May 9
IRAN:
Iranian Dervish Protester in Imminent Danger of Execution
A close source told Iran Human Rights that Yavar Mohammad Salas, who is
sentenced to imprisonment and execution on murder charges and whose sentence
has been approved by the Supreme Court, is in imminent danger of execution.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson for IHR, said, "Iranian authorities
must stop promoting violence by their policy of arbitrary executions. Mohammad
Salas's death sentence must be removed, and Iranian authorities must instead
provide him a fair trial. We call on the international community to use their
channels to stop Mohammad Salas's execution."
According to a close source, Yavar Mohammad Salas was arrested after the
protests of Gonabadi dervishes on February 19, 2018. He is charged with
murdering three police officers by running over them by a bus; however, in his
trial, he claimed that it was unintentional.
A close source who wanted to remain anonymous told Iran Human Rights, "Mohammad
Salas is in a very critical situation. He is about to be executed, and these
are probably the last days of his life." The source also added, "Mohammad Salas
is allowed to meet his lawyer and his family."
He continued, "Mohammad Salas's case has not been investigated adequately. His
lawyer, Mr. Sae'ed Ashrafzadeh, asked many questions in the court which weren't
answered. And most importantly, car accidents are mainly considered
unintentional and accidental both in Iran and other countries. In rare cases
when they are intentional, they need to be investigated carefully regarding
intention and criminal action. But none of Mr. Sae'ed Ashrafzadeh's questions
were answered."
It should be noted that Yavar Mohammad Salas openly announced in the court that
he was tortured in the police station. In one of the public trial sessions he
said, "After I got out of my car in Golestan Haftom Ave., I got into the bus
and drove it toward the police station. I was driving slowly; I already said
that I didn't hit the officers on purpose, but they beat me and broke my arm. I
didn't mean to kill the officers. I honked the horn and flashed my headlights
to make them go away."
The 3rd and last hearing session of Mohammad Salas was held on Sunday, March
18. He rejected all the accusations and stated that his action was
unintentional and he was just escaping out of fear of being beaten by the
police again. He couldn't see well and lost control because his arm was
broken." Eventually, Mohammad Salas was sentenced to imprisonment and death by
retribution on the charge of "murdering 3 police officers and disturbing public
order."
On February 19, the clashes broke out while a group of Gonabadi dervishes was
protesting in front of a police station. Hundreds of them were arrested and 1
of them, named Mohammad Raji, died due to the injuries he received during his
detention or interrogation.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO:
Death penalty not the answer, T&T told by EU
The European Union Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago does not believe the death
penalty is an effective deterrent to crime.
The EU today expressed concerns about this country's high crime rate, gang and
drug activity and the significant number of guns on the nation's streets.
But it posited that the death penalty was not "the right answer".
Ahead of Europe Day, which will be recognised tomorrow, EU Ambassadors from
France, Spain, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Germany and the UK held a press
conference at its office, Sagicor Financial Centre, Queen's Park West, Port of
Spain.
They shared their views on a number of issues, including human rights, trade
with T&T, climate change, culture and its role in the world.
Addressing the death penalty, UK Ambassador to T&T Tim Stew noted that T&T was
the only remaining Commonwealth Caribbean country to still have a mandatory
death penalty.
"We don't think that's the right answer. That's not for us to tell you what to
do. It's your country and you can run it as you wish. And we can well
understand the public pressures there may be, the political pressures there may
be, people calling in, in the face of crime, for the death penalty to be
carried out," he said.
"But we don't think it is effective. There is too much evidence to show that a
mandatory death penalty is not an effective deterrent to crime," he added.
Stew went on: "In fact, we think it's worse than that. There is evidence which
shows that when a jury knows that they are facing somebody and have to decide
if they are not guilty on a murder case, when they know that the only penalty
available to a judge is the death penalty, they are less inclined to find that
person guilty and more inclined to let that person walk out of that court, even
though they may have done what they are alleged to have done."
"Whereas, if juries know there are range of options available to a judge, from
heavy sentencing to lighter sentencing, depending on the terms and
circumstances, then they are more inclined to see that justice is done."
(source: Trinidad & Tobago Express)
GERMANY/TUNISIA:
German court OKs deportations to Tunisia despite death penalty----The ruling is
a win for the CSU's Horst Seehofer, who sought the swift deportation of asylum
seekers classified as terrorist threats.
Germany's constitutional court on Monday denied an appeal from a suspected
Islamic State member who was trying to avoid deportation to Tunisia, saying the
threat of the death penalty was not likely to be realized.
Haikel S.'s lawyer filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights, but
judges in Strasbourg declined to intervene Monday. The ruling paves the way for
more deportations of people considered "terrorist threats." German law prevents
deportation if the suspect would face the death penalty or life without parole
in the destination country, but Tunisia has not executed anyone since 1991.
Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the ruling. "It is a judgment that gives us
clarity and makes the enforcement of rights possible," she said. It could bring
a conclusion to the case of Sami A., a former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden who
has so far avoided deportation to Tunisia.
The decision is definitely a win for Horst Seehofer, Germany's interior
minister and leader of Bavaria's Christian Social Union, who is thinking about
the state's election in October. He has been trying to speed up deportations
since he came into office in March and is currently creating a plan for "anchor
centers" to process asylum seekers more efficiently.
The project is part of the coalition pact that the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed upon
in March. Mr. Seehofer says the anchor centers would swiftly take in and
process refugees, and direct them out of Germany if necessary. Critics call
anchor centers a euphemism for concentration camps and point to the recent
uprising in Ellwangen, where asylum seekers prevented police from taking a man
slated to be deported last week.
Authorities in Germany and Tunisia believe Haikel S. was involved in the 2015
Bardo Museum attack, where Islamic State supporters killed 22 people and
injured dozens more. He initially came to Germany in 2003 as a student, and
after being deported returned in 2015, claiming to be a refugee from Syria. He
was captured in an anti-terror raid in 2017 and is currently in a Frankfurt
jail awaiting deportation.
Ms. Merkel's cabinet is expected to wrap up another sticking point this week
and cap the number of family members allowed to follow immigrants to Germany at
1,000 per month.
(source: Heike Anger is a correspondent in the parliamentary editorial office
of Handelsblatt in Berlin. Moritz Koch is a senior Handelsblatt correspondent
in Berlin. Grace Dobush is an editor with Handelsblatt Global in
Berlin----handelsblatt.com)
PAKISTAN:
NA passes bill seeking capital punishment for acid attackers
The National Assembly, on its last private members' day on Tuesday, passed 11
important bills including "The Acid and Burn Crime Bill, 2017", seeking capital
punishment for acid attackers/perpetrators.
The last private members' day disposed of a heavy agenda by passing 11 bills
including 2 treasury members' bills.
'The Acid and Burn Crime Bill, 2017', moved by Federal Minister Marvi Memon,
seeks to help and protect the citizens against the acid attacks.
The provisions related to women, children and dependants in the bill, passed
with some amendments, say: "If acid burn victim is a child, the federal
government or the board would provide free accommodation for two-year where
required at a suitable place."
It says: "The federal government or the board would undertake responsibility
for providing free shelter, sustenance and basic needs till such time that the
victim is financially independent."
The chapter 2 of the bill related to the offence of acid attack or burn attack
says: "If such act has resulted in the death of any person, (the culprit) be
punished with capital punishment." "Whoever intentionally causes hurt by acid
and burn attack shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for not less than
7 years," says the bill.
(source: nation.com.pk)
***********
Death Penalty Awarded In Murder Case
Additional Sessions Judge Chaudhry Imaan Elahi awarded death penalty to a man
in a murder case, registered by Thikriwala police station.
According to the prosecution, one Muhammad Shams alias Shamma of Chak No 74-JB,
along with his brother Muhammad Hasan, had shot dead Muhammad Waqas of the same
locality over a minor dispute in 2013.
The judge awarded capital punishment to Muhammad Shams under Section 302-B of
pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The convict was also directed to pay Rs5 lakh as
compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased.
In case of non-payment of the fine amount, the convict would have to undergo an
additional imprisonment of six months. However, the court acquitted the
co-accused Muhammad Hasan by giving him benefit of doubt.
(source: urdupoint.com)
BANGLADESH:
2 JMB militants get death penalty for killing Bangladesh professor
A court in Bangladesh on Tuesday handed out death sentence to 2 militants of
the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and life imprisonment to
another 3 for the murder of a university professor in 2016.
Judge Shirin Kabita Akhter, of a special judicial body in the northern city of
Rajshahi, handed the death penalty to 2 JMB men for participating directly in
the murder of Professor Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, bdnews24.com reported.
"3 other accused, who were aware of the plan but did not participate in the
killing, were handed life-term jail sentence," said Public Prosecutor Entajul
Haque.
Professor Siddiquee was hacked to death on April 23, 2016 while he was waiting
for a university bus. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State terror group,
which accused him of "promoting atheism".
Bangladesh authorities and law enforcers, however, deny the presence of the
Islamic State in the country.
The prosecutor said that four of the accused were present in the room when the
verdict was delivered while Shariful Islam, believed to be the mastermind of
the attack and a student of Professor Siddiquee, was sentenced in absentia as
his whereabouts are unknown.
In November 2016, the Bangladeshi police charged 8 JMB members with the murder,
3 of whom were killed in a shootout with the police.
More than 70 bloggers, intellectuals, people from religious minority groups and
foreigners have been killed in extremist violence in Bangladesh between 2013
and 2016, giving rise to alarm in the South Asian country that has been
religiously-moderate.
(source: Business-Standard)
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