Act for growing the illegal crop, in which he faces life imprisonment and whipping up to 6 times, if found guilty.

(source: The Star)






INDIA:

Govt plans to give more powers to NIA


Aiming to give more teeth to NIA, the government is contemplating to empower the anti-terror investigating agency by allowing it to probe in foreign countries if there is any attack on Indians and Indian assets.

Official sources said the Home Ministry is planning to amend the National Investigation Agency Act, enacted in 2008 after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, to give additional powers to the agency mandated to investigate all terror- related cases.

As per the proposal, NIA will be given powers to investigate in foreign soil, with the permission of the host government, since there have been instances of attacks on Indians and Indian assets like foreign missions in the past.

A note for the Union Cabinet is being prepared and once it is cleared, the amendments will be tabled before Parliament for its nod before it is included in NIA Act, sources said.

The conspiracy of Pathankot terror attack was also hatched in Pakistan.

NIA may also be given special power to keep eyes on activities of modules of Middle-East terror group ISIS and Pakistan-based terror groups to ensure any attempt to harm India will be detected in advance.

Also, NIA may be authorised, through the amendment of the Act, to commute the charge of death penalty to life imprisonment in plea bargaining cases.

There are several administrative gaps in NIA Act and through the amendment these loopholes would be plugged, sources said.

(source: PTI News)






UGANDA:

Ugandan opposition leader charged with treason over protests----A judiciary spokesman says Uganda's main opposition leader has been charged with treason and jailed


Uganda's main opposition leader has been charged with treason and jailed in a remote area in the country's northeast, a judiciary spokesman said Saturday.

Kizza Besigye was handed charges late Friday stemming from his public attacks on the legitimacy of President Yoweri Museveni, who won a disputed election in February, said Solomon Muyita.

Besigye, a qualified physician, was Museveni's personal doctor during the guerrilla war that launched Museveni into power in 1986. He held various government positions and rose to become a colonel in the army, but then broke ranks with Museveni in 1999.

Besigye ran for president in 2001, promising a more democratic government, and has challenged Museveni in elections since then. He claims he won the February vote and has repeatedly urged his supporters to wage a defiance campaign against the authorities.

There is a video online purportedly showing Besigye being sworn in as Uganda's president.

The Associated Press couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video, but Besigye's party, the Forum for Democratic Change, reported on Twitter that Besigye had been sworn in on the eve of Museveni's inauguration for a 5th term.

Muyita cited the alleged inauguration of Besigye as one of the reasons for the treason charge, which carries a maximum penalty of death on conviction.

Besigye was charged in the district of Moroto, where he had been flown after being arrested on Wednesday in the capital Kampala.

His lawyer didn't answer calls seeking a comment Saturday.

(source: The Daily Astorian)

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