Jan. 4
INDIA:
Jigisha murder: HC commutes death penalty to 2 to life term
The Delhi High Court today commuted the death penalty awarded to 2 convicts in
the 2009 Jigisha Ghosh murder case to life imprisonment.
A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta, however, upheld the life
imprisonment awarded to the 3rd convict by a trial court in the case.
"We commute death sentence awarded to 2 convicts to life imprisonment," the
bench said.
While convicts Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla were handed down death penalty by
the trial court in 2016, the 3rd offender Baljeet Malik was given reprieve from
the gallows for his good conduct in jail and awarded life imprisonment for
murder of the IT executive and other counts.
While sentencing the 2 to death, the trial court had said the 28-year-old woman
was killed in a "cold-blooded, inhuman and cruel manner" and "brutally mauled
to death".
The police had claimed robbery was the motive behind the killing.
(source: economictimes.indiatimes.com)
ENGLAND:
More than 1/2 of Tory activists support death penalty, finds landmark survey of
grassroots members----Academics found stark differences of opinion on Brexit,
economic and social issues between Tory members and their Labour, SNP and
Liberal Democrat counterparts
More than 1/2 of grassroots Conservatives support the death penalty for serious
crimes, according to a major survey that found rank-and-file members were a
"breed apart" from other parties on their views.
Academics at Queen Mary University London found stark differences on Brexit,
and economic and social issues between Tory members and their Labour, SNP and
Liberal Democrat counterparts, after polling more than 4,000 party activists
following the snap election in June.
Conservative members were less active and engaged than other parties and more
likely to be disillusioned by how they are treated by their leadership, the
report said, in findings that may concern party bosses considering future
election campaigns.
Despite reports of a surge in youth support for Jeremy Corbyn, the
comprehensive study also found that the average Labour member was 53-years-old,
while the average Tory was 57-years-old, busting the myth that Conservative
activists are a "bunch of retired colonels".
Members in all 4 parties were more likely to be white, male and older than the
average Briton, and tend to live in London and the South of England - with the
exception of the SNP.
Professor Tim Bale, 1 of the authors, said: "Britain's party members are the
lifeblood and the footsoldiers of our democracy. But that doesn't necessarily
mean they look like or think like their parties' voters - or, indeed, look or
think like each other.
"The Tory grassroots in particular are something of a breed apart from their
Labour, Lib Dem and SNP counterparts."
The report found Tory members were authoritarian and resistant to ideas of
political correctness, with 54 % in favour of the death penalty, compared to 23
% of SNP supporters, 9 % of Labour and 8 % of Lib Dems.
8 out of 10 Conservatives wanted schools to teach children to obey authority,
compared to around 31 % of Labour backers, while only 4 in 10 Tories support
gay marriage.
At least 8 out of 10 backers of other parties support the reform brought in by
David Cameron.
The polling laid bare major differences on Brexit where 9 out of 10 members of
the other parties want to remain in the single market, but only 1/4 of
grassroots Tories support that option.
On austerity, only 1 in 10 Conservatives believe the policy has gone too far
compared to nearly all Labour members, 93 % of SNP supporters and 3/4 of Lib
Dems.
Professor Bale told The Independent he was surprised by how stark the
differences were between party views and warned that the Tories needed to
ensure they did not look "old-fashioned or even nasty" to younger voters coming
of age.
He said: "Many Conservative Party voters share those same kinds of conservative
attitudes on those issues. The problem is, however, that they are a diminishing
proportion of the electorate going forward, as society - partly because of more
people getting access to higher education - becomes more socially liberal.
"The Conservatives have to be careful that they don't get beached and look
old-fashioned and even nasty to voters who are coming on stream in years to
come."
Professor Bale said Conservative bosses had "failed to capitalise on the
consumerist trend" where party members felt they should have more say if they
are paying to be involved.
The survey found only 28 % of Conservatives believe they have a significant say
on policy compared to 3/4 of Lib Dems and SNP members and 61 % of Labour
members, and were less likely to have stepped up campaigning for their party
during recent elections.
He said: "Given how close some seats were at the last election and maybe at the
next election - the ability to get a bunch of people who are very well
motivated and actually will come out and do stuff for you in reasonable numbers
has to be a concern.
"I think in the 21st Century it's probably not good enough to sort of rely on
the fact that people will campaign as it were for their elders and betters.
"People want more involvement now and want more say now and that may be
reflected in different levels of activity between parties."
