May 9
TURKEY:
Turkey Reinstating Death Penalty Would Mean End of EU Accession Talks -
Juncker-----If Turkey goes through with reintroduction of death the penalty, it
will mean the end of the country's talks on the accession to the European
Union, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in an interview
with the Rheinishe Post newspaper on Monday.
Following Turkey's constitutional referendum on expanding presidential powers
over the judicial and legislative branches of the government, held on April 16,
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his readiness to reinstate the
death penalty if the measure was supported by the people. Turkish protestors
chant slogans and a man (C) holds a placard reading ''We want death penalty''
as former Turkish soldiers, accused of trying to assassinate Turkish President
during the July coup attempt, are escorted by Turkish soldiers towards the
courthouse in Mugla, western Turkey, on February. "It is the ultimate red line.
If the introduction of death penalty becomes more than a rhetoric, it will be
Turkey's clear renunciation of the European family. It will be equal to the end
of the negotiations, because our Union is based upon respect for democracy,
human rights and the rule of law, as well as upon the European Convention for
the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. These values exclude
death penalty," Juncker said.
Ankara signed an association agreement with the then-European Community in
1963, and submitted a membership application in 1987. Talks concerning Turkish
membership into the European Union began in 2005. On November 24, European
lawmakers voted in favor of freezing EU accession talks with Turkey until it
lifted restrictive measures in the country, set in place since a failed coup in
July 2016.
(source: sputniknews.com)
***************
Opposition MHP calls on AKP gov't to swiftly reinstate death penalty
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli has issued a strong call
to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to swiftly reinstitute the
death penalty amid warnings from the European Union.
"Once again I declare my determination. The MHP is present with its full power
for a proposal or a draft that will be prepared and accepted in parliament
after discussions regarding the imposition of the death penalty," Bahceli said
in a parliamentary group meeting on May 9. "It is waiting for this issue to be
closed swiftly."
The reinstitution of the death penalty was brought to the agenda repeatedly
ahead of the April 16 constitutional referendum, particularly by President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who promised to approve any constitutional amendment that
would bring back capital punishment. Erdogan said the people were demanding the
penalty from the government, especially after the July 2016 coup attempt.
"Is the death penalty a social demand? Yes. Will the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) support it? Yes. Will the president approve it if the
law is conveyed to him? That is a 'yes' too. Then we should not wait, sing in
someone else's tone or be late. Instead, we should show what Turkey is and will
be by declaring to everybody her independence," he said, eliciting applause
from party members in the group meeting.
The death penalty has not been implemented since 1984, while Turkey formally
abolished capital punishment in 2004 as part of reforms to ease Turkey's
accession to the European Union.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said in March that any return of
the death penalty in Turkey would be a "red line" in the country's stalled EU
membership bid.
Bahceli criticized Europe's position on the issue.
"Now some European countries say they will not allow a possible referendum
concerning the death penalty.
"So much so that they argue and state that capital punishment is against all
the values of European countries. So, is it a part of European values to give
support to terrorist organizations?" he said.
(source: Hurriyet Daiy News)
IRELAND:
Garda assassinations and IRA executions during the Emergency----The IRA shot
dead 5 gardai during the 2nd World War. The State executed 6 IRA men
The 2nd World War was a conflict that claimed tens of millions of lives
worldwide. Although Ireland adopted a neutral stance during the war, it would
not be completely shielded from the effects of the brutal conflict. Rationing
of basic items, including tea, sugar, petrol and tobacco took its toll on the
Irish population, although this seemed like a small price to pay to keep
citizens far away from the horrors of the front line of war.
Not everyone agreed with the policy of neutrality, however. Certain people, TD
James Dillon foremost among them, argued passionately that Ireland was duty
bound to support Britain and the Allies against the evils of Nazi Germany.
Conversely, elements within the IRA stuck to the old mantra that "England's
difficulty is Ireland's opportunity" and believed that an alliance with the
Germans was likely to lead to a united Ireland in the event of them winning the
war.
