Aug. 16
JAMAICA:
Reactivate death penalty
THE EDITOR, Sir:
In light of the string of shootings and wanton murders across Jamaica, I again
appeal to the better senses of our legislators. The death penalty is vital to
the survival of law if we must survive and have law and order prevail.
Let's cut the rope on hanging since it is so troublesome. How about lethal
injection or the electric chair? Neither would be difficult to come by because
the United States has them in abundance, or we can design our own models. We
have competent electrical and chemical engineers.
Criminals and criminality must be put in check. It should not be that each
week, a different community is under the gun. Boys in garrisons have
high-powered weapons that cost more than the houses in which they live. How
come? Someone with the means must be supplying them with the guns. Find the
source.
I call on the prime minister and his Cabinet to seriously contemplate the use
of the death penalty. The reality is that Rockfort, Arnett Gardens, SW St
Andrew, Olympic Gardens, Spanish Town, Jacques Road, Denham Town, and central
Kingston, just to name a few, are out of control.
Are we going to act like sitting ducks or lambs to the slaughter while hoodlums
degrade our country, our way of life, and our independence? We must act now.
It's already late in the day.
Joseph Edwards
(source: Letter to the Editor, Jamaica Gleaner)
BANGLADESH:
SC to hear war criminal Subhan's appeal Oct 16
The Supreme Court today fixed October 16 for hearing the appeal filed by
convicted war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdus Subhan challenging the
death penalty awarded to him by International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
The court asked the defence and state counsels to submit their concise
statements on the appeal before the apex court in 2 and 3 weeks respectively.
A concise statement contains the points on which the counsels will place
arguments on an appeal before the SC.
The 3-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra
Kumar Sinha passed the order as the appeal came up before the court for an
order today.
The tribunal on February 18 sentenced the Jamaat leader to death for committing
crimes against humanity, including mass killing, murder, and confinement and
torture of pro-liberation people during the 1971 Liberation War.
On March 18 of the same year, Subhan filed the appeal with the SC challenging
his death penalty given for committing war crimes in 1971.
(source: The Daily Star)
PAKISTAN:
SHC overturns death sentence of Faisal Mota, orders retrial in Wali Khan Babar
murder case
Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday overturned the death sentence of Faisal
Mehmood, alias Mota - the primary accused in the Wali Khan Babar case - and
ordered a retrial by the lower courts.
The SHC was hearing an appeal filed by Faisal Mota, who was awarded a death
sentence in absentia, by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Kandhkot in March
2014 for masterminding the 2011 murder of television journalist Wali Babar in
Karachi.
Mota, said to be a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was later
arrested and detained in March 2015 in Karachi after Rangers conducted a raid
at the MQM headquarters.
Mota's counsel Advocate Aamir Masoob Qureshi in April 2015 had submitted in SHC
that Mota's death sentence should be declared illegal since it was awarded in
absentia. According to Articles 21-L and 31-A of the Anti Terrorism Act 1997, a
death sentence cannot be awarded in absentia, Qureshi had argued.
The advocate had also said that when a punishment is awarded in absentia, the
convict must refer to the trial court according to Article 19(12). However, his
client was unable to refer to the ATC in Kandhkot because the records of the
case were at the SHC.
He had, therefore, requested the court to dismiss Mota's death penalty and send
the case for a retrial.
The ATC in Kandhkot will now hear the case from scratch again.
On January 13, 2011, GeoNews journalist Wali Khan Babar was going home from his
office when he was shot dead in Liaquatabad, Karachi. Shocked by the murder,
journalists across the country had protested and mourned his death, demanding
the arrest and trial of the culprits.
Syed Mohammad Ali Rizvi, Shahrukh alias Mani, Naveed alias Polka and Shakil
alias Malik had also been indicted for the murder.
Murders linked to Wali Babar case
2 policemen, a police officer's brother and an informer linked to the
investigation into Babar's murder had been methodically targeted after
investigation in the case began.
