Feb. 28
IRAN----executions
2 Prisoners Hanged on Murder Charges
2 prisoners were reportedly hanged in western Iran on murder charges.
According to close sources, one of the prisoners was executed at Qorveh Prison
(Kurdistan province northwestern Iran) on Tuesday February 21. The prisoner has
been identified as Hossein Darvishi Kouchaki, 32 years of age. Mr. Darvishi
Kouchaki was reportedly sentenced to death on murder charges and was held in
prison for more than 5 years before he was executed.
"In the past few years, Hossein's family have made many attempts to convince
the murder victim's family to spare Hossein's life, but they have not agreed,"
a source close to Mr. Darvishi Kouchaki's family tells Iran Human Rights.
According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, a prisoner was hanged at Dizel
Abad Prison (Kermanshah province, western Iran) on Wednesday February 22. This
report, which has been confirmed by Iran Human Rights, identifies the prisoner
as Farshid Sajjadi Asl.
Iranian official sources, including the Judiciary and the media, have not
announced these 2 executions.
************************
Rise in Executions and Crackdown Against Iran's Youth
Executions and crackdown against Iran's youth is increasingly on the rise. Many
inmates in their 20's and 30's have been executed or killed during the past
months, while hundreds have also been arrested or mistreated. Wrote Donya Jam
in 'News Blaze' on February 26, 2017.
Dozens of prisoners have been hanged during the 1st 2 weeks of February,
including a mass execution of 12 prisoners in Gohardasht Prison, west of
Tehran, on Feb. 15. 13 inmates, including prisoners aged 29 and 30, were
executed between Feb. 11-13 in the prisons of Qom, Zabol, Jiroft and Mashhad.
On Jan. 29, regime authorities publicly executed 4 prisoners in the cities of
Bandar Abbas and Mashhad. These prisoners were all in their early to mid 20's.
Reports indicate 87 inmates were sent to the gallows in the month of January
alone. Many of those executed never received due process and some were hanged
while their cases were still open.
Hamid Ahmadi, a juvenile offender, has also been reported to be at imminent
risk of hanging. The United Nations and prominent human rights organizations
such as Amnesty International have been campaigning to halt his execution. 160
juveniles are on death row in Iran, according to the United Nations. The
number, however, could be higher.
On Feb. 9 in Shadegan (Khuzestan Province in southwest Iran), state security
forces shot and killed a young Iranian-Arab man named Hassan Ablu Ghabish.
Alongside hangings and killings, regime authorities are also continuously
arresting and attacking youths for absurd reasons.
In Shiraz, a teenage girl celebrating her birthday along with friends was
brutally beaten and arrested for wearing ripped jeans. 2 young women were
arrested in Dezful for riding a motorcycle. And hundreds have been arrested
between 2016 and January 2017 for attending mixed-gender parties. In some
instances, the regime has also brutally punished the arrestees.
Back in May 2016, Iranian authorities arrested and flogged 30 students for
attending a mixed-gender graduation party. Their flogging sentence was
implemented within 24 hours of their arrest. Each student received 99 lashes.
Imprisonment for attending mixed-gender parties continues. It was reported on
Jan. 28 that another 13 boys and girls were arrested in Gilan Province,
northern Iran.
One may ask why is the regime increasingly targeting youths? If we recall the
2009 nationwide anti-government uprising in Iran, the youth took the forefront
of the demonstrations. They played one of the most significant roles throughout
the protests. Therefore, the regime is using suppression as a method to spread
fear in society in order to prevent the youths from uprising.
And part of the reason why the regime is heavily cracking down on parties and
get-togethers is because they fear people's gatherings could turn into
anti-government uprisings. The regime is doing everything in its power to
prevent a reoccurrence of the 2009 demonstrations.
Now that reform in Iran has been proven to be nothing but a myth, another
question that may be asked is what is the true solution to bring an end to the
suffering of Iran's youth? This is where Iranian youth activists want their
voices heard by the international community. They want to see an end to deals
and negotiations with the regime, and instead yearn for the international
community to recognize the Iranian people's aspirations for freedom and
democracy.
Sourosh Abouthalebi, an Iranian student in Belgium majoring in political
science, expressed his deep concern about the executions. He called on the
international community to end economic deals with Iran because the
continuation of such agreements signals to the regime's leaders to carry on
with their human rights violations.
"Trading with this regime without raising any human rights concerns is
perceived as a green light by this regime for even more executions," he said.
Abouthalebi added that countries should instead support the Iranian people.