The republicans would make contact with the German military secret service, the
Abwehr, early in the conflict, even sending chief of staff Sean Russell to
Berlin to meet high-ranking members of the government there. At the same time,
they declared war on England and inaugurated the "S-Plan", a bombing campaign
across the Irish Sea to aid the German cause.
Although the whole of Britain had entered the war, the IRA decided that on the
basis of Celtic solidarity their campaign would be confined to England only,
Wales and Scotland being excluded. There would be more than 200 bombings, most
of which caused minimal damage. In 1939, however, a bomb was detonated in a
busy Coventry street that caused the death of 5 civilians. Peter Barnes and
James McCormack were convicted of aiding in the planting of the device and
sentenced to death by the Crown. Before their hanging the Eamon de Valera-led
Fianna Fail government made numerous overtures to the British, imploring them
to commute the men's sentences. It was to no avail, however, and both were
hanged and buried in unmarked graves in Winson Green Prison.
Despite their protestations about the hangings of Barnes and McCormack, Fianna
Fail were themselves growing increasingly worried about the IRA's behaviour.
The English had made clear their fury about the subversive group's conduct and
hinted that it threatened Ireland's neutral stance. Just before Christmas 1939
the IRA again caused the government a major headache when they stole more than
one million rounds of ammunition from the Phoenix Park Magazine Fort.
Although most of the loot was recovered swiftly, it would still prove a highly
embarrassing incident for the establishment. The government at this point
decided to clamp down hard on their former republican allies by introducing the
harsh Emergency Powers Act, draconian legislation re-introducing internment,
flogging and the death penalty for subversive activity. The stage was set for a
period of violence between the government, the Garda and the IRA as bad as
anything seen since the days of the Civil War.
The 1st Garda casualty of the Emergency period was Detective John Roche, who
was shot dead on Patrick Street in Cork City in January 1940. The detective and
2 of his colleagues had been attempting to arrest Tomas Og Mac Curtain. A
commandant in the IRA, Mac Curtain was the son of the Lord Mayor of Cork of the
same name who had been murdered during the war of independence by British
forces. He did not go quietly when the Garda attempted to put him under arrest,
however, instead pulling out a gun and shooting Roche. Mac Curtain was
sentenced to death under the new legislation but would receive a last-minute
reprieve, partially down to a spirited campaign fought by his defence solicitor
Sean MacBride, himself a former chief of staff of the IRA. Other IRA volunteers
would not be so lucky.
Patrick McGrath and Thomas Harte would be the 1st IRA members executed by the
State since the civil war. The men were in a safe house in Rathgar on August
16th, 1940 when Special Branch detectives came knocking. The door was
eventually opened and as Detective Richard Hyland and Patrick McKeown entered
the building they were shot down in a hail of machine gun fire. At least 3 IRA
men then ran from the house but McGrath and Harte were swiftly captured. They
were arrested, tried and found guilty of the deaths of the 2 detectives.
Justice was swift, the pair being shot by firing squad on September 6th, just
over 2 weeks after the crime.
George Plant was convicted in 1941, along with two other IRA men, of shooting
dead and burying Michael Devereux, a Wexford lorry driver and fellow IRA man
who was suspected of being an informer. Plant was the only 1 of the 3 to be
executed. George Plant was convicted in 1941, along with 2 other IRA men, of
shooting dead and burying Michael Devereux, a Wexford lorry driver and fellow
IRA man who was suspected of being an informer.
A volunteer named Richard Goss would be next to be put to death after a Garda
was shot outside a house in which Goss had been staying in Co Longford.
Although the Garda in question was not killed, the tribunal still sentenced the
IRA man to death and he was executed by firing squad in September 1941. George
Plant would face the firing squad shortly afterwards, although his crime did
not involve a dead or injured Garda. Plant was convicted, along with two other
IRA volunteers, of shooting dead and burying Michael Devereux, a Wexford lorry
driver and IRA operative that was suspected of being an informer. For reasons
known only to the government of the day, both of his colleagues would be
reprieved but the death sentence on George Plant would go ahead as planned.
