Sept. 6
IRAN----impending execution
Execution of Kurdish Death-Row Prisoner More Likely, Prison Officer
Says----Fears for Ramin Hossein Panahi Grow Despite Torture and Due Process
Violation Concerns
The execution of a Kurdish death-row prisoner has become more likely, despite
credible questions regarding violations of due process in his case, torture and
other rights violations.
An officer in Rajaee Shahr Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran, has told the
prisoner Ramin Hossein Panahi that disturbances in Kurdish-populated regions
have increased the chance that he would be executed.
"The prison officer told Ramin that there's a great chance that his sentence
would be carried out because prisoners are not kept in solitary confinement for
a long time without a reason," Ramin's brother, Amjad Hossein Panahi, told the
Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on September 3, 2018.
"When there are protests or armed confrontations in Kurdistan [Province] or
other places, chances that death sentences would be carried out increases in
order to intimidate and cause fright," Amjad added in an interview from exile
in Germany.
Since his death sentence was confirmed by Iran's Supreme Court in April 2018,
Ramin Hossein Panahi's family and lawyers have issued several warnings about
his imminent execution.
The 22-year-old member of the outlawed Kurdish nationalist group, Komala, was
shot and arrested in an IRGC ambush in Sanandaj, capital of Kurdistan Province,
in June 2017. Ramin has insisted he did not draw a weapon and therefore the
death penalty issued against him is without foundation.
He has been convicted on the charge of "corruption on earth" and sentenced to
death under Articles 286, 287 and 279 of Iran's Islamic Penal Code.
On August 27 attorneys Maziar Tataei, Hossein Ahmadiniaz and Osman Mozayyan
said their client had sewn his lips as a protest for the following reasons:
"Being denied his legal rights, such as access to medical treatment outside
prison as prescribed by health authorities in Sanandaj Central Prison."
"Illegally cutting off telephone contacts with his family and lawyers and
preventing visitation."
"Being denied the same rights and services as other prisoners."
"Illegal and unjust verdicts that must be reviewed within legal frameworks."
The UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
cited concerns that Panahi was denied access to a lawyer, a fair trial, and
that he was mistreated and tortured in detention.
(source: iranhumanrights.org)
SOUTH SUDAN:
South Sudan soliders due for verdict could get the death penalty
The verdict and sentencing for 11 South Sudan soldiers accused of gang raping
foreign aid workers and murdering a local journalist during the country's
5-year civil war will be announced Thursday and could include the death
penalty.
An investigation by the Associated Press in 2016 revealed that dozens of
soldiers broke into the Terrain Hotel in Juba where they killed a local
journalist, raped international aid workers and assaulted others while U.N.
peacekeepers nearby did not respond to pleas for help.
The verdict, which is expected to be attended by foreigners and diplomats, will
take place in a military court 8 months after the trial ended. If convicted of
rape, soldiers could face up to 14 years in prison and if convicted of murder
they could be sentenced to death.
All the defendants have pleaded not guilty. A 12th soldier was charged but he
died from sickness in detention earlier this year while standing trial. Both
the prosecution and the defendants will have 15 days to appeal the verdict,
said the army.
The trial, which began in May last year, is widely seen as a test of South
Sudan's ability to hold its soldiers to account. The army is hoping the trial
will act as a deterrent to other soldiers while sending a message to the
civilian population that anyone who commits a crime will be punished, army
spokesman Col. Domic Chol Santo, told AP.
"This is important because the army has been accused of a great deal of rape,
sexual harassment and all forms of violations and it's not part of our
doctrine," said Santo.
Manager of the Terrain Hotel, Mike Woodward, has been closely involved with the
case and says he's happy with the due process and is looking forward to the
verdict.
"Every single soldier on trial has been identified by at least one if not
multiple victims or witnesses. As with any normal legal process we hope that we
will be compensated for our losses, that the criminals be punished and that an
example is set to discourage others from committing similar crimes in the
future," said Woodward.
"I've been waiting for this moment for 2 years, where I've felt so alone during
this time," one of the rape survivors told AP, which does not use the names of
victims of sexual assault. She was the only survivor who came back to South
Sudan to testify in person during the trial.
"I really hope this fight will be for something positive," she said. "And that
this will set a precedent for other crimes and for other women who are abused
and who don't have a voice."