"Each country has a unique opportunity to place itself alongside the Iranian
people. Iranians will never forget those that have stood up for the rights of
the Iranian people during the darkest period of Iran???s history," he
concluded.
Afshin Motevalli, an Iranian student studying pedagogy at the University of
Oslo said the international community should end relations with Iran.
"I ask the international community to stop the appeasement vis-a-vis the
Iranian regime. The regime in Iran gives nothing back to its people nor the
international community other than terrorism, suppression, executions, and
destruction," he said.
Motevalli also mentioned that the world community should support regime change
in Iran by the people and their resistance movement, the People's Mojahedin
Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
"The international community should support the Iranian opposition National
Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), as well as the millions of men and women
in Iran longing for freedom and democracy," Motevalli added.
"Regime change is the only method to end suppression, torture and executions,
and regime change is the only path to democracy, equality, freedom and
harmony," he finalized.
Iran's youth are oppressed. They yearn for freedom and justice. The only way to
bring an end to the executions and suppression of youth is through democratic
regime change. Therefore, the international community should end all deals with
Iran and instead support the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK and people in their
plight to establish freedom. This is the only way to put an end to the
injustice and the only way the youth of Iran can be guaranteed a brighter,
safer and hopeful future.
[Ms. Donya Jam is an Iranian-American Christian and human rights activist. She
holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Shenandoah University]
(source for both: Iran Human Rights)
VIETNAM:
Meth smuggling ring busted in central Vietnam
2 Laotian nationals and a Vietnamese woman have been arrested for smuggling 15
kilograms of methamphetamine in central Vietnam, VietnamPlus reported Monday.
Cheo Thi Phoi, 37, and Cheo Van Man, 41, from Laos, and Phan Thi Pham, 39, from
Vietnam's central province of Thanh Hoa were caught in the province's Muong Lat
District Sunday, with the drug in their possession.
The ring often smuggles drugs from Laos, the report cited Thanh Hoa police as
saying.
Vietnam has some of the world's toughest drug laws. Those convicted of
possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin, or more than 2.5
kilograms of methamphetamine, face the death penalty.
The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin, or 300 grams of other illegal
narcotics is also punishable by death.
Although the laws are strictly enforced with capital punishment handed down
regularly, drug running continues in border areas.
(source: Vnexpress.com)
PORTUGAL:
Portugal calls for "total abolition" of death penalty around the globe
Portugal on Monday at the United Nations called on countries that still have
the death penalty to call a "de facto" moratorium as a 1st step towards "total
abolition" of the death penalty.
According to the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Augusto Santos Silva, speaking at
the opening session of the 34th meeting of the Human Rights Council, in Geneva,
Portugal rejects all the reasons and arguments that attempt to justify the
application of the death penalty and that the country calls on all countries
that still have the penalty to establish a 'de facto' moratorium as a 1st step
towards the total abolition of the death penalty.
He noted the importance that Portugal gives to the "evolution of the death
penalty" noting that Portugal was a pioneer in abolishing it "precisely 150
years ago."
Portugal has called for the death penalty to be abolished in Equatorial Guinea,
a country which joined the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP),
in 2014, based on a commitment to abolish it.
(source: theportugalnews.com)
PHILIPPINES:
Lagman vows to oppose 'watered down' death penalty bill
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Monday said he and other congressmen will continue
to oppose the death penalty bill despite the proposed reduction in the number
of crimes covered by capital punishment.
Lagman accused the House majority of pandering to President Rodrigo Duterte as
it again watered down the bill reimposing the death penalty.
"I don't think they are really interested in the death penalty," Lagman said.
"What they want to do is just to support the president's deadly war against the
drug menace otherwise they won't emasculate the bill," he continued.
The supermajority at the House of Representatives has agreed to reduce the
number of crimes punishable by death from 21 to just 1--illegal drugs.
Lagman said the majority is really doing all it could to guarantee enough votes
for the bill.
"They continue amending the bill so that from railroading it is now going to
emasculation just to convince members of the house to vote for the measure,"
said Lagman, who is a staunch opponent of reviving capital punishment.
Lagman said that despite the reduction of the number of crimes punishable by
death, he and other congressmen will still oppose it.
"As far as the oppositors are concerned, as long as there is a crime punishable
by death, we're going to oppose it," he added.
"It's not the number of crimes but it is the concept of the death penalty which
is abhorrent," he said.
(source: abs-cbn.com)
BANGLADESH:
5 JMB men given death penalty for killing Kunio Hoshi
A Rangpur court on Tuesday awarded death sentence to 5 members of banned
militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Japanese citizen Kunio
Hoshi murder case.