(source: independent.co.uk)
ISRAEL:
Knesset Gives Preliminary Backing to Death Penalty for Terrorists----'A person
who slaughters and laughs' should be put to death, Netanyahu says in unusual
remarks ahead of the vote
The Knesset has decided to support a bill that makes it easier for military
courts to sentence terrorists who commit murder to death in a preliminary vote
on Wednesday. The bill, which is sponsored by Defense Minister Avigdor
Lieberman, still needs to pass three rounds of voting at the Knesset in order
to become a law.
In an unusual move, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested to address the
plenum before the vote to convey his full support for it.
Some weeks ago I went to comfort the Solomon family," Netanyahu said, referring
to a terror attack on a family in their home in the settlement of Halamish
during a Shabbat meal, which killed 3. "The family, which had survived the
horrible attack, told me how the terrorist held a knife and slaughtered and
laughed I said there are extreme cases of people who carry out horrifying
crimes, who do not deserve to live. They should feel the full brunt of the
law."
Netanyahu noted that the bill was no whim, and the question of the death
penalty in extreme cases has already been examined in Israel. He said that it
belongs in the category of war crimes, adding, "a person who slaughters and
laughs should not spend his life behind bars but be put to death."
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz urged ministers to resist the bill on Wednesday,
at a meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. While Steinitz
objects to the bill on principle, on Wednesday he argued against it on
procedural grounds. Lieberman's bill had not been brought before the committee
or before the cabinet for approval, said Steinitz, and the ministers should
oppose it or skip the vote, if only because of this.
(source: Haaretz)
*******************
'Death penalty for Jews? Pathetic'----Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir slams PM for
suggesting death penalty law intended for terrorists could be used against
Jews.
Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir referred Wednesday afternoon to the passage in
preliminary reading of the "Death Penalty for Terrorists" bill in the Knesset,
and attacked Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement that the law would also apply
to Jews.
"The statement of the Prime Minister according to which he would support the
death penalty for Jews, as well, is a pathetic statement. The death penalty is
intended as a deterrent. In the case of Jews, there is no need for a deterrent
because there is no phenomenon like this," Ben-Gvir said.
He added that "the actions of individual Jews who deny and reject that which is
attributed to them, and confess only because of torture, are not considered
acts of terror, even if their guilt is proven."
"The attempt to make a comparison between Jews and Arabs in the name of
equality is a populist attempt, and we should be sorry that a man who doesn't
know how to make such a distinction is acting as the prime minister of the
State of Israel," Ben-Gvir concluded.
During the hearing over the bill, Netanyahu was asked by Deputy Knesset Speaker
MK Ahmad Tibi (Joint List), who was moderating the hearing, whether the law
would also apply to the one who burned the children in the village of Duma, and
Netanyahu answered, "In principle, yes."
At the end of the hearing, the Knesset approved in preliminary hearing the bill
that would make it easier for both civilian and military courts to sentence
terrorists found guilty of murder to death. The bill passed by a majority of 52
to 49.
(source: Israel National News)
***********
EU delegation to Israel: Death penalty incompatible with human dignity
The European Union's delegation to Israel Wednesday condemned death penalty
saying it is "incompatible with human dignity".
Following a preliminary approval on Wednesday by the Israeli Knesset for
legislation that would make it easier for a court to impose a death sentence on
Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis, the EU delegation to Israel said in
a tweet that death penalty "constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment, does
not have any proven deterrent effect and allows judicial errors to become
irreversible and fatal."
The motion was proposed by Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, with 52 of the
Knesset's 120 members voting in favor and 49 opposing.
At the moment, the death penalty in Israel can only be imposed if a panel of 3
military judges passes sentence unanimously. However, if the amendment is
adopted, a majority verdict would be sufficient to carry out the death penalty.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in favor of the motion.
************************
Prisoner's Society denounces Israeli death penalty law aimed at Palestinians
The Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) strongly denounced on Thursday an
Israeli law that calls for enforcing death penalty against Palestinians who
were involved in killing or even injuring Israelis.
Qaddoura Faris, director of the PPS, said in a statement that the new law,
which passed in the Israeli parliament in preliminary reading, is a "a new
crime committed by the occupying power that passes laws aimed at demeaning the
dignity and human liberty of the Palestinians."
He said that while the world is moving to abolish execution of criminals, "the
occupying power is searching for new fascist methods to enforce death penalty
against Palestinian prisoners of war."
