Nov. 17
BANGLADESH:
Man gets death penalty after 22 years for killing wife; According to the case
statement, police recovered the hanging body of Saber Ali's 1st wife Arju Begum
from her residence in Hill View Residential area in the port city on October 1
in 1994.
A court in Chittagong has awarded death sentence to a man for killing his wife
22 years ago in Chittagong city's Hill View Residential Area.
The court of Special Judge Mir Ruhul Amin on Thursday handed down the verdict
against Saber Ali, the fugitive accused, after examining the records and
witnesses' deposition, Public Prosecutor (PP) Advocate Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury
told the Dhaka Tribune.
The court also fined the convicted Tk10,000, in default, to serve 12 more
months in jail.
The court acquitted 2 other accused Monowara Begum, 2nd wife of Saber Ali, and
her relative Jamal Hossen, added the PP.
PP Mesbah Uddin said the court passed the verdict after taking deposition of 6
witnesses out of 10 and examining all the evidences while the convicted Saber
Ali was on the run after walking out from jail on bail.
According to the case statement, police recovered the hanging body of Saber
Ali's 1st wife Arju Begum from her residence in Hill View Residential area in
the port city on October 1 in 1994.
Later the deceased's father Nazir Hossain filed a case with Panchlaish police
station accusing the 3 mentioning that the trio murdered his daughter following
family feud and hanged the body with ceiling.
Conducting probe, SI Joynal Abedin pressed the charge sheet to the court
implicating the trio in October 12 in 1995 while the court framed the charge
against them on April 20 in 1997.
PP Mesbah said Saber went into hiding after coming out from jail on bail before
submitting charge sheet to the court.
(source: Dhaka Tribune)
BAHAMAS:
Archbishop Calls For End To Death Penalty
ARCHBISHOP Patrick Pinder, of the Catholic Archdiocese, yesterday called for
the government to abolish the death penalty and focus instead on offender
rehabilitation.
Archbishop Pinder's remarks came in a joint pastoral statement from the Bishops
of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) in commemoration of the Catholic
Church's Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. The bishops - 19 of whom are
signatories to the document - are urging governments and citizens in the region
to abolish capital punishment.
The statement said to take away a person's "basic right to immunity from fatal
harm" is to "compromise his/her sacred dignity".
It said while a "climate of lawlessness" is prevalent in the Bahamas and the
region, capital punishment does not "assist the criminal to reform," nor does
it "assist the victim to restore his or her violated dignity."
As such, Archbishop Pinder said the Bahamas, as a member of the AEC, along with
the AEC's other regional members, should instead focus on "restorative justice"
to bring about true criminal justice reform, which includes addressing the
factors that contribute to crime and "strengthening" the capacity of criminal
justice systems to address crime and violence.
The last person executed in The Bahamas was David Mitchell in January 2000.
Given the country's crime woes, many have called for the death penalty to be
enforced, in the hope that it would serve as an effective deterrent to criminal
activity, particularly for such serious offences as murder.
However, the London-based Privy Council has served as an obstacle to the
Bahamas carrying out the death penalty, after ruling in 2006 that the mandatory
death sentence for murder was unconstitutional.
"To reject capital punishment is not to make light of the loss of loved ones
and the violation of human dignity and rights experienced by victims of crime,"
the bishops wrote. "Capital punishment does not assist the criminal to reform,
or society to deter. Neither does it assist the victim to restore his or her
violated dignity. Only genuine reconciliation can achieve personal satisfaction
and restore social order. The process of reconciliation involves conversion,
reform, restitution and forgiveness.
"In civil society, penal laws and institutions are necessary because the
conditions of reconciliation are not often fully met. But the goal of
reconciliation, the restoration of moral order to society, is the purpose of
those institutions, and it is the purpose of the Christian practice of
forgiveness."
Archbishop Pinder, along with the other bishops, said the region would be
better served addressing the "underlying" causes of criminal activity and to
focus on reforming the criminal justice system in their respective countries.
"A restorative justice approach focuses on holding the offender accountable in
a more meaningful way and helping to achieve a sense of healing for both the
victim(s) and the community; it embraces socialisation, rehabilitation and
reconciliation rather than retribution and vengeance," the statement said.
