my postings to this list will resume on July 2
June 28
TANZANIA:
'Penalise Albino Killers' Dline Goes Here
The Tanzania Albino Society (TAS) has reiterated its call to the government to
execute the death penalty pronounced over 19 people who were found guilty of
murdering people with albinism.
Addressing a press conference in Mwanza yesterday, a TAS official, Mr Josephat
Torner, said people with albinism are living in fear because those convicted
for the offence are still alive and might use their network to continue killing
more albinos.
"We are living in a great fear because those who were responsible for killing
or chopping off our compatriots or chopping off their body parts haven't been
punished in accordance with court rulings," Mr Torner said.
He said delays in the the execution of the death penalty against the the
criminals is one of the obstacles that frustrate efforts to tackle albino
killings in the country since 2007.
At least 79 people with albinism have been reported killed while 62 cheated
death after being wounded, among them 13 parts of their bodies were chopped off
by bandits. "The government should complete the process and procedures to
execute death sentence for the the convicts," he stressed.
Regarding education, TAS advises the government and other stakeholders to
allocate a special budget for public education to eradicate traditions and
myths about people with albinism.
Referring to stigma, Mr Torner said TAS intends to carry out inspections in all
renters taking care of children with albinism to identify those neglected or
abandoned by their parents or guardians, who he warned will be taken to court
for legal action.
"These measures intended to end the practice and misconceptions by some members
of the community to see the albino as imperfect humans being who does not
worthy to live in the community," said Mr Torner
According to TAS earlier investigations, Simiyu region is one of the areas with
higher stigmatisation against children with albinism.
(source: The Citizen)
BANGLADESH:
Top terror Joseph's plea for commuting sentence in law ministry
The home ministry on Tuesday sent the appeal of listed top terror Tofail Ahmed
Joseph for commuting his life sentence to the law ministry for its opinion.
Officials in jail said Joseph's mother Renuja Begum applied by letter on 7 June
to commute Joseph's sentence.
Renuja claimed in her application that her son is suffering the sentence
"unfairly."
An official at the home ministry confirmed that the ministry sent the letter to
the law ministry and the letter will be sent to the prime minister if the law
ministry gives a positive response.
When contacted, the home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, told the Prothom Alo
that the ministry will send the letter to the president on approval of the
prime minister, after taking opinions from the law ministry.
"Anyone can plead for mercy from the state. We will send the mercy petition to
the president following necessary rules. The Constitution of the Republic gives
the president the authority to show mercy. He will take the decision in this
regard," said the home minister.
Asked under which circumstances the law ministry gives its opinion on the issue
of commuting sentence, the law minister, Anisul Huq said the ministry gives its
opinions usually weighing all the pros and cons of a matter. "Joseph is ailing
and suffering from cardiac complications," the minister hastened to add.
An effort has been visible in the past 2 weeks to commute the life sentence for
the top listed terrorist who was primarily awarded death penalty.
The High Court upheld the capital punishment given by a lower court but the
Appellate Division commuted the death sentence to life term in December last
year.
According to jail officials, top terrorist is scheduled to languish over 21
years in jail more and he will have to suffer another year in jail if declines
to pay the fine.
Joseph, one of the top-listed terrorists of the 1990s, has been staying at
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University's prison cell for the past 10
months.
According to prison officials, the 42-year-old convict has so far served 12
years and 17 days in prison and awarded with nine months and 14 days of
remission of term.
The possible date of his release is on 24 January 2038 if he pays fine
otherwise it will be on 24 January 20139.
Joseph shot businessman Mostafizur Rahman to death at Mohammadpur in the
capital on 7 May 1996.
A Dhaka court on 25 April 2004 sentenced Joseph and another convict Masud
Jamadar to death.
The other convicts, Kabil Sarkar, Haris Ahmed and Anis Ahmed were also
sentenced to life term imprisonment for killing Mostafizur.
The High Court on 20 September 2007 upheld the death sentence of Joseph and
life imprisonment of Kabil. The HC, however, acquitted Masud of the murder
charge.
(source: Prothom-alo.com)
NIGERIA:
Armed robbery: Bricklayer sentenced to death by hanging
A bricklayer, Femi Adebowale was Tuesday sentenced to death by hanging for
conspiracy and armed robbery.
Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a Lagos High court, sitting in Ikeja found the
convict guilty of a 4 count charge offence preferred against him by the Lagos
state government in accordance with section 295(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos
State.
She said the minimum penalty provided by the law is death sentence for each of
the 4 account offence for which the convict was charged.
"In accordance with the provision of the law, you are hereby sentenced to death
by hanging by the neck until death. May the Lord have mercy on us", she said.