Faris called for a boycott of Israeli military courts as a response to this
law, which still needs 2 more reading to become effective.
The European Union delegation to Israel condemned on Wednesday the passage of
the law, saying it is incompatible with human dignity.
(source for both: wafa.ps)
IRAN----executions
Execution of 4 Prisoners Charged with Moharebeh
The official media finally confirmed the execution of 4 prisoners who were
charged with Moharebeh for robbery after 2 weeks.
According to Rokna News Agency, 4 prisoners were hanged at Rajai Shahr Prison
on the charge of Moharebeh. The report doesn't mention the time of the
execution.
Iran Human Rights (IHR) had earlier reported the execution of these prisoners
on Wednesday December 20. At least 8 more prisoners were executed at Rajai
Shahr Prison on the same day. 1 of the prisoners who had returned to his cell
by asking for time had told us that, "The 4 prisoners were not among the other
death-row prisoners, who were executed at Rajai Shahr Prison, and were
transferred to an unknown place 1 hour earlier."
3 of the prisoners were identified as Moslem Mohammadi, Mohsen Kamali, and
Abolfazl.
****************
Prisoner Executed In Eastern Iran
A 30-year-old prisoner was hanged at Mashhad Central Prison on murder charges.
According to Rokna News Agency, on the morning of Sunday December 31, a
prisoner was hanged at Mashhad Central Prison. The prisoner was identified as
Ali H., 30. He was sentenced to death on the charge of murdering his own father
in Jimabad Valley in 2014.
The family members of the prisoner were present as the plaintiffs at the time
of his execution.
According to Iran Human Rights annual report on the death penalty, 142 of the
530 execution sentences in 2016 were implemented due to murder charges. There
is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran which results in
issuing death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intensity and
intent.
***********************
Execution of an Afghan Citizen in Eastern Iran
Official sources reported that the number of executions at Mashhad Central
Prison on Sunday has risen to 2.
According to Mashregh News, a young man who was arrested and sentenced to death
for murder at the age of 19 was hanged at Mashhad Central Prison on the morning
of Sunday December 31. The boy was an Afghan citizen and he was arrested and
sentenced to death for murdering his fellow countryman in Mashhad on May 24,
2014.
The official media had previously reported the execution of another prisoner at
the same prison on murder charges.
According to Iran Human Rights annual report on the death penalty, 142 of the
530 execution sentences in 2016 were implemented due to murder charges. There
is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran which results in
issuing death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intensity and
intent.
(source for all: Iran Human Rights)
*********************
Iran Hangs Man Convicted Of Murder When He Was 16
Reports from Iran say an 18-year-old man who was convicted of raping and
killing a child when he was 16 has been hanged, despite calls by United Nations
rights officials and Amnesty International to stop the execution.
Gholamhossein Esmaili, judiciary chief for Tehran Province, said that the
execution took place on the morning of January 4, according to local media.
Amirhossein Pourjafar was sentenced to death in September 2016 after being
convicted of the rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl from Iran's Afghan
community.
Pourjafar had originally been scheduled to be executed in October, but the
execution was postponed following international pressure.
"The Iranian authorities must immediately halt the execution of this juvenile
offender and annul the death sentence against him in compliance with their
international obligations," Asma Jahangir and Agnes Callamard, 2 UN special
envoys, said in a joint statement on January 3.
Amnesty International also called on Tehran to halt putting Pourjafar to death,
saying that Iran was a signatory to an international treaty banning the
execution of people who commit crimes under the age of 18.
Iran applies the death penalty for crimes including rape, murder, and drug
trafficking, as well as apostasy.
(source: rferl.org)
************************
Statement of AhlulBayt World Assembly on occasion of second anniversary of
execution of Sheikh Nimr
AhlulBayt World Assembly has issued a statement on occasion of second
anniversary of execution of Sheikh Nimr by Saudi government.
The full text of the statement is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
And do not speak of those who are killed for the sake of Allah as 'dead'; nay!
They are alive; but you do not understand. (the Holy Quran)
On January 2nd 2016, the ruthless Saudi regime, through a filthy act, executed
the grand scholar, Sheikh Baqer al-Nimr. This brutal and cowardly act proved
that the cruel Saudi regime is a dictator and a backward regime opposed to all
Islamic and human values and international laws.