"Restorative justice can help us to achieve our goals. It is not a panacea for
all social ills, but can be used effectively together with other policies.
"To promote integral human development in our region, we recognise the urgent
need for our governments to address the underlying causes of crime and the risk
factors that contribute to crime and not only the symptoms of crime. To do so,
they must take into consideration the many challenges to human life today,
including poverty and social exclusion, human trafficking, the sex trade,
including exploitation of women and children, domestic violence, the drug and
gun trade."
In June 2011, the Privy Council overturned Maxo Tido's death sentence in
connection with the killing of 16-year-old Donnell Connover, whose body was
found off Cowpen Road, battered and bruised and her skull crushed. There was
additional evidence that parts of her body were burned after her death.
"But the Privy Council concluded that the murder was not an example of the
"worst of the worst."
In November 2011, Parliament passed legislation to define the types of murder
constituting the "worst of the worst" guidelines set out by the London court.
Despite this, Sean McWeeney, QC, chairman of the Constitutional Reform
Commission, doubted whether the changes would matter to the Privy Council.
Speaking on the matter in April 2013 in response to a question raised at the
commission's 1st town hall meeting, Mr McWeeney said "as long as the Privy
Council remains your final court of appeal, it is extremely doubtful that you
will ever be able to hang anyone."
(source: Bahamas Tribune)
IRAN:
Macabre propaganda videos feature forced 'confessions' of executed Sunni men
Iran's authorities have used crude propaganda tactics to dehumanize death
penalty victims in the eyes of the public and divert attention away from the
deeply flawed trials that led to their death sentences, said Amnesty
International in a new report published today.
Broadcasting injustice, boasting of mass killing highlights how the Iranian
authorities embarked on a media campaign following the mass execution of 25
Sunni men accused of involvement in an armed group on 2 August 2016, by
flooding state-controlled media outlets with numerous videos featuring forced
"confessions" in an attempt to justify the executions.
"By parading death row prisoners on national TV, the authorities are blatantly
attempting to convince the public of their 'guilt', but they cannot mask the
disturbing truth that the executed men were convicted of vague and broadly
defined offences and sentenced to death after grossly unfair trials," said
Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North
Africa at Amnesty International.
"Iran's authorities have a duty to bring to justice individuals who carry out
armed attacks killing civilians. However, there is never any excuse for
extracting forced 'confessions' through torture or other ill-treatment and
broadcasting them in chilling videos. This is a serious violation of prisoners'
rights and denies them and their families human dignity."
"There is never any excuse for extracting forced 'confessions' through torture
or other ill-treatment and broadcasting them in chilling videos"--Philip
Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa
The stage-managed "confession" videos have sensationalist headlines such as In
the Devil's hands (Dar dast-e Sheytan) and In the depth of darkness (Dar omgh-e
tariki) and melodramatic musical backing tracks. In some of the videos, the
scenes have been interposed with film trailer style captions such as "to be
continued" or "coming soon" to heighten their dramatic effect.
Forced 'confessions'
In messages recorded inside prison and posted online using a clandestine mobile
phone many of the men said that they were forced to give "confessions" on
camera after suffering months of torture in Ministry of Intelligence detention
centres where they were held in prolonged solitary confinement. They described
being kicked, punched, beaten with electric batons, flogged, deprived of sleep
and denied access to food and medication.
"I felt I had no options left ... I could not bear any more abuse and torture
... They [intelligence officials] took me before a camera and told me that my
case would be closed and they would release me if I stated what they told me
to," said Mokhtar Rahimi, one of those later executed, adding that the
statements he made were then used to convict him.
"They [intelligence officials] took me before a camera and told me that my case
would be closed and they would release me if I stated what they told me to"--
Mokhtar Rahimi, one of those forced to "confess" on camera and later executed
Another man, Kaveh Sharifi, said he was told to memorize 6 pages of written
text prepared by the Ministry of Intelligence:
"I practised for almost 2 hours a day until I had the information completely
memorized ... They even told me how I should move my hands and keep a happy
face so that no one would suspect I was held in solitary confinement or
ill-treated."
