June 3
IRAN----executions
Iran hangs man and woman in prison
Iran's fundamentalist regime has hanged a man and a woman in a prison in
Qazvin, north-west of Tehran.
The woman was not named, but the office of the regime's prosecutor-general in
Qazvin Province said that she had been imprisoned since 2014.
The regime's local deputy prosecutor was present to oversee the execution, the
state-run Borna news agency reported on Thursday.
The man was identified only as Amir Q., the official state broadcaster IRIB
said in its website for Qazvin Province. He was arrested on May 30, 2011.
The latest hangings bring to at least 120 the number of people executed in Iran
since April 10. Three of those executed were women and 2 are believed to have
been juvenile offenders.
Ms. Farideh Karimi, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
(NCRI) and a human rights activist, last month called for an urgent response by
the United Nations and foreign governments to the recent spate of executions
and the appalling state of human rights in Iran.
Iran's fundamentalist regime last month amputated the fingers of a man in his
30s in Mashhad, the latest in a line of draconian punishments handed down and
carried out in recent weeks.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a statement on April
13 that the increasing trend of executions "aimed at intensifying the climate
of terror to rein in expanding protests by various strata of the society,
especially at a time of visits by high-ranking European officials, demonstrates
that the claim of moderation is nothing but an illusion for this medieval
regime."
Amnesty International in its April 6 annual Death Penalty report covering the
2015 period wrote: "Iran put at least 977 people to death in 2015, compared to
at least 743 the year before."
"Iran alone accounted for 82% of all executions recorded" in the Middle East
and North Africa, the human rights group said.
There have been more than 2,400 executions during Hassan Rouhani's tenure as
President. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation
in Iran in March announced that the number of executions in Iran in 2015 was
greater than any year in the last 25 years. Rouhani has explicitly endorsed the
executions as examples of "God's commandments" and "laws of the parliament that
belong to the people.
(source: NCR-Iran)
SAUDI ARABIA:
Saudi Arabia hands 14 convicts death sentence as total executions near 100
Even as human rights activists and organisations have been criticising Saudi
Arabia for handing capital punishment to criminals, in the first five months of
2016, around 95 people were executed in the conservative Arab kingdom.
The number could soon cross 100 as, 14 others were sentenced to death on 1 June
after being convicted of attacking police officers in the Shia Muslim minority
area of Qatif located in the Eastern Province.
"Sentencing of 14 young people to death is simply unacceptable even by their
own allies and I hope this time the United States and their allies in the West
will tell them that, 'Look, this is not acceptable. You must stop this nonsense
and this outrageous behavior with your own people'," Saeed Shehabi, a political
analyst and Middle East expert in London said in an interview.
According to reports, the number of executions will only increase in 2016 as
compared to last year, which saw 158 people being executed. This figure was up
from 2014, when as many as 90 people were executed.
(source: ibtimes.co.uk)
EGYPT:
Irish teenager jailed and tortured in Egypt faces death sentence in
days----Ibrahim Halawa writes from jail that he has been beaten, abused and
seen men 'crucified' in his 3 years in jail
An Irish student who was arrested while on holiday in Egypt has been told he
could be sentenced to death by the end of the month over a protest he attended
in 2013.
Ibrahim Halawa, from Dublin, was 17 at the time of his arrest, and has detailed
his horrific treatment at the hands of the Egyptian authorities in a letter
handed to The Independent by the human rights charity Reprieve.
Mr Halawa is being tried as an adult alongside 493 other defendants and faces
death by hanging if found guilty. He says that because of the shambolic nature
of the mass trial, no one has been permitted to speak on his behalf in court
and his lawyers have been showed no evidence against him.
Now 20 years old, Mr Halawa wrote in his letter that he has been beaten, abused
and mentally tortured during his 3 years in jail.
Though he has yet to be found guilty of any crime, Mr Halawa has been housed
alongside convicted criminals in a small cell that holds up to 40 people at a
time. He describes how prisoners are punished by being made to watch fellow
inmates being tortured, while the others have been "crucified" by guards.
Mr Halawa's trial has been postponed repeatedly since the day he attended a
pro-democracy protest in Cairo with his 3 older sisters.
But according to Reprieve, at a recent hearing the judge announced that both
verdicts and sentences will be handed down on the 29 June, and that will be the
end of proceedings.
The mass trial is one of several held in Egypt since 2013. Some trials have
seen death sentences handed down in the hundreds, Reprieve said, and the policy
of putting juvenile offenders on death row contravenes international law.
"Ibrahim Halawa has been subjected to nearly three years of horrific abuse,"
said Maya Foa, director of the death penalty team at Reprieve.
