May 19
ISRAEL:
Death penalty for terrorists deal infuriates former AG----Former Attorney
General Yehuda Weinstein says capital punishment 'not ethical,' calls on
current AG to threaten to resign in protest.
Former Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has roundly condemned the reported
agreement between the Likud and Yisrael Beytenu parties, to include provisions
for implementing the death penalty for terrorists as part of a coalition deal.
Under the agreement, a new directive will be issued to military courts, by
which only a simply majority of 2 judges will be needed to sentence a terrorist
murderer to death, as opposed to the unanimous requirement currently in place.
Imposing a death penalty for terrorist killers was one of the key conditions
set by Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman for entering the governing
coalition.
While the death penalty technically exists under Israeli law, it has only ever
been implement once - the hanging of Nazi leader and "Final Solution" architect
Adolf Eichmann.
Weinstein reacted furiously to the reported deal, telling the left-wing Haaretz
paper that current Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit should veto the move, or
threaten to resign.
"I said that I would not (agree to be) appointed as Attorney General if there
will be a death penalty here," Weinstein said. "I think that this is without a
doubt the appropriate position (to take), and I think that Mandelblit also
needs to vigorously oppose this ruling."
Explaining his objection to capital punishment, Weinstein noted that Israel
would be bucking a global trend by which capital punishment was gradually being
rejected by some states.
"This has no parallel in the world," he said. "There is no country which adds
the death penalty to its laws - there are only those who removed it."
He also claimed it would serve no purpose, since jihadists who glorify
"martyrdom" wouldn't be deterred by capital punishment.
"It is not practical as a deterrent - since these criminals acts in any case
from an ideological motivation, and do not worry about death - and moreover it
is unethical," Weinstein asserted.
(source: Israel National News)
PHILIPPINES:
Pacquiao says he supports Philippine death penalty plan
Philippine boxing hero turned senator Manny Pacquiao said Thursday he supports
a plan by the newly elected president to impose the death penalty, a proposal
that has been met with strong opposition in the Catholic nation.
Speaking after he was sworn into office, the high school dropout and devout
evangelical Christian said he supported capital punishment because it was
sanctioned by his faith.
"I'm in favour of the death penalty. Actually God allows this in the Bible,"
Pacquiao told reporters after being formally sworn in as one of 12 new
senators.
The remarks follow previous comments by the 8-time world boxing champion
earlier this year describing homosexuals as "worse than animals". Tough-talking
Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to restore the death
penalty as part of a campaign pledge to stamp out crime, a plan opposed by the
Church and rights groups.
Pacquiao, who garnered more than 16 million votes in last week's national
election, has vowed to take his political duties seriously after coming under
fire for an undistinguished stint in the House of Representatives.
"I will perform this job well, avoid corruption, and be a God-fearing servant
of the people," he said.
Analysts say the retired boxer has an eye on the presidency and his period in
the senate is a possible stepping stone for the top office.
His performance in parliament was roundly criticised due to his frequent
absences as he trained for boxing matches, hosted television shows and even
dabbled in professional basketball.
(source: tenplay.com.au)
SINGAPORE----stay of impending execution
Singapore reprieves Malaysian murderer hours before execution ---- Kho Jabing,
31, was scheduled to be hanged at dawn on Friday, but wins stay of execution
for 2nd time due to appeal
A Singaporean court has stopped the planned execution of a convicted murderer
for a 2nd time, hours before he was scheduled to be hanged.
Kho Jabing, 31, was expected by his family and rights groups to be executed at
dawn on Friday but was granted a stay of execution following a last-minute
application by his lawyer on Thursday evening exploiting a legal loophole.
Kho, who is Malaysian, was sentenced to death in 2010 for killing a Chinese
construction worker in a robbery gone wrong 2 years earlier, and spent the next
6 years on a legal rollercoaster trying to avoid the gallows.
His family said on Tuesday they had received a letter from prison authorities
setting his execution for Friday.
On Thursday a 5-member appeal court dismissed an 11th-hour application to set
aside the death sentence, but the defence lawyer Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss filed
a separate suit against the attorney general asking to halt the execution.