As well as releasing propaganda videos, the Iranian authorities also issued a
series of inflammatory statements similarly describing the executed men as
heinous criminals deserving the punishment they received. As with the video
"confessions", the statements provide a skewed description of events and
undermine the dignity and reputations of the men featured. They attribute to
the men collectively a wide range of criminal activities and do not clarify
what involvement each of them had in the reported incidents.
Propaganda videos
Those featured in the "confession" videos include Kaveh Sharifi, Kaveh Veysee,
Shahram Ahmadi and Edris Nemati, who were among the 25 men executed on 2 August
2016. Loghman Amini, Bashir Shahnazari, Saman Mohammadi and Shouresh Alimoradi,
4 Sunni men who have been held in a Ministry of Intelligence detention centre
in Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province since their arrests, are also featured
prominently. In the videos the men repeatedly denigrate themselves as
"terrorists" who deserve their punishment. They "confess" to being involved
with a group called Towhid va Jahad, which they say carried out armed attacks
and plotted assassinations of "disbelievers" (kuffar). In some of the videos,
they compare themselves to the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS)
and warn that "we would have committed atrocities worse than IS if we had not
been stopped". These videos are interjected with clips showing IS atrocities
carried out in Syria and Iraq, in an apparent effort to exploit Iranian
people???s fears about security threats elsewhere in the region to justify the
men's executions.
Several inconsistencies also arise within the videos indicating that the
"confessions" are likely to have been scripted. In some cases, the men are
linked to crimes that occurred months after they had been arrested or the
nature of their involvement in the crimes attributed to them changes massively
from one video to another.
The "confession" videos illustrate how far Iran's intelligence and security
forces have violated the men's right to the presumption of innocence as well as
the right not to be forced into incriminating themselves.
The men were convicted of the vaguely worded crime of "enmity against God"
through "membership of a Sunni Salafist group" and carrying out armed attacks
and assassinations. However, many of the men had repeatedly denied their
involvement in such activities during their years on death row.
Amnesty International is not able to confirm either of these opposing
narratives, not least due to the secrecy surrounding the trials. The
organization's research, however, indicates the men's trials were blatantly
unfair. They were all denied access to a lawyer at the investigation stage, and
said they were subjected to torture in order to give "confessions" that were
then used to convict them.
As a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
Iran is legally obliged to prohibit, prevent and punish torture, refrain from
admitting "confessions" obtained by torture as evidence and ensure a fair trial
for all those accused of a crime. Given the irreversible nature of the death
penalty, it is even more crucial that in such cases international fair trial
safeguards are strictly observed.
The videos were produced and broadcast by different state-associated media
outlets, including Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Press TV and
an organization called Habilian Association. Any state-controlled bodies
involved in the production of the "confession" videos share responsibility for
the human rights violations committed against the men featured in their
productions and their families.
"The Iranian authorities must immediately stop producing and broadcasting
'confessions' extracted through torture and other ill-treatment"--Philip
Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa
3 months after the mass execution, the Iranian authorities have failed to
provide information about the precise criminal activities that each of the
executed men had been charged with and convicted of. This violates Iran???s
obligations under international human rights law to issue public judgements in
all criminal cases, making clear the evidence and legal reasoning relied upon
for the conviction.
"The Iranian authorities must immediately stop producing and broadcasting
'confessions' extracted through torture and other ill-treatment. They must also
lift the veil of secrecy around trial proceedings and ensure that courts issue
well-reasoned judgements, which are made available to the public," said Philip
Luther.
Amnesty International calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately establish
an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death
penalty.
Background
The 25 men executed on 2 August 2016 were part of a larger group of Sunni men,
most of whom were arrested between 2009 and 2011 when a number of armed
confrontations and assassinations took place in Iran's Kurdistan Province.
While the authorities have acknowledged that 20 executions took place that day,
Amnesty International has received reliable information about 5 additional
executions, bringing the total to 25.
Scores of the men, including Barzan Nasrollahzadeh, who was arrested when under
18 years of age, remain on death row.