Maurice O'Neill, from Caherciveen, was shot by firing squad on November 12th
for his murder Detective George Mordaunt, a father of 2, was shot dead
attempting to capture wanted IRA operatives in a house in Donnycarney on
October 24th, 1942.
Detective George Mordaunt, a detective and father of 2, was another member of
the Garda killed in a firefight with the IRA. The detective had been part of a
team attempting to capture wanted IRA operatives in a house in Donnycarney in
1942. The IRA men in question were armed, however, and an exchange of gunfire
ensued. Mordaunt would be shot in the confusion and 1 of the IRA men, Maurice
O'Neill, was captured. O'Neill, a native of Caherciveen, stood trial with a
familiar outcome. He was brought in front of the firing squad on November 12th
of the same year.
The IRA was in disarray towards the end of the Emergency, as a result of
internment and the death penalty being utilised on both sides of the Border.
Internally the organisation also found itself in chaos, even suspecting their
own chief of staff, Stephen Hayes, of being a paid informer. His successor,
Hugh McAteer, was arrested and the IRA needed a replacement quickly. Tralee
native Charles Kerins was deemed suitable and appointed to the position by the
IRA in July 1942, despite being just 24 years of age. In September 1942
Detective Sergeant Denis O'Brien was ambushed and shot dead outside his home in
Ballyboden in Co Dublin. O'Brien had been a thorn in the side of the IRA
throughout the Emergency and his death would cause outrage in the country.
Detective Sergeant Denis O'Brien was leaving his home at Ballyboden, Co Dublin
when he was ambushed and shot dead by the IRA on September 9th, 1942. Charles
Kerins, then IRA chief of staff, was hanged for his murder 2 years later
Detective Sergeant Denis O'Brien was leaving his home at Ballyboden, Co Dublin
when he was ambushed and shot dead by the IRA on September 9th, 1942. Charles
Kerins, then IRA chief of staff, was hanged for his murder 2 years later
Kerins was arrested for the crime almost two years later and stood trial. The
main evidence against him was a fingerprint on the frame of a bicycle left near
the scene of the crime. Although Kerins refused to recognise the court he was
found guilty regardless. Petitions for clemency were organised, attracting
thousands of signatures but the government refused to act on them. In a further
insult to the republican movement, Kerins was hanged rather than shot before
being buried within the grounds of Mountjoy. Kerins would be the last of six
IRA volunteers executed by the Free State during the Emergency. The conflict
would come to an end less than a year after his death but by that point the
Garda had effectively wiped out the upper echelons of the organisation by using
mass internment. Flogging and executions were also employed as methods of
halting the IRA's campaign of bank robberies, as well as its efforts to liaise
with the Germans. The morale of the IRA was broken, more than 80 per cent of
internees leaving the organisation after 1945.
The war would end, but the bitterness felt by many republicans at what they saw
as a grave injustice would live on. Hundreds of republicans had been interned,
dozens were flogged, 3 had been killed in fire-fights with Gardai, 1 man was
hanged and 5 others had met their death in front of a firing squad. Kerins'
death would arouse particular anger; the IRA had already been defeated by then
and it was felt that it had been a pointless act of revenge. On the
instructions of minister for justice Sean MacEoin the bodies of the IRA men
executed during the war were released to their families in 1948 and reinterred
in their own chosen graveyards.
The Emergency had not officially come to Ireland's shores although several IRA
volunteers would die as an indirect result of the conflict. The period also
took a heavy toll on the Garda, who found themselves on the front line in a
vicious conflict with the IRA.
(source: Colm Wallace is the author of The Fallen: Gardai killed in Service
1922-1949, which tells the story of 21 gardai who were killed in the line of
duty in the lifetime of the Irish Free State. It is available from
Historypress.ie ---- irishtimes.com)
INDIA:
Anna Hazare says ministers convicted corrupt should be awarded death penalty,
asks Arvind Kejriwal to step down as Delhi CM
Reacting to the turmoil within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), anti-corruption
crusader Anna Hazare on Monday said he was deeply disappointed by the
allegations of corruption against Arvind Kejriwal and that the latter should
step down from his post.