"Arrested for attending a protest when he was a juvenile, he's been tortured
and put through a sham trial with hundreds of others.
"It's deeply worrying that the court is now suggesting that death sentences
could soon be handed down. The international community must urgently call on
the Egyptian authorities to release Ibrahim, and the other innocent protesters
held alongside him."
In his letter, Mr Halawa wrote: "I never imagined I would go to prison being
innocent. I never thought it was possible, even in 3rd world countries. It
feels devastating. I could never see my family again. I could never have kids
and see them grow up.
"While being arrested, they said, 'We only need you for 5 minutes.' It's been 3
years. I thought I'd be home the same day."
(source: The Independent)
UNITED KINGDOM/ETHIOPIA:
Hammond failed to ask Ethiopia for death row Brit to be released during visit
UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has refused to ask the Ethiopian government
to release a kidnapped Brit who is on death row and may be being tortured in
detention, a human rights organization says.
Political activist Andargachew "Andy" Tsege disappeared while catching a
connecting flight through Yemen in 2014 and was forcibly taken to Ethiopia.
Since then, he has been held in solitary confinement under a death sentence
imposed in absentia in 2009, having had little contact with his family.
Hammond, who visited Ethiopia this week, says he used his trip to "raise the
case" and secure "legal access" for the father of 3 from London.
"[I] received a commitment from the prime minister that Mr Tsege will be
allowed access to independent legal advice to allow him to discuss options
under the Ethiopian legal system," Hammond said.
He added he was "satisfied that [Tsege] is not being ill-treated" following a
consular visit from a senior Foreign Office official.
But the human rights organisation Reprieve says Hammond needs to do more for
the 60-year-old by urging the Ethiopian government to free Tsege and allow him
to return home to Britain.
"The foreign secretary appears to have missed a crucial opportunity today to
end the appalling ordeal of a British father, Andy Tsege. Instead, he has
chosen to parrot the Ethiopian government???s propaganda, in a move that will
do nothing to help Andy," said Maya Foa, director of the death penalty team at
Reprieve.
"Philip Hammond has said Andy will have 'legal access' - but this is
meaningless rhetoric, as he must himself well know.
"Andy has been subjected to a series of unlawful acts - from an in absentia
death sentence to kidnap, rendition and continued detention without charge."
Reprieve says torture is common in Ethiopia and is concerned for Tsege's
wellbeing. In 2015 the UN's Special Rapporteur on Torture said Ethiopian
officials may have violated the Convention Against Torture in their treatment
of him.
The UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the European Parliament have
also called for Tsege's release.
Last week, Tsege's daughter, Menabe Andargachew, 9, launched legal action
against the British government in a bid to bring her father home.
She says the foreign secretary has failed to help secure her father's release
from prison.
Britain is the 2nd-largest donor to Ethiopia, giving it 350 million pounds
(US$505 million) a year. Hammond warned last year the case could jeopardize
relations between the 2 countries, the Telegraph reports.
Tsege was a secretary-general of a political group, Ginbot 7, which is opposed
to the current Ethiopian administration. He was granted asylum in Britain on
political grounds in 1983 and became a citizen in 2006.
(source: rt.com)
BAHAMAS:
Killers Of Couple In Andros Face Wait For Sentencing
2 men must continue to wait before they are sentenced concerning their roles in
the disappearances and murders of an Immigration Department officer and his
girlfriend in Andros.
Zintworn Duncombe, 28, and James Johnson, 22, reappeared in the Supreme Court
for the penalty phase of their trial, having been unanimously convicted in
March by a jury of murdering Shane Gardiner and his girlfriend, Tishka Braynen.
However, reports from the Department of Rehabilitative Welfare Services - which
were requested by the court - were still outstanding when Justice Indra Charles
called the matter on Tuesday.
A new sentencing hearing date has been set for June 17.
Gardiner and Braynen were allegedly killed after a failed plot to take $8,000
in gambling winnings from the immigration officer. Braynen, of Cargill Creek,
and Gardiner, who lived in Love Hill, both in Central Andros, were reported
missing around 1.45pm on November 24, 2013. Gardiner had recently been assigned
to the island.
On December 21, 2013, police in Andros discovered the remains of a man with
"items related to a female".
While the jury returned not guilty verdicts for alleged murder accomplices
Daniel Coakley, 28, and Cordero Saunders, 26, all four men were unanimously
convicted of double kidnapping, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and
attempted armed robbery.
The Crown is seeking the death penalty for Duncombe and Johnson, which resulted
in the requests for the production of a psychiatric report and social inquiry
report with respect to the 2 convicts.