As of 26 October 2016 there have been at least 457 executions carried out in
Iran so far this year, however the real figure is likely to be even higher.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception
regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or
other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to
carry out the execution. The organization campaigns for total abolition of the
death penalty.
(source: Amnesty International)
INDONESIA:
In jail and death row, Mary Jane Veloso keeps herself busy----Filipina in
Indonesian gallows for drug charges in positive disposition, even manages to
work for her family
Filipina death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso remains calm and completely in
control of her behavior and emotions despite being in prison for almost 7
years, according to an official of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development.
She even managed to provide for her family in Nueva Ecija.
During a visit to the Wirogunan prison in Indonesia last November 10 - 11, DSWD
assistant secretary Aleli Bawagan personally checked on Veloso, who has been
jailed in Indonesia for drug trafficking since 2010.
Bawagan said she washed clothes of her fellow inmates and sells some of her
batik and crochet creations to earn money that she sends to her family. She
also sent a portion of the $2,000 donated to her by then-congressman Manny
Pacquiao in 2015 for her sibling's medication.
Bawagan also personally handed Veloso a letter from DSWD secretary Judy
Taguiwalo, but did not disclose the content of the message.
"We did not wait long before Mary Jane came. Nagmano siya sa lahat nang
nandoon. We were introduced. Because the prosecutor still had another meeting
to attend to, we discussed first the status of the case of Mary Jane," Bawagan
said.
Unprecedented stay of execution
Prosecutor Ibu Sri Aggraeni told the DSWD official they are just waiting for
the results of the illegal recruitment and human trafficking cases against the
recruiters of Veloso.
"They are not doing anything (yet) here in Indonesia since Mary Jane has been
meted the death penalty. I asked if there is a deadline for the stay of
execution based on past experiences. She said that this is the first case of a
stay of execution in Indonesia (thus there is no precedent case)," Bawagan
said.
She noted that Aggraeni said they are also waiting for the deposition of Veloso
to be done in Indonesia.
"She knows that this has been ordered by the Philippine court although they do
not know when this will be held. This will be a good opportunity for Mary Jane
to testify in front of the court," Bawagan added.
Special requests
Veloso also received Philippine native foods like dried mangoes and peanuts, as
well as a letter from her family.
In her family's letter, they expressed plans of visiting Veloso in December or
January, in time for her 31st birthday.
Bawagan said Veloso requested the official to give her letters to Taguiwalo and
to Veloso's family in Nueva Ecija. She also asked for rubber shoes so she can
play volleyball again, as well as some toiletries and underwear.
Veloso also asked if it was possible for DSWD to defray the airfare of her
sister, who she had not seen in a long time. Bawagan assured Veloso that this
request will be discussed with Taguiwalo.
Keeping herself busy
"We talked about her daily life in prison. They are eight women in one room.
They wake up around 5:00 a.m., clean their room, take a bath, and then have
breakfast. They then spend time midday and afternoon to learn batik-making. She
sometimes gives her batik products as gifts to her visitors. Sometimes, they
play volleyball," Bawagan shared.
"We had the chance to talk with her housemother, Ibu Corniase or Ibu Ase. She
said that Mary Jane has good relations with many inmates," Bawagan furthered.
"She also said that Mary Jane is able to provide hope to other inmates. She
tries to be always positive."
Before they left, Bawagan said Veloso had her medical check-up because she has
"high cholesterol and sometimes feels numbness in her arms."
Positive disposition
"My impression of Mary Jane is she is in command of herself. I initially
thought that she might be depressed after being imprisoned for almost seven
years now. She is always smiling and is able to provide positive energy to
other inmates. She is also focused on her family."
"She has suitors but she does not want to have a relationship while in prison.
She is also focused on learning new skills to keep her active. She has learned
to speak and read Bahasa Indonesia. Of course she is hurting, but the regular
talks with a priest and a seminarian help her. At this moment, she only wants
justice for her case and to be with her family," Bawagan said.