Despite possessing the army, mercenaries, weapons and repression power, the
Saudi regime feared Sheikh Nimr and all other liberators and strugglers of the
right path. In his speeches, Sheikh Nimr accurately criticized the sectarian
and discriminatory policies of the Saudi regime towards the people of the
Al-Sharqiya area, especially in the cities of Ahsa and Qatif. He did this
through a peaceful and legitimate move, without ever taking up arms.
The great martyr, Sheikh Baqir al-Nimr, criticized the Saudi regime for
stripping the dignity of Saudi citizens, especially the Shiites, as the Saudi
regime considered Shiites as "second-class citizens" who did not have full
citizenship rights.
Sheikh Nimr asked for equality among all citizens without any discrimination;
and insisted on free and clean elections in Saudi Arabia. He also demanded the
rebuilding of the burial graves of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) in
the Baqee Cemetery of Medina, which were destroyed by the dirty hands of Saudi
mercenaries.
Recognition of Shia school of thought as one of the Islamic sects and
implementing reforms in the education system of Saudi Arabia were another
demands of Sheikh Nimr.
In response, the Saudi regime committed a terrible crime against Sheikh Nimr on
the basis of false accusations, without observing any justice and transparency.
They pronounced a scandalous sentence, and eventually executed the death
penalty against this great and innocent scholar.
The measure taken by the Saudi regime was contrary to all international
agreements and fundamental principles of human rights. It was an attempt to
hide the heavy and obvious failures of Saudi regime in the political, economic
and military fields in Yemen as well as its illegal involvement in Iraq with
the help and support of takfiri groups.
The Saudi regime has also been fully involved in suppressing peaceful
demonstrations in Bahrain and occupying it through forces known as the
Peninsula Shield Force.
The Ahlulbayt World Assembly, based on its religious, moral and human
responsibility, strongly condemns these ugly and cruel acts against Islam and
humanity.
We also express our concern about the continuation of such criminal acts, which
are far from the spirit of Islam, against the prisoners in Al Saud's jails.
We urge all international organizations and defenders of freedom, including
Muslim scholars, to condemn these horrible crimes.
The Ahlulbayt World Assembly also appeals to civil society figures and
organizations to stand alongside the Saudi people and voice their solidarity
with them in order to ensure their legitimate rights in the "Week for
Solidarity with Shahid Nimr" under the slogan of "They did not kill him".
We ask the great personalities and organizations to stand up by their full
power and capacity against the irrational action of the Saudi regime, and
disclose the shameful acts of this authoritarian regime in various ways such as
writing papers, holding meetings, delivering speeches, and conducting
interviews through public media and cyberspace.
"The evildoers will surely know which turn (Hell) they will return to"
The Ahlulbayt World Assembly, Tehran----2 January, 2018
(source: abna24.com)
EGYPT:
Egypt using death sentences to 'settle scores,' lawyer says
The number of civilians sentenced to death in Egypt's military courts leapt
from 60 in 2016 to at least 112 in 2017, according to 2 independent rights
groups.
Human rights advocates say the alarming numbers recorded by the Egyptian
Coordination for Rights & Freedoms and the Initiative for Personal Rights are
shocking -- but the stories behind them are even more harrowing.
What happened to 4 families from the northern city of Kafr el-Sheikh is a case
in point. After more than a year of campaigning to have their loved ones' death
sentences commuted in a case clouded by allegations of flaws in Egypt's
judicial system, they received phone calls on Monday directing them to collect
their relatives' bodies early Tuesday.
The families of Lotfy Khalil, Sameh Abdalla, Ahmed Abdelhadi and Ahmed Salama
told CNN they received the calls from a police officer at an Alexandria prison.
The 4 defendants were accused of killing 3 military cadets in a bomb attack on
a bus in Kafr El-Sheikh on April 15, 2015. Their subsequent trial and appeals
became known in the media as the Kafr el-Sheikh case. Because the attack
happened on a main street, the case came under military jurisdiction due to a
recent presidential decree granting Egypt's military the authority for policing
public places and land up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) from public roads.
The case is the latest in which civilians were convicted and sentenced to death
by Egypt's military courts -- a process used by successive Egyptian governments
since the mid-1960s. "The way this case has been handled is a classic example
of how the judicial system here has become a joke," said Osama Bayoumi, a
lawyer for the families.
'Enforced disappearances'
In the last 8 months, CNN has tracked the cases of 11 civilians who received
the death penalty in military courts over the last 2 years.
