Oct. 20
EGYPT:
Egypt court overturns 14 Muslim Brotherhood death sentences----Court of
Cassation upholds death sentences of 8 other defendants in the case pertaining
to an attack on a police station in Kerdasa during anti-coup protests in July
2013.
Egypt's top court on Wednesday overturned death sentences given to 14 members
of the Muslim Brotherhood over an attack on a police station in July 2013 while
protesting the ouster of then-president Mohamed Morsi.
A military coup led by then-army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ousted
Morsi 3 years ago.
Since then, the international community and human rights groups have criticised
Egyptian authorities for their crackdown on Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group.
The Court of Cassation accepted appeals from the defendants filed last year
against a lower criminal court ruling, and ordered them retried. It also threw
out one 10-year prison term in the same case.
8 more defendants in the case were awarded the death penalty in absentia. The
court upheld those sentences.
Under Egyptian law, an in absentia conviction automatically entitles the
defendant to a retrial upon appearance.
The defendants face murder charges over the killing of a security officer at
the police station in Kerdasa and the attempted murder of others in July 2013.
They are also accused of assault, rioting, sabotage, and illegal possession of
firearms and knives.
The court gave no legal reasons for its decisions. However, in a few days it is
expected to issue a written statement explaining the reasons behind its
judgment .
In February, the court ordered the retrial of 149 people on death row in a
similar case where the defendants were accused of an assault on the same police
station in August 2013. In that assault 14 police officers were killed.
The attacks came after security forces dispersed 2 pro-Morsi protest camps in
Cairo, killing hundreds of people in the process.
(source: trtworld.com)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Picture death row and a life's art in a powerful exhibition opening this
weekend
A unique and fascinating insight into the artistic and creative mind of a
prisoner on death row is making its way thousands of miles across the Atlantic
for a thought-provoking exhibition in Bridport.
Who Decides is part of a series of exhibitions for Art for Amicus, a legal
charity that fights for justice on US death rows. Artists Isabelle Watson and
Kenneth 'Kenny' Reams, who is currently on death row, will show over 50 works
of art from pencil drawings, acrylic paintings and several installations from
Saturday, October 22 to Thursday, November 24 at Bridport Arts Centre.
Kenny has been on death row in Arkansas since 1993 for a crime committed when
he was 18. He has created pieces specifically about the practice and history of
capital punishment in the US.
The aim of his exhibition and of Art for Amicus is to highlight the importance
of art to those in difficult circumstances; and to raise awareness of the human
rights issues surrounding the use of the death penalty.
Bringing Kenny's message and art to the UK was the brainchild of barrister
Samantha Knights from Shute.
She first met Kenny in 2000. Her work on his legal case culminated with a
prison visit to Kenny.
Contact with Kenny continued after Samantha returned home and she began to send
Kenny art materials. Sometimes he was allowed them, sometimes and often, they
were disallowed by the prison.
In 2014, Kenny had his first exhibition in Arkansas. From there, Samantha
suggested a UK exhibition and two years later, Kenny's art is making its way
across the pond.
Samantha said: "Through the medium of art it is hoped that people will reflect
on issues of crime and punishment not just as it is carried out in the US but
also more generally.
"That is what Kenny hopes to achieve through this exhibition."
A free special panel discussion on Saturday, October 22 at 2pm at the arts
centre between Samantha Knight, Margot Ravenscroft - director of Amicus and
local artist Ricky Romain will explore detention and the death penalty at the
start of the exhibition.
Who Decides, is at Bridport Arts Centre from October 22 until November 24 and
is open from 10am to 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
(source: Bridport News)
INDONESIA:
Jokowi told to assess deterrent effect of death penalty
Human rights watchdog Imparsial has urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to
gather a team to assess the validity of his argument that the death penalty can
create a deterrent effect for drug dealers.
Jokowi's insistence to keep the death penalty is groundless and has shown the
current government lacks political commitment to uphold human rights, Imparsial
researcher Evitarossi S Budiawan said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Jokowi allowed the execution of 18 death row convicts during his
administration.
Evitarossi cited a study conducted by Jeffrey A. Fagan, Columbia University
director of the Center for Crime, Community and Law, who found that there is no
empirical evidence to suggest that execution has a greater deterrent effect
than long prison sentences.
"[Jokowi] has to [be able to] prove that execution in Indonesia actually
creates a deterrent effect," Evitarossi said, adding that the research team
should consist of experts. She believes the result of such an assessment would
be a strong reason to scrap the death penalty from national law.
She asserted that Indonesia should join other countries already committed to
the UN General Assembly's Dec. 18, 2007 resolution calling for a moratorium on
executions, a move by UN member countries toward abolishing the death penalty,
since the right to live is a Constitutional right that should not be violated.
(source: Jakarta Post)
INDIA:
CBI seeks death penalty for 3 in Bilkis Bano gangrape case
While seeking death penalty for 3 accused in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape
case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Bombay High Court on
Wednesday that it is important to send a message to society because it is a
matter of communal violence.
CBI counsel Hiten Venegavkar told a Division Bench of Justice V.K. Tahilramani
and Justice Mridula Bhatkar said even before the incident took place, the
accused were involved in communal violence and hence it is a case of
pre-planned murder. The manner in which the woman was raped and members of
minority community murdered makes for an immoral crime, he added.
While concluding his arguments, Mr. Venegavkar cited Supreme Court judgments
listing the doctrine of rarest of rare cases laid down while seeking capital
punishment for Jaswantbai Nai, Govindbhai Nai and Shailesh Bhatt who were
convicted to life imprisonment in January 2008 by a special court in Mumbai.
The court was hearing the appeal of 11 people convicted in the gangrape of a
19-year-old Ms. Bano, who was 5 months pregnant then, in Gujarat in the
aftermath of the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots. In January 2008, a special court
sentenced 11 men to life imprisonment for the gangrape and murder of seven
members of her family.
(source: The Hindu)
********************
Karnataka HC stays execution of serial rapist Umesh Reddy
The High Court on Thursday stayed the execution of death penalty imposed on
serial rapist B A Umesh Reddy.
Passing an interim order to this effect, the division bench of Chief Justice
Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice R B Budihal asked the State and Central
Governments to file objections.
Reddy also questioned the delay in disposal of his mercy petition by President
of India. Recently Supreme Court had confirmed the death penalty on Reddy.
Reddy, who had several aliases was a former CRPF constable. He was convicted of
back-to-back raping and murdering women who were staying alone across
Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubli and Davanagere in Karnataka, Mumbai and Pune in
Maharastra and also in Gujarat.
He hails from Chitradurga district in the State.
Though Umesh had given slip to cops several times since 1997, he was arrested
in 2002 near Bengaluru's Yeshwanthpur Railway Station, based on a tip off.
He was sentenced to death by the Sessions Court on October 2006 which was
upheld by the High Court in 2009 and the Supreme Court in 2011. His mercy
petitions were also rejected.
Supreme Court on October 3 this year, also rejected his review petition.
Reddy faced 21 criminal cases of which he was acquitted in 11. The remaining
nine cases were related to rape, murder and robbery.
(source: The New Indian Express)
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