Veloso, a Filipino worker, was convicted of drug smuggling in Indonesia and has
been sentenced to death in 2010. She was supposed to be executed last year, but
was given a stay of execution amid government appeals and the surrender of her
alleged recruiter who duped her into bringing drugs to Indonesia.
Last September, President Rodrigo Duterte met Indonesian president Joko Widodo,
but he reportedly did not raise the case of Veloso.
Duterte, however, mentioned he will "respect the judgment of your court," which
the Jakarta Post interpreted as a go signal, leaving the Veloso family in
shock.
(source: Manila Bulletin)
PAKSITAN:
Ajoka Theatre collaborates with UK artists on play about death penalty
In the midst of multiple clashes between Pakistan and India over the many
years, Ajoka Theatre has frequently collaborated with artists across the
border. As the relationship between the 2 countries has hit the ceiling, it has
taken a toll on Ajoka's mastermind Madeeha Gohar and her team's willingness to
work with artists there. However, it hasn't killed their flair for
collaboration and exchanges as the theatre troupe has decided to join forces
with a UK-based duo for their upcoming production.
Mrs Dina Mouswai and Mr Ryan Van Winkle are visiting Lahore for the
pre-production of the collaborative play. The former is a director at the
Compucite Theater Company in the UK, and Winkle is a producer at Highlight
Arts. While both drama enthusiasts are extremely happy and excited to join
forces with Ajoka, the message they aim to convey through the play is far from
such light-hearted emotions. Highlighting the issue of Death Penalty in
Pakistan, the production titled Life on the Line is slated to release next
year.
They are heading meetings with victims of death penalty who have been sentenced
to jail. "Theatre is the best way to deliver an important social message. The
issue of death penalty is considered a serious problem all around the world. It
issue becomes critical for underprivileged people who are given death penalty
for the wrong reasons. It will also shed light on the judiciary system in
Pakistan," Mouswai tells The Express Tribune. The play will be staged in
Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi. "Ajoka's identity is the fact that it has always
raised a voice against evils in society and this is why we decided to work with
the group. We expect a great response," says Winkle.
Both Mouswai and Winkle have been conducting training workshops for local
theatre artists who will be shortlisted to perform in the play. "We are amazed
at the amount of young talented artists in Pakistan. There is barely any proper
theatre and art education in Pakistani schools but these children are doing a
wonderful job. They have the energy and expertise in all genres of acting and
during the initial workshops, I was actually learning more from them," quips
Winkle. Besides working on the play, the duo has been touring historical places
in Lahore, attending music programmes and watching films to get a taste of
Pakistani talent.
Winkle reveals Life on the Line will also be staged in the UK. "We are
searching for resources to take the play to the UK but we are very hopeful
about this. People in the UK are aware of Gohar???s contributions and efforts
to Pakistani theatre. This is why we decided to team with her, and I am
confident it will be a beautiful play and appreciated by our (UK) audiences as
well." Stating the major issue is lack of funds, Winkle mentions that if this
is resolved, they will stage the play in the UK soon after its release in
Pakistan.
(source: Express Tribune)
INDIA:
Death penalty unimaginably evil, sovereignly stupid: book
The death penalty is a "macabre folly" whose continuance is "not just
unimaginably evil, but sovereignly stupid", writes Gopalkrishna Gandhi in his
new book on capital punishment.
Gandhi says abolishing the death penalty is about doing away with the "most
sullied symbol of a sullied system" that "mimics and perpetuates" medieval
blood sports in crime and punishment.
In 'Abolishing the Death Penalty: Why India Should Say No to Capital
Punishment', he acknowledges the surge in popular calls for "collective
retribution".
He argues that the prevailing social attitude to death penalty, "coloured by a
revulsion" over the Nirbhaya case and rage over terrorist attacks, should not
influence the state and those at the helm.
"The death penalty is a macabre folly that swings between tragedy and idiocy.
Its continuance is not just unimaginably evil, but sovereignly stupid; its
termination will not just be nobly element but wholly and supremely and
incontestably intelligent," the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi writes.
"To abolish the death penalty is to end the mentality that treats the convict
as a toy passed by a public's insatiable appetite for retribution to a power
that indulges that macabre trait," he says in the book to be released next
week.