Rajab Ali Bengali, a police informer, is stated to be the 1st victim, whose
body was found in a sack on Jan 29, 2011, in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
The 2nd victim was Constable Asif Rafiq who was killed in a drive-by shooting
by 2 men on a motorcycle on Jan 31, 2011. He had identified the vehicle the
attackers had used. He was at the spot at the time of the murder and had noted
down its registration number.
Head Constable Arshad Kundi is believed to be the 3rd victim linked to the
investigation. He was killed in a drive-by-shooting on March 19, 2011, in
Sohrab Goth.
On April 7, 2011, a brother of the SHO of Super Market police station, Shafiq
Tanoli, was shot dead. Tanoli told reporters that his brother, Naveed Khan, had
been killed to pressurise him.
(source: dawn.com)
VIETNAM:
4 Vietnamese drug traffickers get death, life sentences
A Vietnamese court handed down a death sentence on a 34-year-old leader of a
trans-provincial drug trafficking ring and life imprisonment on 3 of his
underlings, local media reported Wednesday.
The court in southern Binh Duong province on Tuesday passed the death penalty
on Do Xuan Loi from central Thua Thien Hue province, and the 3 life sentences
on 3 other men from central Binh Thuan province, southern An Giang province,
and Ho Chi Minh City, including an elder brother of Loi's wife, daily newspaper
Tuoi Tre (Youth) reported.
Till their arrest in 2015, Loi and his accomplices had traded and transported 7
kg of drugs from northern Hai Phong city to Vietnam's southern region for
retail sales, and illegally possessed 3 guns.
According to Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of
heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making
or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces
death penalty.
(source: xinhua.com)
INDONESIA:
Indonesia Increases Its Own War on Drugs
Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is again urging an increase in
efforts to fight illegal drugs in the country.
Jokowi said police should shoot foreign drug dealers who "resist arrest." He
added that the country is in a "narcotics emergency position."
Jokowi made his comments at a political event in late July. Days before the
speech, police shot and killed a Taiwanese man for resisting arrest. Police say
he and several others were trying to smuggle 1,000 kilograms of crystal
methamphetamine into Indonesia.
Recently, Jakarta Police Chief General Adham Azis said he would "not think
twice" about dismissing police officers who were not fighting drug trafficking
enough.
In addition, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights recently announced a plan to
place all people currently jailed for drug offenses into 4 prisons. The prisons
in West Java, North Sumatra, Central Java and Central Kalimantan would get
increased security, news reports say.
Human rights groups raise concerns
The New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch has criticized Indonesia's
campaign against drug trafficking.
In a statement, the group said, "President Joko Widodo should send a clear and
public message to the police that efforts to address the complex problems of
drugs and criminality require the security forces to respect everyone's basic
rights, not demolish them."
The aim of Indonesia's campaign is to stop the flow of the low-cost drug
crystal methamphetamine. It is similar to the effort of President Rodrigo
Duterte of the Philippines. He has been criticized for his violent campaign
against drug crimes. Thousands of drug dealers and users have been killed.
Last month, Indonesian officials seized the largest amount of crystal
methamphetamine in the history of the country.
The head of Indonesia's narcotics agency, General Budi Waseso, called for a war
on drugs -- similar to the one in the Philippines -- last September.
He told Australia's ABC news agency, "The market that existed in the
Philippines is moving to Indonesia, the impact of President Duterte's actions
is an exodus to Indonesia."
Severe punishments for drug crimes
Drug trafficking can carry a death sentence in Indonesia which considers the
offense as serious as murder or terrorism.
People found guilty of low-level drug crimes are estimated to make up 70 % of
Indonesia's prison population.
Erasmus Napitupulu is with the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform in
Jakarta. He said there are many question about President Jokowi's drug policy.
He criticized the death sentence as putting a big burden on Indonesia's justice
system.
"The death penalty targets small drug couriers, which in many cases leads to
unfair trials. Indonesian law has not been able to bear the burden of fair
trial(s)," he said.
Southeast Asian countries have resisted lightening punishments for drug users
or traffickers. Besides Indonesia and the Philippines, other countries in the
area, including Singapore, want to continue with harsh punishments for drug
crimes.