"Arvind Kejriwal should step down as CM pending a probe. He should start a
probe into his dealings," CNN-News18 quoted Anna as saying.
"It is sad to see that founders of anti-corruption movement are facing
corruption charges," Anna said.
"It's proved that Kejriwal is involved in corruption and taken money from
Satyendra Jain, then he should immediately step down and face the law," Anna
told the Times Now.
In addition, the veteran social activist further demanded that laws should be
made that will hand out capital punishment to any minister who's convicted of
corrupt practice.
"Like in Nirbhaya's case, all the convicts have been given the death sentence,
all convict corrupt ministers should also be hanged," Hazare added.
Sacked Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra was today suspended from AAP's primary
membership after he levelled new allegations that Delhi Health Minister
Satyendar Jain settled a Rs 50 crore land deal for CM Kejriwal's brother-in-law
in south Delhi.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Aam Aadmi Party`s Political Affairs
Committee (PAC) at Kejriwal`s residence in Civil Lines here.
Earlier today, Mishra went to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) and claimed to
have evidence in support of his allegations that 2 people close to Kejriwal
tried to influence the probe in the water tanker scam.
Moreover, he also dared Kejriwal and Jain to undergo a lie detector test and
offered to subject himself to such a test.
Mishra had alleged that he witnessed Kejriwal taking Rs 2 crore from Jain.
The party has trashed all the allegations levelled by the former water minister
and accused him of being hand in glove with BJP and the central government.
(source: Zee News)
*****************************
Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence: 5 things India can do to deal with Pakistan
With the death sentence awarded to former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan
Sudhir Jadhav by a Pakistani military court, India has now made it clear that
its focus, for now, lies on bringing Jadhav back, irrespective of the
repercussions it has on its ties with Pakistan.
Both External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh
called the death sentence "pre-meditated murder". Immediately after the news
came in, India's foreign secretary, S Jaishankar, summoned Pakistan's high
commissioner, Abdul Basit, and issued a demarche.
"If basic norms of law and justice are not observed, the government and the
people of India will regard it as premeditated murder," the Ministry of
External Affairs had said in the demarche. "It is significant that our High
Commission was not even informed that Kulbhushan Jadhav was being brought to
trial," it had added.
Undoubtedly, the Indian government is naturally very angry. But despite the
outrage, the government will have to calmly and objectively look at the options
available to bring Jadhav back.
The 1st and probably most important thing India needs to realise is that the
issue will not simmer down anytime soon. This issue will take time to be
resolved. After all, Pakistani authorities did not say when the sentence would
be carried out. Diplomatic manoeuvring, lengthy legal proceedings and the
possibility of appeal could mean the case will be contested for years, an
analyst told Reuters.
"Very often, they keep these guys on death row for years, if not decades, as
bargaining chips," said Ajai Sahni, executive director at the Institute for
Conflict Management in New Delhi.
Sahni said there was "going to be a lot of posturing by both sides" but he
doubted it would lead to any direct military action.
Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal believes that New Delhi would raise
Jadhav's issue in all diplomatic forums and talk about the 'farcical' trial,
according to this Firstpost article. The fact that India was not granted
consular access to the prisoner will also be brought up in subsequent
exchanges.
Back channel talks are another option which India and Pakistan have used many
times earlier too. But in March 2016, after Jadhav's arrest by Pakistan, the
back channel diplomacy between the 2 countries had been threatened, PTI had
reported. News18 also reported that Indian agencies told the government to not
use back channel talks immediately.
Sibal had also speculated that apart from India making loud noise over this
issue, there could also be kidnapping of Pakistani soldiers from across the
Line of Control.
Besides these measures, Jadhav himself has a right to appeal against his death
sentence within 60 days. According to India Today, Jadhav can appeal in the
Military Appellate Tribunal under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952. But the chances
of getting a different verdict are low.