In all cases, families claim their imprisoned relatives disappeared for weeks
before they were charged by authorities who used confessions allegedly obtained
under torture. Such treatment would be a violation of suspects' due process
rights under Egypt's constitution. The Egyptian government has denied
mistreating the detainees or using torture in interrogations.
In September this year rights group Human Rights Watch said in a report that
Egyptian police and national security officers had carried out widespread and
systematic torture of prisoners. The government also denied the allegations in
the HRW report and again dismissed charges of systematic torture.
Tracking and reporting human rights violations in Egypt has been difficult.
Organizations such as the Egyptian Coordination for Rights & Freedoms and the
Initiative for Personal Rights have been seen by international rights groups
and the media as some of the most reliable sources for verifying alleged cases
on the ground.
Both are Cairo-based groups that train lawyers to document possible rights
abuses through contacts with victims and their families in several categories,
ranging from claims of enforced disappearances and police torture to records of
executions.
In the case of the Kafr el-Sheikh defendants, the families claim the
convictions and subsequent appeals in the case relied on confessions that the
four men gave under torture during periods of "enforced disappearances" at the
hands of Egypt's National Security Agency.
Amnesty says investigations flawed
Ahmed Salama's wife and daughter are pictured in an undated image in Cairo.
They are standing in front of a sign with Salama's image. Salama was executed
this week.
The convictions also relied on investigations carried out by the Egyptian
security forces that were deeply flawed, Amnesty International said in a
statement.
At a recent conference to honor military judges, Defense Minister Sedki Sobhy
dismissed those claims, saying "The military judiciary has a clear and clean
record throughout its history of justice, both within the armed forces and in
cooperation with the civil judiciary."
"The rise in the number of executions over the last year is scary," said Ezzat
Ghoneim, another lawyer representing the families in the Kafr el-Sheikh case.
"The significant increase in handing down death sentences only indicates that
the rate of executions will accelerate in the coming days," said Ghoneim.
"It is as if it's time to finally settle scores" with opponents of the current
government ahead of this year's presidential elections, said Ghoneim. The
elections are slated for March or April. The finalized dates are expected to be
made public on January 8.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Egyptians Abroad for Democracy
have continued to issue reports about what they see as the deteriorating legal
system in the country.
Sentences upheld by High Military Court
In the Kafr el-Sheikh case, the 4 defendants were detained by the police a few
days after the 2015 attack. Their families say the men were kidnapped and that
relatives were not told of their whereabouts for several weeks.
In April 2016, a military court in Alexandria sentenced all 4 men to death,
accusing them of being part of the banned Muslim Brotherhood -- a religious and
political group that advocates a return to the rules of the Quran. Many
consider it the forerunner of modern militant Islamism.
After an appeal by the defendants' lawyers, Egypt's High Military Court upheld
the death sentences in June 2017.
In September, new evidence surfaced when a suspect testifying in a separate
case named a known criminal as the person behind the Kafr el-Sheikh attack.
Defense lawyers pleaded for a retrial, but the military court rejected their
appeal and reaffirmed the sentence of death by hanging.
US withholds aid to Egypt
Another aspect of Egypt's legal system which has been criticized is the alleged
overreach by military courts. Some human rights lawyers claim that military
courts are unconstitutional.
The Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms reports that more than 13,000
civilians have already gone through military courts since 2013 -- with 106 of
those civilians receiving the death penalty.
Since taking power in 2014, the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
has consistently viewed military courts as a means to stabilize the country's
security situation.
In August, President Donald Trump announced that the US would withhold almost
$300 million in aid to Egypt until it sees improvements in Cairo's track record
on human rights and democracy.
Egypt said it "regrets" Trump's decision, calling it a "misjudgment."
(source: cnn.com)
VIETNAM:
Vietnam busts biggest-ever drug trafficking case
A couple in northern Dien Bien province have been arrested when transporting
171 kg of heroin worth some 3 million U.S. dollars, the biggest-ever drug case
in Vietnam, the provincial police said on Wednesday.
Vu Chu Senh, 44, and his wife Mua Thi Do, 39, who rode 2 motorbikes,
transporting 489 cakes of heroin, were arrested on Tuesday evening.
The couple are members of a drug trafficking ring which bought heroin in Laos
and transported the drug to Vietnam, said the police.
According to the 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: xinhuanet.com)
_______________________________________________
A service courtesy of Washburn University School of Law www.washburnlaw.edu
DeathPenalty mailing list
DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu
http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty
Unsubscribe: http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/options/deathpenalty