Last year, however, Thailand considered changing the criminalization of
methamphetamine because prisons were becoming overcrowded.
But there are no similar signs in Indonesia.
In 2015, Jokowi led an anti-drug campaign that resulted in the execution of 14
people for drug offenses.
But, critics say that the severe punishments have not reduced the number of
crimes. Claudia Stoicescu is a researcher at the University of Oxford.
She wrote, "Far from having a deterrent effect, the number of drug-related
crimes in Indonesia increased in the months after the executions were carried
out in January and April 2015."
Other critics say increased resources used for drug-related arrests have taken
money away from rehabilitation efforts. Some say those resources could be
better used to help an estimated 1 million Indonesians addicted to
methamphetamines.
Erasmus says Indonesia should learn from the experience of the United States.
The U.S. has reduced the number of arrests over small drug crimes and moved to
legalize small amounts of the drug marijuana.
"If Indonesia retains capital punishment as the main solution for drug issues,
then I believe it is a political decision to preserve (politicians') image(s),
not to protect actual narcotics victims," he said.
(source: Krithika Varagur reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter
adapted it for VOA Learning English----learningenglish.voanews.com)
***************
Foreign drug trafficking duo nabbed, face potential death penalty
2 foreign nationals are being investigated for drug trafficking after they were
arrested with over 50 grammes of Syabu on Monday afternoon.
District police chief Supt Zailanni Amit said the Indonesian nationals, aged 21
and 23, were caught at a business outlet in Jalan Abang Galau here around 3pm.
"During an inspection, they were found in possession of approximately 53
grammes of crystalline substance, believed to be Syabu.
"We are investigating the case under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act
1952, which carries the mandatory death sentence if convicted," he said when
contacted yesterday.
Zailanni added the 2 suspects were found to have been staying here for about
year.
"Both of them confessed of their involvement in distributing Syabu around the
old Bintulu town.
According to him, the drugs are delivered here by bus and left at a
pre-arranged area for the suspects to collect.
"They employ the same tactic for their buyers. After receiving payment, they
will drop off the drugs at an agreed location for their buyers to collect," he
added.
Police personnel speak to the 5 rescued Indonesian women following the
operation.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, 5 Indonesian women were rescued by police
while a fellow countrywoman was arrested for human trafficking offences on
Monday.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided a premises at Jalan Tanjung Kidurong around
11pm and rescued the 5, aged between 21 and 30.
The enforcement team also arrested a 29-year-old Indonesian woman under Section
12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
During the operation, codenamed Ops Pintas, police also seized 4 condoms,
stimulant pills and various employee records.
Investigation is ongoing.
(source: Borneo Post)
IRAN----executions
3 Prisoners Hanged, Authorities Silent
A prisoner was reportedly hanged at Shirvan Prison on murder charges. 2
prisoners were reportedly hanged at Zanjan Central Prison on drug related
charges.
According to close sources, the executions in Zanjan were carried out on the
morning of Tuesday August 8, and the prisoners have been identified as: Hamza
Rahimpour and Abbas Sooghi.
"Hamza Rahimpour was arrested and sentenced to death in 2014 on the charge of
producing and selling 6 kilograms of crystal meth. Abbas Sooghi was arrested
and sentenced to death in 2015 on the charge of four kilograms of opium and
heroin," an informed source tells Iran Human Rights.
Iran Human Rights had reported on the imminent execution of these prisoners and
urged the international community to take action.
An official Iranian source announced on Monday August 7 the execution of a
prisoner at Zanjan Central Prison on murder charges. This brings the total
number of prisoners who were reported as executed in Zanjan Prison last week to
three.
There are reports of a prisoner who was executed at Shirvan Prison (South
Khorasan province) on murder charges. According to close sources, the
prisoner's name is Tohid Haghmoradi, 38, imprisoned for 5 years before he was
executed.
Iranian official sources, including the Judiciary and the state-run media, have
not announced the 2 executions at Zanjan Prison and execution at Shirvan
Prison.