Arguing that India has an abolitionist trend, Gandhi feels the opposition to
the hanging of Bhagat Singh suggested it. However, he argues the tide changed
with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi as it might have "militated against
abolition".
Several private member bills and resolutions moved in Parliament during the
tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru, who favoured abolition, failed and cites the one
moved by actor and Rajya Sabha nominated MP Prithviraj Kapoor in 1958 among
others.
Mocking India's reluctance in doing away with capital punishment, Gandhi says
abolishing death penalty and shaming torture into retreat are, "by the state's
light", not masculine steps. "A state that wants to be in the (UN) Security
Council thinks it should be seen as tough on terror, no matter if it is rough
with rights," he adds.
Lamenting that terrorism has taken execution debate to a "margent hazy with
smoke of hellfire", Gandhi believes that there is a "social sentiment,
political compulsion and above all, the state's izzat (prestige)" that compels
it to retain it.
Public is always "death-penalty minded" and acts like the Dadri killing and the
lynching of a prisoner in Nagaland "show a mindset that is entirely comfortable
with the death penalty", he writes.
(source: Deccan Herald)
KENYA:
Kenya urged to set pace for region by abolishing death penalty
Kenya has been asked to consider abolishing the death penalty since it is not
compatible with the fundamental tenets of human rights, in particular human
dignity, the right to life and prohibition of torture or other cruel treatment.
United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee said if the
death penalty is abolished here, the rest of Africa is likely to follow suit.
"Whatever happens here it is going to have a ripple effect to the neighbouring
States too."
"To us, Kenya is a beacon of hope in a state of fragility we have seen in the
neighbourhood. We need a Kenya which is actually the paradigm of human rights,
the paradigm of mercy, inclusion and above all the paradigm of equality where
women and child rights are respected. This is where it is actually happening.
The change is happening in Kenya," he stated.
"Whatever happens here it is going to have a ripple effect to the neighbouring
States too."
He applauded President Uhuru Kenyatta over his recent move to commute all death
sentences in the country to life in jail, terming it as a good move.
Some 2,747 death row convicts are now serving life imprisonment following
President Kenyatta's directive.
This includes 2,655 male convicts and 92 female convicts who will be removed
from death row to serve life sentences.
The last commutation of death sentences to life imprisonment was done in 2009
by then President Mwai Kibaki.
"Considerable progress has been made towards the universal abolition of the
death penalty in recent years. Currently, around 170 member States of the
United Nations have either abolished the death penalty or no longer practice
it," Chatterjee said. "Most recently, seven States abolished death penalty for
all crimes."
He quoted recent remarks by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
who had said "I remain convinced that there is no place for the death penalty
in the 21st century."
"We welcome the fact that despite the fact that Kenya has the death penalty in
its law books, it has not carried out any execution around 3 decades," he said.
The last execution in Kenya was carried out in 1987.
"We hope that the Government of Kenya will respond to the call of the Secretary
General and take further steps to move from the current de facto moratorium
towards the full abolition," he appealed.
He said Kenya should ride on the recent mass commutation and work towards
establishing an official moratorium on the death penalty, aiming at its full
abolition for all crimes.
Chatterjee further cited a recent report at the UN General Assembly that proves
that there is no evidence that "the death penalty deters crime more than other
forms of punishment."
"It is not the severity of punishment that deters wrongdoers but its
certainty."
To curb crime, the UN has recommended that the focus should be channelled
towards the justice system by ensuring it complies with the international human
rights law.
Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Kagwiria Mbogori on her
part says the death penalty must be abolished since the Kenyan justice system
is still ridden with corruption and ineffectiveness that leaves innocent
suspects vulnerable.
They were speaking during the commencement of a 2-day experts' workshop on
assessing public attitude on the death penalty in Kenya on Thursday.
"The death penalty has a severe physical and psychological impact on inmates
and their families possibly amounting to torture and cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment under international law," she said.
According to Mbogori, it was even more expensive to maintain inmates on death
row, "since most governments are reluctant to execute death row inmates."
(source: Capital News)
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