Duncombe, Saunders, Johnson and Coakley, who all denied the allegations, were
respectively represented by lawyers Ian Cargill, Moses Bain, Donna Major and
Terrel Butler.
Darnell Dorsett and Patrick Sweeting prosecuted the case.
(source: tribune242.com)
INDIA:
24 Hindu chauvinists found guilty over Gujarat massacre
2 dozen Hindu chauvinists were convicted yesterday of involvement in the 2002
sectarian attacks in the Indian state of Gujarat that left more than 1,000
dead.
Of the 24 convicted by the Ahmadabad Special Court, 11 were found guilty of
murder in connection with the riot in a Muslim district of the city called
Gulbarg Society, although 36 others were acquitted.
The rioters torched 35 homes and killed 69 people, most of whom were burnt
alive, including Congress party MP Ehsan Jafri.
His widow Zakia Jafri said she was disappointed that so many had been
acquitted. "This verdict is half justice to me," she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Gujarat's chief minister at the time, and his
Hindu chauvinist BJP party was accused of inaction and even fanning the flames
of sectarian hated against Muslims.
Judge PB Desai said the sentences would be announced on Monday. Those convicted
of murder could face the death penalty.
(source: The Morning Star)
BANGLADESH:
4 to die for killing trader in Kushtia town
A court here yesterday sentenced 4 people to death for killing trader Alamgir
Hossain in the town in 2013.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Reza Mohammad Alamgir Hasan pronounced
the verdict.
The death penalty awardees are Hasan Ali, 30, Salman Hossain, 33, Nishikanta,
40 and Rahatuzzaman. They all are from Amlapara in the town. Nishikanta was
tried in absentia.
According to the prosecution, there had been a longstanding dispute between
Alamgir and the 4 over the ownership of a shoe store at NS Road in the town.
As a sequel to the dispute, the 4 strangled Alamgir at his house in Amlapara
area in January 19, 20113.
Alamgir's younger brother Jahagir Hossain filed a murder case with Kushtia
Model Police Station the following day, naming none as accused.
Police investigated the murder case and found the involvement of the 4. Later,
they arrested Hasan, Salman and Rahatuzzaman. Nishikanta went into hiding soon
after the incident.
Police pressed charges against the 4 on November 22, 2013.
Away in Rangpur, a man was stabbed to dead by his elder brother over a land
dispute in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur district on Tuesday, reports our
Dinajpur correspondent.
The deceased was identified a Md Mukul Mia, 29, son of Mohir Uddin of
Sheikhpara village in the upazila.
Locals said there was a dispute between Mukul and his brother Motin over the
ownership of a land. They locked in an altercation over the issue at around
10.00am. At one stage, Motin stabbed Mukul, leaving him critically injured.
Locals took him to Badarganj Upazila Health Complex where the doctors declared
him dead. Police recovered the body and sent it to Rangpur Medical College
Hospital for autopsy.
(source: The Daily Star)
INDONESIA:
VP Kalla Asks for Sympathy from Amnesty Int'l over Death Penalty
Vice President Jusuf Kalla has asked Amnesty International to have more
sympathy for Indonesia over death penalty particularly in relation to drug
abuse.
"Look at the impact of drug [abuse] that has killed more [people] than the 15
people sentenced to death," he said on Thursday after a meeting with the
Secretary General of Amnesty International Salil Shetty in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN, Salil questioned
Indonesia's firm stance who will carry out the 3rd round of executions of drug
dealers.
"The law has different characteristics in different countries. Death penalty
[is part of the law] in Indonesia, especially for drug and terrorism
[offenses]," he said.
Thus, the government will adhere to the law for as long it is applicable, the
Vice President said.
Earlier, in a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Najib Tun Abdul
Razak, Kalla asked about the death sentence imposed by Malaysian court against
Rita Risdiyanti, Indonesian citizen, for an alleged possession of 4 grams of
crystal meth in Penang.
"I knew that he would responded that Indonesia also imposes the same for drug
[offenses]," the Vice President said.
However, Kalla said that the Indonesian government will continue to take legal
action as far as the highest level of courts.
(source: tempo.co)
*************
Australian student charged with murdering her friend with cyanide-laced coffee
in Indonesia WON'T face the death penalty if found guilty
A woman accused of slipping cyanide in her friend's iced coffee will not face
the death penalty if she is found guilty of murder in Indonesia.
Australian resident Jessica Kumala Wongso is due to face trial over the death
of her friend Mirna Salihin who police allege was poisoned with cyanide in a
Jakarta cafe on January 6.