Another option for Jadhav is to appeal in a civilian court for 'review' of the
Field General Court Martial verdict. The report said that according to Section
7.2.3. of the Pakistan Army Act, military court convicts have the right to get
the judgment reviewed by civilian courts. The Indian government could also find
a lawyer to defend Jadhav if Pakistan gives him consular access.
News18 further reported that even after the first 60 days in which Jadhav has a
right to appeal, he has another 60 days to file a mercy petition before
Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain.
Top US experts have warned that even though the evidence against Jadhav is
flimsy, Pakistan wants to send a strong message to India.
"Apart from the gross irregularities in the Jadhav situation, such as the lack
of consular access and the secrecy surrounding the surprise court-martial, what
struck me the most is the contrast between the speed of Jadhav's trial set
against the endless postponements for that of the Mumbai attackers," Alyssa
Ayres, senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on
Foreign Relations (a top American think-tank), told PTI.
"At the same time, given how much India will want to ensure that Yadav isn't
executed, Pakistan now has a very large bargaining chip at its disposal.
Pakistan may want to use Jadhav as a trump card to get some type of major
concession from India," Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate
for South Asia at the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Center, said.
"The bottom line is that India-Pakistan relations are on life support. We can
kiss goodbye any immediate prospects for resuming dialogue, though that wasn't
a very strong possibility even before the announcement about Jadhav's death
sentence. Ultimately, India and Pakistan face some very dark and dangerous days
ahead," he added.
(source: firstpost.com)
BELARUS:
OSCE ODIHR urges Belarus to put executions on hold
Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE
ODIHR) Michael Georg Link has again urged Belarus to set an immediate
moratorium on executions as a 1st step towards complete termination of the
death penalty in the country, the OSCE ODIHR posted a corresponding statement
on its website on Monday.
Link voiced his concern over reports on a recent execution in Belarus.
"The use of the death penalty is completely out of place in a region where most
countries recognize the inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of a
punishment that fails to act as a deterrent and makes any miscarriage of
justice irreversible," Link said.
"Once again, I urge the Belarusian authorities to consider abolishing the death
penalty in all circumstances, as all but 1 other of the OSCE participating
States have done, and to introduce an immediate moratorium as a 1st step
towards abolition," he added.
Link's statement comes after news of a possible execution of a Sergei
Vostryakov, who was found guilty of rape and murder. 2 more inmates sentenced
to capital punishment are reported to be expecting their executions.
(source: tass.com)
IRAQ:
UNAMI urges senior officials to halt executions in Kurdistan Region
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) called on Kurdish senior
officials to halt executions in the Kurdistan Region.
NRT obtained a document on Monday (May 8), showing a letter from UNAMI's Chief
of Human Rights to Masoud Barzani, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime
Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Head of Judiciary Council, Judge Bangin Qasim, and
Chief Prosecutor, Judge Mariwan Burhan.
The letter, in response to a letter on May 4, 2017, says Barzani had signed
orders on April 20, 2017 for the execution of 3 individuals, Marewan Ali
Ismail, Bashar Abdullah Mohammed, and Neshwan Sabr Ali.
All 3 individuals were sentenced for their involvement in the death of
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Leadership Member and Head of Peshmerga
Frontlines in Khazir, Faraydun Jwanroyee, who police say was killed in a fight
between 2 families on August 25, 2015.
"I requested that these officials take all actions within their power to halt
these and any future executions of convicts sentenced to death, and to
re-instate the strict moratorium on carrying out executions under any
circumstances," the letter read.
According to the letter, the UNAMI's Chief of Human Rights Officer, which also
represents the U.N. High Commission for Human Rights, has informed the
commission in Geneva and U.N. Special Rapporteurs.
"The United Nations strongly believes that the death penalty does not serve the
interests of justice, neither in relation to the victims or their families, nor
is it an appropriate response to the perpetrators of such crimes," the letter
continued.
The UNAMI's Chief of Human Rights Officer said the U.N. cannot intervene
directly in the state administration but that the UNAMI office will "make every
effort to encourage" the Kurdish authorities to review the cases.
(source: nrttv.com)
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