Sept. 26
INDONESIA:
Indonesia Rejects UN Recommendation to Abolish Death Penalty
Indonesia on Thursday (21/09) accepted 167 of the 225 recommendations it
received from international delegations during the 27th session of the United
Nations Universal Periodic Review, or UPR, earlier in May, but crucially
rejected the recommendation to abolish the death penalty.
Indonesia said the remaining 58 recommendations, including ones on abolishing
the death penalty, addressing past human rights violations and ending
prosecutions under blasphemy laws, "were noted" but considered "not in line
with the priorities in Indonesia's human rights agenda."
Indonesia went through its third UPR cycle in May, and had straight away
accepted 150 recommendations put forward by 101 delegations during the review
while placing the remaining 75 under further examination.
Indonesia stated its final position on the pending recommendations during the
36th session of the Human Rights Council last week.
During the session, Indonesia reaffirmed its position that "the death penalty
is still a prevailing positive law in Indonesia."
"However, the revision of the penal code had provided a more robust safeguard
in due process of law on the death penalty," Indonesia's deputy permanent
representative to the UN office in Geneva, Michael Tene, said.
The United Kingdom said it "regretted that the recommendations on the
moratorium on the use of the death penalty had not been supported" and repeated
its call that no evidence suggests death penalty is a more effective deterrent
than alternative forms of punishment.
Other delegations in the session also expressed concerns that the Indonesian
government had not addressed discrimination against minority groups in the
country, which include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and
followers of religious minorities.
"Indonesia took note of the remaining 58 recommendations with the consideration
that they are not in line with the priorities in Indonesia's human rights
agenda. Some of the recommendations were also inaccurate and not based on
facts," Michael said, according to a statement released by the Foreign Affairs
Ministry.
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) urged the Indonesian
government nevertheless to take some measures to deal with the recommendations
it did not accept, including "measures to eradicate impunity, prioritize the
settlement of gross human rights violations, guarantee freedom of religion and
belief, ensure freedom of expression and abolish the death penalty."
Komnas HAM and Amnesty International also noted that Indonesia has yet to
ratify several international human rights accords, including the Optional
Protocol on the Convention Against Torture and Convention for the Protection of
All Persons From Enforced Disappearance.
(source: Jakarta Globe)
IRAQ----mass executions
Iraq hangs 42 Sunni militants convicted of terrorism
Iraq on Sunday executed 42 Sunni Muslim militants convicted on terrorism
charges ranging from killing members of security forces to detonating car
bombs.
The biggest mass execution this year in Iraq came after Sunni suicide attacks
killed at least 60 people near the southern city of Nassiriya, a Shi'ite area,
on Sept. 14, prompting Shi'ite demands for tougher judicial action.
Amnesty International criticized the move, saying on Monday that "mass
execution is a shocking display of the Iraqi authorities' resort to the death
penalty to try to show they are responding to security threats".
"The death penalty is an irreversible and reprehensible punishment that should
not be used in any circumstances and there is no evidence to show that it
deters crime more than any other means of punishment," Amnesty said in a
report.
The Justice Ministry said on Sunday the 42 had been hanged at a prison in
Nassiriya, 3 months after 14 other militants were executed following
convictions for terrorism.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for three suicide attacks targeting
restaurants and a security checkpoint near Nassiriya.
Relatives of victims were invited to witness Sunday's executions, the justice
ministry said.
"Despite all the pain inside me after losing my 2 brothers in the suicide
attacks, when I saw the terrorists dangling from the rope I felt relief," said
Fadhil Abdul Ameer from Nassiriya.
Islamic State's self-declared caliphate, declared in 2014 after it captured
wide areas of northern and western Iraq, effectively collapsed in July when
U.S.-backed Iraqi forces captured Mosul, the group's de facto capital in Iraq.
But recent deadly bomb attacks in Baghdad and other cities show the jihadists
remain capable of guerrilla-style warfare, a tactical shift away from seeking
territorial conquest.
(source: Reuters)
****************
For terrorism in Iraq executed more than 40 people----The penalty of death on
charges of terrorism has received more than 40 criminals.
The Ministry of justice of the Islamic Republic of Iraq has released
information about the next death penalty in this country, reports Rus.Media.
The penalty of death on charges of terrorism has received more than 40
criminals.
The Ministry said that the executions by hanging were carried out over the 42
convicted of terrorism. Today in the prisons of Iraq are thousands of prisoners
of militants of radical organizations. Military operation to liberate Mosul and
other towns captured by terrorists, many war criminals, including immigrants
from other countries who were captured. Each case is trial.