The Prosecution, Mr. Akin George had accused Adebowale of robbing one Alhaja
Amudalat Olowo-Eyo of gold jewelries valued over N500,000.00; cash of
N350,000.00 and other valuable documents at gun point.
The prosecutor said the convict, with others at large, robbed their victims on
December 28, 2012 between 1.00 a.m. and 2.00 am at their residence, 10,
Aiyetolu street, Abule Egba, Lagos.
The convict, when arraigned last year, had pleaded not guilty to the 4 count
charge.
During trial, the complainant, Alhaja Olowo-Eyo had told the court how the
convict and others at large robbed her at her residence.
She had told the court that she and her family were gathered in their parlour
and told that they would waste their lives if they refused to cooperate with
them.
She said she identified the convict as being among bricklayers brought in by
her landlord for the renovation of the house 2 days before the incident.
She said that after robbing then, her husband was able to pin one of the
robbers down, a situation that gave her courage to also held to another robber
next to her.
In order to free himself, she said the robber shot her twice in the chest but
that God kept her alive.
She said colleagues of the convict who escaped came back 20 minutes later and
rained bullets on their apartment.
She said one of her daughters was hit in the stomach, another on the back while
her son was hit on the thigh.
She said the incidence was reported at Ile Epo Police station while they were
treated at the General Hospital in the area.
Delivering judgement in the matter, Justice Ipaye dismissed the alibi provided
by the convict that he was away in Akure for his marriage introduction ceremony
on the day of the incident.
She also described as not credible, the evidence provided by the supposed
father in-law who told the court during trial he met the convict for the 1st
time on the day of the ceremony.
Citing several authorities, the trial judge noted that the evidence provided
before the court by the complainant and her daughter among other evidences were
not controverted by the defence led by his counsel, Yemi Omodele.
Justice Ipaye said the prosecution proved their charge of conspiracy as the act
was carried out by more than 1 person.
She also said that the prosecution proved the case of armed robbery against the
convict.
Justice Ipaye sentenced the convict to death "by hanging by the neck until
death" stressing that the prosecution has proved his case beyond reasonable
doubt.
(source: thenationonline.net)
IRAN:
Iran under pressure to abolish death penalty for drug trafficking ---- Several
European countries cut off financial contributions to republic's
counter-narcotics campaign
Iran is under pressure to end its use of death penalty against drug traffickers
after facing a serious shortfall in the international funding of the country's
counter-narcotics campaign.
An increasing number of European countries have decided to cut off
contributions even though the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) last year
approved a 5-year country partnership programme for Iran that was aimed at
providing about $20m (then 14.4m pounds).
The agency's latest annual appeal document, obtained by the human rights group
Reprieve, which works for the abolition of death penalty, shows that Tehran has
received zero in funding for 2016. The UK has confirmed in writing that it is
no longer contributing. Similar indications have come from Italy, Germany,
Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Norway.
2 senior Iranian officials have recently complained about the lack of
international support. Last week, Iran's prosecutor general, Mohammad Jafar
Montazeri, blamed "imperialist" powers for young people's addiction to drugs.
In April, the Tehran Times quoted the interior minister as saying that
Europeans were uncooperative.
Iran is a neighbour to Afghanistan, a leading producer and supplier of the
world's drugs, and faces big challenges at home with a young population
susceptible to a variety of cheap and abundant addictive drugs. Critics,
however, say Iran's use of death penalty in this regard has done little, if
anything, to address the issue.
"It is increasingly untenable for abolitionist states to contribute to the
funding of law enforcement-led counter-narcotics programmes in Iran due to
skyrocketing drug-related executions in Iran," Maya Foa, director of Reprieve's
death penalty team, told the Guardian on the sidelines of the 6th World
Congress Against the Death Penalty in Oslo.
Iran executed nearly 1,000 people last year, of which more than 1/2 were for
drug offences. It is difficult to gauge public attitude to executions in Iran
but Iranians increasingly favour forgiveness in cases involving murder. The
number of Iranian convicts whose lives were saved last year after being
pardoned outnumbered those who were known to have been put to death for murder.
There has been a considerable drop in the number of executions in Iran since
the beginning of this year (around 200 executions) but activists said it was
too early to say if that amounted to a change in policy.
The UNODC did comment on the cooperation of the Europeans. "The programme
received funding in 2015 and there are pledges for 2016 from countries. It
would therefore be premature to make any judgment on funding levels for the
programme, especially as we are only halfway through the year," said David
Dadge, UNODC's spokesperson.
