June 20
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:
Filipina on death row in Al Ain spared----Filipina maid has been acquitted from
the murder charge, sentenced to 5 years
The Filipina domestic worker sentenced to death in Al Ain for killing her
employer has been saved from death row, a Philippine envoy said.
Jennifer Dalquez, 30, a domestic worker, was given the death penalty by the Al
Ain Court of First Instance in May 2015 after she was found guilty of killing
her employer in December 2014. She claimed it was self-defence because her
employer tried to rape her.
Philippine Ambassador Constancio Vingno Jr said the hearing for the case of
Jennifer Dalquez was held on Monday.
"Ms Dalquez was acquitted for the murder charge. She will not be paying diyyah
or blood money. However, she was sentenced for 5 years for theft for stealing
the mobile phone of the person who was killed, less the number of years she had
spent in jail," Vingno told Gulf News.
Vingno said Dalquez was arrested about a week after the incident on December 7,
2014. This means she has been serving time for 2 1/2 years since.
"We are still waiting for the official report from our lawyer to ascertain the
details of the case, but this is definitely good news for her family and the
Filipino people."
Dalquez' parents visited her in Al Ain in October 2015 and in March 2017,
through the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.
(source: Gulf News)
MYANMAR:
'Exorcist' who pled guilty to murdering 3 children sentenced to death by
hanging
The self-proclaimed 'exorcist' who beat 3 children to death has been handed the
death sentence, a court ruled earlier today.
After pleading guilty to the murder charges last November, the perpetrator, Tun
Naing, was tried under Sections 302 and 325 for committing grievous harm and
murder. Today, the Yangon Southern District Court sentenced him to 7 years in
jail under Section 325, and to death by hanging under Section 302, Mizzima
reports.
Tun Naing was arrested last October for beating 3 children - aged 3 years, 2
years, and 8 months - to death in an attempt to rid their bodies of evil
spirits. He also reportedly gave the children's families and other villagers
'blessed' water and put them in a 'trance', and killed the children as they
watched. Police reports noted that the bodies showed signs of being kicked,
punched, and stamped on.
While the death penalty still exists in Myanmar, it is rarely carried out. The
most recent death sentence was handed out in the case of Uruma, the man who was
found guilty of leading the October attacks on the Maungdaw border posts.
According to official records, the last known execution under the death
sentence took place in 1988.
In January 2014, then-President Thein Sein commuted all outstanding death
sentences to life in prison.
Today, those handed the death penalty can make an appeal to the Chief Justice
within a week to commute the verdict to a life sentence. If their appeal is
rejected, a similar appeal can be made to the President.
(source: coconuts.co)
INDIA:
Man gets death penalty for daughters honour killing
A Nashik court today sentenced a 47 -year-old man to death for killing his
daughter four years ago for marrying a man outside their caste.
District and Sessions Judge Suchitra Ghodake awarded death penalty to Eknath
Kisan Kumbharkar for committing the penal offence of murder under section 302
of the Indian Penal Code.
Since the victim was pregnant at the time of her murder, the court also
sentenced him to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 5,000 for
causing death of unborn child (under section 316 of IPC) and life imprisonment
for kidnapping in order to murder (under section 364 of the IPC).
Kumbharkars daughter Pramila had tied the knot with a man, who belonged to a
different caste and he was not happy with her decision.
On June 28, 2013, Kumbharkar, a resident of More Mala Bhadange Baba chawl in
Panchavati, went to Pramilas house in the city and told her that her mother
wanted to meet her. He hired an autorickshaw and on the way strangulated her to
death using a rope. The incident took place near KTHM College, Sarkarwada
police had said.
Kumbharkar was arrested by the police immediately after the incident.
According to the police, this was the 1st honour- killing case in the city.
(source: intoday.com)
BANGLADESH:
Death sentence in honour killing
In a landmark verdict vis-a-vis honour killing and khap panchayats, a sessions
court in Nashik has awarded capital punishment to a man who had killed his
pregnant doctor in 2013 for marrying outside the caste.
District and Sessions Judge Suchitra Ghodake awarded death penalty to Eknath
Kisan Kumbharkar to Eknath Kisan Kumbharkar after prosecution proved the
charges of murder and satisfied the court that it was a rarest of the rare
case.
Kumbharkar's daughter Pramila had tied the knot with a man, outside the caste.
"This is a landmark judgement and would be a deterrent," said social activist
Krishna Chandgude, who had been pursuing the case.
There were 10 witnesses in the case.
(source: Deccan Herald)
GHANA:
I Support Putting Criminals To Death - Kabila
Sentencing criminals to death has over the years become a controversial issue
as Ghanaians are divided on whether the government should scrap death penalties
or not.
Some section of Ghanaians have argued that death penalties are archaic and an
infringement on the people's right to life, while another section seem to go by
the proverb "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword" meaning those who
commit violent acts must expect to suffer violence themselves.
James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called Kabila delivered his submissions on the
issue of death sentence in the country.
Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's flagship programme, the CPP
stalwart supported the idea for death penalties to be meted out to criminals in
the nation.
He explained that until death penalties are excluded from the laws of the
country, he would have it being exercised.
He wondered how an armed robber, for instance, will attack a family mercilessly
resulting in the loss of lives and when found guilty of crimes punishable by
death, should receive a lesser sentence.
"From the Christian point of view, an advocate of Christ principles and so
forth; you'll say we shouldn't kill the person. We should give him/her
opportunity to repent but our laws point out that in order not for it to be a
trend, we should punish the culprit. And the punishment is death penalty and if
we haven't changed that law, I am not against it".
(source: peacefmonline.com)
SOMALIA:
Naval officer sentenced to death over Somali minister's murder
A Somali military court sentenced a naval officer to death Monday for shooting
dead the minister of public works in what the defense argued was an accident.
A young minister seen as an inspiration to many in the conflict-torn nation,
Abbas Abdullahi Siraji, 31, was killed last month when armed guards shot at his
vehicle outside the presidential palace.
The naval officer, Ahmed Abdullahi Abdi, 29, a bodyguard to the auditor-general
-- who was fired after the incident -- was arrested and charged with the
minister's murder.
"After considering the evidence brought in front of the court, including the
testimonies of the witnesses, pictures of the vehicles used, evaluations of the
crime scene and the gun used for the murder, the court is convinced that the
accused is guilty as charged," said Colonel Hassan Ali Nur Shute, head of the
military court.
"The court sentenced him to the death penalty for the killing of Abas Abdullahi
Siraji."
The verdict was handed down after only 3 court appearances, with government
under pressure to bring a culprit to book.
The defense had argued that the accused opened fire when a vehicle carrying
Siraji drove up behind that of the auditor-general, seeing it as suspicious in
a country that faces regular such attacks by Shabaab Islamists.
Many government officials, wealthy individuals and foreigners drive around
Mogadishu with squads of armed bodyguards who are frequently nervy and
trigger-happy. Many civilians have been killed in similar shootings.
Shabaab militants linked to Al-Qaeda carry out regular bombings and
assassinations targeting government officials, and it is rare for a government
minister to drive himself, making mistaken identity a strong possibility.
Somalia still actively carries out the death penalty by squad shooting.
(source: Gulf News)
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