Judge Naresh Chandra Sarkar of the Rangpur Special Judges Court handed down the
verdict.
Among the convicted, Masud Rana alias Mamun alias Montri, Ishak Ali, Liton Mia
alias Rafiq, Sakhwat Hossain are now in jail while Ahsanulla is on the run.
The court also exempted JMB member Abu Sayeed from the case.
Earlier, on 15 November 2016, a court framed charges against 7 members of
banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Hoshi Kunio murder case.
On 3 October 2015, Hoshi Kunio, 65, was gunned down by unknown assailants near
his farmhouse at Kachu Alutary in Kaunia upazila of Rangpur district.
(source: prothm-alo.com)
MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE:
Malaysia won't interfere in Singapore death row case, envoy says
Malaysia will not interfere in other country's internal affairs, which includes
a court case involving a Malaysian death row inmate in Singapore.
"We are aware that there is an effort to put pressure to bring a particular
court case here to a higher profile," Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore
Datuk Ilango Karuppannan told Bernama here.
It was reported that a Malaysian death row inmate S. Prabagaran, aged 30, was
making a judicial review application to direct the government to start
proceedings against Singapore in the International Court of Justice over his
conviction for drug trafficking.
The Foreign Ministry and the Malaysian government were named as respondents in
the application which was filed at the Malaysian High Court registry in January
this year.
The inmate was sentenced to death in September 2014 and had reportedly
exhausted all appeals in the republic.
Asked on how many Malaysians are on death row in Singapore, Ilango declined to
reveal the numbers.
In another case on death row related to Malaysians, the Singapore apex court
yesterday (Monday) had dismissed an appeal for the 2010 Kallang slashing case
involving Michael Garing.
Following a trial, Michael, who was part of a gang of 4 from Sarawak that
carried out 4 violent robberies 7 years ago, was sentenced to death.
A 4th suspect who was arrested in Malaysia last month, Donny Meluda, has been
charged with murder with his case still before the court, and if convicted, he
will also face the death penalty.
(source: themalaymailonline.com)
*************************
2 women to be charged with Kim Jong Nam murder
2 women will be charged with the murder of the estranged half-brother of North
Korea's leader, Malaysian officials said Tuesday. If convicted, Indonesian Siti
Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam, 28, could face the death penalty.
Malaysian Attorney General Mohamed Apandi said the pair will be charged
Wednesday over Kim Jong Nam's Feb. 13. death at Kuala Lumpur International
Airport. No decision has been made over whether to charge 2 other suspects, a
Malaysian out on bail and a North Korean in custody. Authorities are seeking 7
other North Korean suspects in the incident that resembles the plot of a spy
thriller. Several may have already returned to North Korea.
Malaysian police said Siti and Doan placed the deadly nerve agent VX on Kim's
face amid crowds of travelers at Kuala Lumpur's airport. Kim died on the way to
a hospital, in pain, within about 20 minutes of the attack. The women claim
they thought they were taking part in a televised prank. South Korea has
accused North Korea of orchestrating Kim's death on behalf of the North's
leader Kim Jong Un.
But North Korea has resisted that characterization and refused to accept
Malaysia's identification of the victim, acknowledging only that a North Korean
national with a diplomatic passport was killed. News that Siti and Doan will be
charged under a section of the penal code that carries a mandatory death
sentence, came as a high-level delegation including North Korea's former deputy
ambassador to the United Nations arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday to discuss the
escalating diplomatic row.
Ri Tong-il, the former U.N. deputy ambassador, will request that Malaysia hand
over Kim's body to North Korea, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Ri will also ask Malaysia to release the North Korean suspect who remains in
custody. The North has accused Malaysia of colluding with South Korea in the
investigation.
Kim, who died aged 45, was the eldest son and onetime apparent heir to North
Korea's late leader Kim Jong Il. But he fell out of favor with his father,
which led to exile, and his younger paternal half-brother - Kim Jong Un, 33 -
assumed the role on Kim the elder's death in 2011. He was on his way home to
Macau when he was killed and he didn't appear to have any political ambitions,
although he had been critical of his half-brother's regime and may have been
viewed as a threat.
Police have released few details about the women charged with Kim's murder, but
believe they were aware of what they were doing. Local media reports said Doan
is the daughter of a rice farmer from Vietnam. She was caught on security
cameras at the airport wearing a shirt with the acronym "LOL" across it. Siti
said she was paid $90 to smear what she thought was a harmless liquid similar
to baby oil on Kim's face. Police said both women washed their hands shortly
after the encounter.
(source: USA Today)
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