Permission was denied after a 2-hour hearing that stretched late into the
night, but under Singapore law all court decisions can be appealed against.
That appeal will be heard on Friday morning at the court of appeal, and in the
meantime Kho's execution is on hold.
The Singaporean president has refused to grant clemency to Kho.
There was no immediate statement from Malaysia, which also has capital
punishment.
Amnesty International Malaysia and Human Rights Watch have both released
statements calling on Singapore to halt the execution and review the case.
After Kho was sentenced to death in 2010, Singapore amended its mandatory death
penalty for murder, giving judges the discretion to impose life imprisonment
under certain circumstances.
Kho's case was reviewed and he was re-sentenced to a life term in 2013. But
after an appeal by prosecutors, Kho's death sentence was reinstated in January
2015.
Another appeal, which stayed his execution scheduled for November 2015, was
thrown out last month.
Singapore executed 4 people in 2015, 1 for murder and 3 for drug offences,
according to Singaporean prison statistics.
Rights groups have called on Singapore to abolish capital punishment, but the
government argues that it is a deterrent to crime.
(source: The Guardian)
INDONESIA:
Police on tight deadline to solve 'coffee murder' case
The investigation into the role of Jessica Wongso in a "coffee murder" case is
far from a conclusion as a head prosecutor announced for the 4th time that her
dossier had yet to be completed, leaving the police with only 10 days before
having to release her.
For the last 4 months Jakarta Police have tried to build their case against
Jessica, but so far they have not even come up with a motive, let alone
convincing proof to show whether or not she had a role in the case.
Video footage of the crime scene, witnesses, forensic experts, a toxicologist
and a hypnotherapist have all been brought in a bid to confirm Jessica, the
only suspect in the case, had poured cyanide into the coffee consumed by her
friend Wayan Mirna.
The case's severity means she faces a premeditated murder charge with a maximum
sentence of the death penalty.
Mirna died on Jan. 6 after drinking a cyanide-laced coffee beverage at an
upscale cafe in Central Jakarta. The coffee was reportedly ordered and paid for
by Jessica, who arrived before Mirna and another friend Hani, for a planned
meeting between friends.
According to police, Mirna showed up at the restaurant approximately one hour
after Jessica had arrived, took a sip of the coffee and collapsed shortly after
complaining to the waiter about the beverage's taste. After 3 weeks of
investigations, the police named Jessica a suspect before detaining her a day
later on Jan. 30.
To date, Jessica has maintained her innocence through her lawyer, saying that
despite a lot of evidence obtained, police lack crucial pieces, such as
physical proof or a witness that confirms she was the person who poured the
cyanide into the coffee.
The police announced in March they would complete Jessica's dossier soon after
they received information from the Australian Federal Police ( AFP ) about her
past criminal record in Australia.
Jessica, who lived in Australia from 2007 to 2015, is said to have the
country's permanent resident status as well as a reportedly a long criminal
history.
"The police too hastily named Jessica a suspect. If they can't prove it, with
all due respect they should release my client," Jessica's lawyer Andi Yusuf
Maulana told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
On several occasions Jakarta Police general crimes head Sr. Comr. Krishna
Murti, who led the investigation, said the case was solid against Jessica,
emphasizing that the police had sufficient evidence to bring the 27-year-old to
court.
However, the prosecutor's office did not share that view, declaring Tuesday
that it was not a strong enough case to be presented before the judges.
"After examining the dossier, we believe that it is not comprehensive enough.
Therefore, we returned it [the case dossier] to the police so they can obtain
further evidence," Jakarta High Prosecutors Office head Sudung Situmorang said
on Tuesday night.
The police now only have 10 days left before Jessica can walk free from the
Jakarta Police detention center, despite the case still ongoing.
The Criminal Procedural Law stipulates that a suspect cannot be in detention
for more than 120 days.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono said the police were ready
to release Jessica if the case's investigation had passed the deadline.
"But remember [even if police have to release Jessica], the legal process
continues," he said.
(source: Jakarta Post)
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