Recently Baghdad was visited by the delegation of Belgium, its members
expressed support for the justice of Iraq and urged to refrain from granting
Amnesty to the militants of radical groups.
At the same time, the UN high Commissioner for human rights concerned for such
cases. Navi Pillay condemned the executions in Iraq and questioned the
transparency of the judicial system of this country.
(source: sherbrooktimes.com)
********************
Mass execution in Iraq
Responding to the news that at least 42 people were executed in Iraq today on
"terrorism" charges, Lynn Maalouf, Middle East Research Director at Amnesty
International said:
"Today's mass execution is a shocking display of the Iraqi authorities' resort
to the death penalty to try to show they are responding to security threats.
"There can be no doubt that individuals who carry out deadly attacks against
the civilian population should face justice, but the Iraqi authorities need to
recognize that carrying out executions is not the answer and will not make the
country or its people safer.
"The Iraqi authorities have a deplorable track record when it comes to use of
the death penalty. In many cases previously people have been put to death after
deeply unfair trials and in some cases after being tortured to 'confess'.
"The death penalty is an irreversible and reprehensible punishment that should
not be used in any circumstances and there is no evidence to show that it
deters crime more than any other means of punishment."
(source: Amnesty International)
SINGAPORE:
2 drug traffickers get death sentence----A third convict, found to be a
courier, receives life sentence and 15 strokes of the cane
A drug trafficker convicted of a capital offence was sentenced to death in the
High Court, although he had been certified by the Public Prosecutor to have
cooperated with the authorities.
In the 1st such case here, the court found that Hamzah Ibrahim, 54, was not a
courier, after a joint 16-day trial with 2 other traffickers.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, the court has the discretion not to impose the
death penalty, if the convicted offender is a courier and has also been issued
a certificate stating he cooperated with authorities.
But Judicial Commissioner Hoo Sheau Peng ruled that Hamzah's role "went beyond
that of a courier".
"Hence, although the PP (Public Prosecutor) issued a certificate of substantive
assistance, the alternative sentencing regime was not available," she said in
judgment grounds last week.
Another man in the joint trial for trafficking in 26.29g of heroin, Muhammad
Farid Sudi, had also been certified to have "substantively assisted the Central
Narcotics Bureau in disrupting drug trafficking activities".
Farid, who delivered the drugs to Hamzah and acted as no more than a courier,
escaped the gallows with the mandatory life sentence and 15 strokes of the
cane.
Another accomplice, Tika Pesik, had not been certified as a courier and was
sentenced to death.
Farid and Tika had arranged for Farid to deliver 2 packets of heroin to Hamzah
on Dec 20, 2013.
Farid did so during a drive from a Senja Road multi-storey car park to Dairy
Farm Road.
Hamzah claimed trial to a single capital charge of possessing heroin for the
purpose of trafficking.
During the trial, Deputy Public Prosecutors Wong Woon Kwong and Sarah Shi
argued that Hamzah was not a courier and had received the drugs intending to
pack them into smaller packets for sale.
Hamzah, defended by lawyers Luke Lee and Sukdave Singh, contended that he was
merely a courier.
But, in light of all the evidence, such a claim would be "unsustainable", noted
Judicial Commissioner Hoo.
"It was evident that Hamzah's purpose after taking delivery of the drugs was to
sell the drugs," she said, noting that he had brought along smaller empty
plastic packets to repack and sell the drugs.
The judge also found that Tika could "not in any way be described as a
courier", as she had coordinated the supply of drugs and had got Farid to
deliver the drugs to Hamzah, among other things.
"Moreover, the PP did not issue Tika with a certificate of substantive
assistance," added the judge in imposing the mandatory death sentence.
(source: thenewspaper.com)
GAMBIA:
Gambia signs UN death penalty abolition treaty
Gambian President Adama Barrow signed on Wednesday 5 United Nations treaties,
including 1 on abolition of death penalty, as he attended his maiden UN General
Assembly Summit in New York, a statement from the presidency said Thursday.
Other treaties signed include 1 on the protection of the rights of migrant
workers, 1 against forced disappearance, 1 on transparency in treaty-based
investor-state arbitration and 1 on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, it
indicated.
According to State House release, this is done as the Gambia continues to
promote democracy and show the commitment of the state to protect lives.
Barrow was the 1st Gambian president to sign 5 UN treaties at the same time.
The treaties will require ratification and domestication before they can be
enforced.
(source: Xinhua/NewsGhana.com.gh)
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