******************
Man Executed on Murder Charges
On the morning of Tuesday August 15, a prisoner was reportedly hanged at
Urmia's central prison on murder charges. According to close sources, the
prisoner's name is Khaled Amini and he was imprisoned for 5 years before his
execution. Khaled and his brother Fattah Amini were arrested together 5 years
ago on murder charges. Fattah was reportedly executed at Mahabad Prison on
Tuesday July 25.
Iranian official sources, including the Judiciary and the state-run media, have
not announced these 2 executions.
(source for both: Iran Human Rights)
SAUDI ARABIA:
Trump silent on imminent Saudi executions based on problematic
confessions----Rights groups urge Trump to intervene on cases they say hinge on
coerced confessions and flawed trials
With the fate of 14 men facing execution in Saudi Arabia hanging in the
balance, rights groups and anti-death penalty activists are pushing President
Donald Trump to speak up.
All 14 defendants are Shia Muslims, an oppressed minority in Saudi Arabia, and
were sentenced with the death penalty after being accused of terror-related
activities that threaten national security, including killing of security
forces and civilians during anti-government protests. But rights groups, such
as Human Rights Watch, point out that most of the convictions were based on
problematic confessions that the defendants, most of whom are in their 20s,
later rejected in court.
But despite pressure from activists, the Trump administration as so far
remained silent on their plight.
Maya Foa, the director or UK-based rights group Reprieve, had harsh words for
the president, telling ThinkProgress that Trump's silence on the pending
executions is "appalling," and noted that one of the convicted, Mujtaba
al-Sweikat, was a teenager at the time of his arrest. Al-Sweikat was bound for
the United States where he hoped to study, but was arrested and sentence to
execution by beheading for allegedly attending a protest.
Foa also noted that, "Treasury Secretary Wilbur Ross doled out praise to the
Kingdom for keeping protesters off the streets during the President's visit,"
referencing Trump's visit to Riyadh in May. Foa said that Ross and the Trump
administration in general are "either oblivious or willfully ignorant of the
plight of the young students who had been rounded up at pro-democracy protests,
brutally beaten, and sentenced to beheading."
Zeke Johnson, senior director of programs at Amnesty International USA told
ThinkProgress that, "The failure to denounce this mass execution is yet another
example of the Trump administration turning turned a blind eye to the appalling
human rights record of the Saudi government."
The Gulf Arab kingdom continues be among the top executioners in the world. It
executed over 150 people in 2016, and has already executed 66 so far this year,
according to Amnesty International.
A group of 10 Nobel Peace Prize laureates issued a joint statement urging Saudi
to stay the executions. And the American Federation of Teachers has also issued
pleas for mercy - to the Saudi ambassador and Trump alike. "We implore
President Trump, as the standard-bearer for our great nation, to do everything
in his power to stop the atrocities that may otherwise take place in Saudi
Arabia," AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement last month.
How much sway the president could have over Saudi is unknown, although the
United States now has an increasingly close relationship with Saudi Arabia.
In response to a ThinkProgress query, the State Department sent an emailed
response, saying that it is "aware of the cases" in question and that it
regularly raised human rights concerns with Saudi Arabia. On the 14 executions,
the State Department spokesperson wrote:
We understand that al-Sweikat has been charged for crimes of violent protest he
allegedly committed as a minor. We call on Saudi Arabia to adhere to the
judicial guarantees to which it has obligated itself under international law,
including to ensure that no death penalty is imposed in any case involving a
defendant who was a minor at the time of the arrest or alleged crime. We urge
the government of Saudi Arabia to respect and protect human rights and
fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of expression and peaceful
assembly.
But Trump has yet to make a comment on the impending executions, a
disappointment for those hoping his visit to Riyadh would yield more than
another weapons deal and a Toby Keith concert.
"Trump has a responsibility to stand up against such abuses," said Foa. "He
should immediately intervene by calling on Riyadh to commute these death
sentences before they are implemented. If he doesn't, the President risks
emboldening Riyadh to carry out yet another round of protest-related
executions."