Murder is a capital crime in Indonesia and it was speculated that Ms Wongso
could have faced the death penalty if convicted.
However, an Indonesian official said a document was signed on Thursday to
assure the Australian government that she will not be executed if found guilty.
'We have written the letter. We co-ordinated it with the Attorney-General and
the Jakarta Police Chief,' Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly told the
Sydney Morning Herald.
Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan previously said he had been promised
Ms Wongso would not be sentenced to death and had approved Australian Federal
Police assistance in honour of that agreement.
But a Central Jakarta District Court said on Tuesday there was no binding
agreement preventing the death sentence because the Indonesian justice system
'does not recognise that kind of deal'.
'No such deal is possible in our system,' District Court Judge and court
spokesman Jamaluddin Samosir told ABC.
'The judges can decide any penalty they want. We are independent, there can be
no intervention.'
A spokesperson for Mr Keenan's office told ABC: 'The Indonesian government has
given an assurance to the Australian government in writing that the death
penalty will not be sought nor carried out in relation to the alleged
offending.'
Ms Salihin began foaming at the mouth after one sip of Olivier Grant Cafe's
'Vietnamese coffee' and died on her way to hospital on January 6.
Wongso ordered the drink for Ms Salihin after arriving at the restaurant an
hour before her in January.
She was seen handling the beverage on CCTV footage before her friends arrived,
according to local media.
The 27-year-old was arrested on January 30, some 3 weeks after meeting her
friend at the cafe. She denies 1 count of pre-meditated murder.
Wongso, a permanent resident in Australia, studied with Ms Salihin at the Billy
Blue College of Design in Sydney and at Swinburne University of Technology.
They graduated in 2008 but Wongso remained in Sydney to work. She returned to
Indonesia sometime afterwards but the pair had grown distant, it was claimed by
local police.
At the time of Ms Salihin's death she had recently married husband Arief
Soemarko.
A consultant called in by local police in March to help unravel the case
alleged that Wongso, who did not attend their wedding, had been driven to
murder by 'revenge and jealousy'.
'A possible motive is some kind of jealousy and revenge,' Kirdi Putra told
ABC's 7.30.
Wongso denies killing her friend and has vowed to clear her name.
She previously took part in a police reenactment of their meeting at the
Olivier Grand Cafe, returning to the scene in an orange jumpsuit and police
guard.
Her lawyer, who is also her uncle, has called in to question an autopsy
apparently commissioned by police which found 15 grams of cyanide per litre in
her system.
In March Wongso said she wanted to help her friend's family discover 'who was
behind all of this'.
Business has boomed at the Jakarta cafe since Ms Salihin's death, with
travellers waiting up to four hours for a table to sample the the drink
themselves and take photos inside the 'dark tourism' destination.
Many took photographs of their visits to share on social media and joked about
the looming case against Ms Wongso.
'Coffee without cyanide,' said one diner as she uploaded a photograph of the
cafe's now infamous Vietnamese iced coffee.
Another said they had to book in advance for a table with the restaurant
becoming 'far more crowded' as a result of the scandal.
'We had the infamous Vietnamese iced coffee which was alright. The place was
pretty busy so I guess no bad effects from the 'murder case'' said another.
(source: Daily Mail)
*************
No agreement with AFP on Jessica's sentencing: Police
Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Moechgiyarto has denied that the Jakarta City
Police have made an agreement with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) about
the sentence of murder suspect Jessica Kumala Wongso, who could potentially
receive the death penalty.
"No there is no such agreement. We are professional, working based on facts,"
said Moechgiyarto as reported by kompas.com on Friday.
Australia is a country that has eliminated the death penalty, where Jessica
holds permanent residency.
During the investigation, police investigators requested from the AFP Jessica's
records while living in the country. The Sydney Morning Herald reported in late
February that Jessica would not receive the death penalty as part of an
agreement between the AFP and Jakarta Police.
Jessica was accused of murdering Wayan Mirna Salihin on Jan. 6. The case came
to light when Jessica, Mirna and another friend shared a table at Olivier cafe
in Central Jakarta. Mirna died soon after meeting, on her way to hospital,
after drinking cyanide-laced coffee.
"Who said that? It is just hearsay [responding to the alleged agreement]. We
work based on reality," Moechgiyarto.
The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office in late May accepted the case dossier against
Jessica - 2 days before her detention period by police was set to expire.
Currently, Jessica is being detained by the prosecutors' office while awaiting
trial.
Jessica's lawyers claimed police had no strong evidence against her because
CCTV footage failed to confirm that Jessica was the one who placed poison in
Mirna's coffee.
(source: Jakarta Post)
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