UNODC's deputy executive director, Aldo Lale-Demoz, recently said: "You'll
never be able to control the world drug problem just by investing in law
enforcement and repression."
Iran has hinted that it wants to end drug-related executions. In December, more
than 70 MPs introduced a bill to end such executions and officials have since
signalled that Iran is pursing the matter. Iran's chief prosecutor said last
week that "we are not in favour of death penalty and we don't think it's
appropriate".
Madyar Samienejad, an Oslo-based human rights defender, said comments by the
Iranian judicial authorities over abolishing the death penalty for drug-related
offences appeared to be serious, showing there was a will to tackle the issue.
"I think this is the direct result of good campaigning. Executions have
contributed to a great degree in how Iran is viewed from the outside world and
the Iranian authorities seem to have begun acknowledging this, at least in
their words," he said.
Executions in Iran take place at the hands of the hardline judiciary, which
acts independently of the moderate administration of Hassan Rouhani. But
critics say the government has failed in preventing such executions take place
in public and providing enough funding for lawyers defending convicts.
Asked by the Guardian, the Norwegian foreign minister, B???rge Brende, said
last week: "We have been very clear regarding our funding towards the UN, and
that we will not be a part of funding Iran's programs which is related to this
inhumane practice." The French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, however,
said: "The fight against drug trafficking is one thing, the fight against the
death penalty is another." He did not say whether France was still
contributing.
(source: The Guardian)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:
Obaida's killer refuses to attend trial----Hearing adjourned till July 11
The Court of First Instance has adjourned hearing in the case of child Obaida
after the accused refused to leave his prison cell and appear before the court
for the trial.
According to a report in 'Emarat Al Youm,' the court was told that the
48-year-old Jordanian refused to come to attend the hearing, hence the court
would convene again on July 11.
The 48-year-old Jordanian allegedly kidnapped Obaida from near his house from
Sharjah and molested her in Mamzar area. Later, he strangled Obaida to death
and dumped his body in the desert. However, he denied in court that he had
kidnapped the victim, claiming that the boy went with him willingly.
The public prosecution has asked for death penalty to the accused.
According to the Arabic daily's report, 3 prosecution witnesses - who were
absent from scheduled hearing on Monday - were ordered to attend the next
session.
The lawyer of the defendant informed public prosecutor that he wanted to
withdraw and didn't want to defend the accused anymore.
He told 'Emarat Al Youm' that he would request withdrawal from the case in the
next hearing on certain reasons.
According to the Federal Law of Criminal Procedure, the accused must have a
lawyer. But if he failed to arrange a lawyer, the court should arrange a lawyer
for him to defend the case.
In the previous hearing, the accused admitted to strangling Obaida, also
Jordanian, to death after molesting him in Al Mamzar area.
(source: emirates247.com)
PAKISTAN:
2 Christians and a Muslim man get death penalty in Pakistan for committing
blasphemy
2 Christians and a Muslim man were on Tuesday sentenced to death by a Pakistani
anti terrorism court for committing blasphemy.
The Anti-Terrorism Court of Gujranwala district announced the verdict in the
case which was pending for the last one year.
ATC Gujranwala Judge Bushra Zaman handed down death penalty to Anjum, Javed Naz
(who are both Christians) and Jaffer Ali for committing blasphemy. Naz and Ali
have been sentenced to an additional 35 years each.
The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 5 million on Anjum and Rs 8 million each on
Naz and Ali.
Gujranwala city police had arrested Anjum, Naz and Ali a year ago on blasphemy
charges.
The judge announced the verdict after prosecution presented all witnesses.
Anjum, a resident of Farid Town, some 80km from Lahore ran a chain of Locus
Schools System in Gujranwala. Asif, Anjum's brother, told PTI that his brother
never committed any blasphemy.
"Javed Naz was a cousin of Anjum and employed at one of his schools. When Anjum
fired Naz on corruption allegations he turned against my brother," he said.
Asif said later Naz started blackmailing Anjum by claiming that he had his
voice recorded in which he had made blasphemous remarks.
"When Anjum stopped paying money to Naz, he along with his Muslim friend Ali
got a blasphemy case registered against Anjum," he said.
Police during investigation also booked Naz and Ali in the blasphemy case.
"My brother is innocent and we will challenge the ATC verdict in the superior
court," Asif said.
Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive issue in Pakistan. 2 high-profile
politicians then Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer and minorities minister Shahbaz
Bhatti were murdered in 2011 after calling for reforms to the blasphemy law.
Pakistan's tough blasphemy law has attracted criticism from rights groups, who
say they are frequently misused to settle personal scores.
(source: firstpost.com)
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