(source: thinkprogress.org)
LIBYA:
Videos Capture Summary Executions----International Criminal Court Issues
Warrant for LNA Commander
Forces loyal to the Libyan National Army (LNA) in eastern Libya appear to have
executed captured fighters in Benghazi and desecrated corpses, Human Rights
Watch said today. Video recordings posted online since January 2017 seem to
show LNA fighters carrying out 7 distinct unlawful executions of "extremists."
The most recent video, which appeared on social media on July 24, 2017, shows
the apparent summary execution on July 17 of 20 blindfolded men with their
hands tied behind their backs in orange jumpsuits, whom the commander in charge
accuses of "terrorism." The executioners appear to be members of a special
forces unit headed by Mahmoud al-Werfalli. The Army Special Forces in Benghazi,
under the command of Wanis Bukhamada, are linked to the LNA, which is commanded
by Gen. Khalifa Hiftar. The LNA is allied with the Interim Government, one of
the three governments vying for legitimacy, international recognition, and
control of territory in Libya.
The above image is a screenshot from a video posted on July 24, 2017 showing
the apparent summary execution by LNA fighters of 20 prisoners, whom the
commander, believed to be ICC suspect Mahmoud Al-Werfalli (wearing cap),
accuses of "terrorism."
On August 15, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant
for al-Werfalli for the war crime of murder. He is wanted by the court for his
alleged role in the killing of 33 people in 7 incidents that took place in and
around Benghazi between June 2016 and July 2017. The Interim Government should
take immediate steps to facilitate the surrender of al-Werfalli to the ICC,
Human Rights Watch said.
"The posted videos suggest that LNA-linked forces committed a series of grave
war crimes over many months," said Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East and North
Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The ICC warrant for al-Werfalli is a
wake-up call to other abusive commanders in Libya that one day their serious
crimes could land them in a prison cell in The Hague."
Human Rights Watch reviewed 7 videos and several still images that appear to
show distinct incidents of LNA-affiliated soldiers executing prisoners in their
custody. Some of these videos and images show fighters desecrating the bodies
of supposed fighters who opposed the LNA, including the burning and kicking of
a corpse and posing for photographs with another corpse that had a leash tied
around its neck.
In the video that was posted on social media on July 24, al-Werfalli and LNA
soldiers are seen wearing the insignia of the Army Special Forces. Al-Werfalli
reads out the execution judgment, identifies the unit, the date of July 17, and
the capital offenses attributed to those in custody. He is the main executioner
or supervisor of executions in 6 more video recordings of apparent summary
executions of people accused of "terrorism" and committing crimes against the
LNA.
The summary execution of fighters who have been captured or who have
surrendered is a war crime.
Despite a commitment to investigate alleged crimes by its forces, the LNA has
yet to announce the findings of any investigations or sanctions it has imposed
on any of its members found to have committed violations. In a July 20
statement, the LNA rejected allegations made by the United Nations on July 18
that soldiers under al-Werfalli's command were responsible for summary
executions and that captured fighters in Benghazi were at "imminent risk of
torture and even summary execution."
The LNA said in its response that there was no evidence to substantiate the
accusations of torture and executions and that any conclusions of the LNA's
investigative commission to uncover abuses in "unverified videos" would be made
public.
Human Rights Watch was not able to verify the date when the videos and photos
were taken, or the location where they were recorded. However, an analysis of
the imagery revealed no indications that they had been doctored or were
otherwise inauthentic. Human Rights Watch sought comment from the LNA spokesman
but was unable to reach him. On August 8, Human Rights Watch emailed the LNA
for comment on the videos and photographs that appear to show al-Werfalli
presiding over or carrying out the execution of prisoners. Human Rights Watch
did not receive a response.
3 of the 7 videos appear to show al-Werfalli himself executing captured and
unarmed men, individually or in groups. In 3 other videos, he appears to give
orders to men in military uniform to execute unarmed detainees. In the 7th and
most recent video to surface, a commander, who appears to be al-Werfalli, both
gives orders and participates in the execution of the 20 unarmed, blindfolded
prisoners in orange jumpsuits with their hands tied behind their backs.
The video starts by showing several incidents of crimes the captured men
allegedly committed. The commander, who is dressed in fatigues, a black
t-shirt, and black cap, then reads out the judgment of execution by firing
squad against 18 of the men kneeling in 4 rows. The commander refers to the men
as "terrorists" and says that a "field court" has found them guilty of
"kidnapping, torturing, killing, bombing, slaying, and torturing the sons of
the military establishment in particular and the Libyan people in general."
The commander does not name any of the captured men or cite their affiliations.
He says the date is July 17. Once the reading of the judgment is over, he
orders armed men in military uniforms to execute the captured detainees row by
row. The recording shows them doing so. 2 more individuals are executed in the
same way at the end of the video.
In another video recording posted on social media in June, a man who appears to
be al-Werfalli is seen reciting religious texts and then ordering four men in
fatigues, black t-shirts, and face-masks to shoot in the head four men kneeling
in an open field. The captives are hooded and appear to have their hands bound
behind their backs. Al-Werfalli does not name the victims but accuses them of
crimes, including assassinations, and calls them Kharijites - a term for
Muslims who rebelled against the Caliphate in the early ages of Islam.
Al-Werfalli says that it is the month of Ramadan, which would mean June 2017.
Another undated video appears to show al-Werfalli reciting religious verses in
a room while a man kneels on the floor with his arms behind his head. Other
soldiers can be seen and heard in the background. Al-Werfalli accuses the man
of being a member of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), and then pulls out
a handgun and shoots him in the back of the head, apparently killing him.
Another undated video shows the apparent interrogation of this same man, who
says he is Algerian.
On May 22, an undated video appeared online showing the apparent execution of 2
men: Emad Eddin al-Jazawi, a fighter with the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura
Council, a coalition of fighters including extremists who oppose the LNA, and
the son of a minister of the National Salvation Government, another of the
rival governments. The video begins with al-Jazawi being interrogated and later
shows him in a cage with another man, Haitham Jomaa al-Kafrawi, identified in
the video as an Egyptian member of Al-Qaeda, who is also being interrogated.
The recording ends with al-Jazawi and al-Kafrawi kneeling on the ground, backs
to the camera, as al-Werfalli gives 2 soldiers an order to execute them. A
photo bubble appears above the heads of the victims, showing photos of both
men.
On May 15, al-Werfalli announced his resignation from the special forces, after
he and his forces were accused of abuses, including looting and burning homes,
as well as attacking a rescue division linked with the Interior Ministry in
Benghazi that resulted in the killing of an officer. Al-Werfalli denied
responsibility for those acts. However, the next day, the commander of the
Special Forces, Wanis Bukhamada, rejected al-Werfalli's resignation due to the
"many sacrifices al-Werfalli" had made, and kept him in his position.
Armed conflict, insecurity, and political divisions have plagued Libya since
May 2014, when General Hiftar announced a war to root out "terrorism" in
Benghazi. As a result of armed conflicts in both the east and west, central
authority collapsed and the 3 competing governments emerged, including the
Interim Government, which the House of Representatives supports. Key
institutions, most notably law enforcement and the judiciary, are dysfunctional
in most parts of the country. On July 5, General Hiftar announced the complete
"liberation" of Benghazi from armed groups opposing the LNA, including
extremists, but pockets of resistance remain.
The ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, has a mandate to investigate crimes against
humanity, war crimes, and genocide committed in Libya since February 15, 2011.
Human Rights Watch's research in Libya since 2011 has found rampant violations
of international human rights and humanitarian law, including mass long-term
arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, forced displacement, and
unlawful killings. In the face of mounting atrocities, Human Rights Watch has
called on the ICC prosecutor to urgently pursue an investigation into ongoing
grave crimes by all sides, including possible crimes against humanity.
In May, Bensouda said her office was committed to making the Libya situation a
priority in 2017. Given the serious crimes committed in Libya and the
challenges facing the authorities, the ICC's mandate remains crucial to ending
impunity in Libya, Human Rights Watch said.
(source: Human Rights Watch)
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