(source: africa.ctgn.com)
SOUTH AFRICA:
'Bring back Death Penalty': IFP tells Parliament
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has filed to the Parliament Committee, a
request for death penalty to be brought back, as the rate of crime in South
Africa is increasing at a high speed.
The party says that, criminals are being 'protected' by the country's justice
system and the justice on its own is compromised.
"At the moment we are in the situation whereby offender's rights are considered
and is justice compromised. Criminal rate is escalating at a very worrying pace
and we doing nothing about it," said the party in a statement.
Meanwhile, NICRO, says that it is not necessary to bring back death penalty.
"At the moment we do not have concrete scientific proof to show that death
penalty will help decrease crime rate. Recently, the countries that are
exercising death penalty have seen a quick spike in crime rate compared to
those who do not exercise it and that alone should be considered," said NICRO
CEO Soraya Solomon.
Solomon says that the country needs to implement crime prevention programs
instead of death penalty.
"How many people will we kill before realizing that this is not the right
method? We need to find other means than opting for death penalty," she said.
(source: blackexcellencenetwork.co.za)
IRELAND:
Presidential candidate calls for death penalty for crimes against older people
The death penalty should be imposed on anybody who harms an old person in their
home, according to presidential hopeful Kevin Sharkey.
Mr Sharkey was addressing a meeting of Roscommon County Council, where he along
with other candidates was seeking the support of members for a presidential
bid.
3 county councils convened meetings to hear presentations from would-be
presidential candidates on Wednesday. Anyone seeking to stand in the election
requires the support of four local authorities or 20 members of the Oireachtas.
In Roscommon, councillors will decide who they will back on Monday morning
next. However, 2 councillors nominated Sean Gallagher at the end of the
meeting.
Mr Sharkey said he was a "culchie" and that Dublin had forgotten about rural
Ireland.
"I personally believe that the death penalty would be appropriate for anybody
who harms an old person in their home," he said in relation to rural crime.
Asked by Sinn Fein Cllr Michael Mulligan about the "Tweetgate" controversy
during the 2011 campaign, Mr Gallagher said he had no resentment. He later sued
RTE for damages after a false tweet was read out during the final televised
debate during the campaign.
"What I have is a desire to address the facts, to sort out the issue that I saw
and root out injustice, and to make sure that processes and protocols were put
in place within RTE," he said.
He said he took his case against RTE so that all election candidates would
receive the treatment they deserved.
Fine Gael's Cllr Liam Callaghan asked whether he had confidence in RTE going
into the campaign. Mr Gallagher replied that he hoped many lessons had been
learned by the national broadcaster and that many protocols were now in place
as a result of his action.
During the meeting, Senator Joan Freeman said she supported giving voting
rights to the diaspora, saying it would be a wonderful gift.
"I will effect change at the top," she said. "I will champion the charities
that are doing the job of the Government."
Journalist Gemma O'Doherty said her candidacy for the Aras began in Co
Roscommon when she began investigating the death of Fr Niall Molloy. She added
she would stand up against the elites who have traditionally run Ireland and
would be a voice for equality.
Speaking to Louth County Council, presidential hopeful Gavin Duffy said he
voted for Mr Gallagher in the 2011 presidential election.
Mr Duffy, who was a fellow 'Dragon,' with Mr Gallagher on the TV programme
Dragons' Den, was the only candidate to address a specially called meeting of
Louth County Council on Wednesday night.
An official confirmed Mr Gallagher has not requested to meet the council.
Councillors in Louth will decide on whether to support a candidate, and who
that will be, at a meeting on September 17th.
Wexford County Council will meet next Monday to decide who it will nominate to
run in the presidential election. A special meeting of the council heard
pitches from three candidates on Wednesday.
2 of 3 candidates hoping to run in the presidential election received backing
from councillors in the room - Mr Gallagher was promised a proposal by
Independent councillor Ger Carthy, while Senator Freeman is to be proposed by
Fine Gael's Cllr Paddy Kavanagh.
Cllr Carthy, offering his support to Mr Gallagher remarked on the 20,000 votes
the former Dragons' Den judge had secured in the 2011 election, saying he was
hopeful that people would support his nomination of him.
Actor Sarah Louise Mulligan pledged to use social media to share videos that
would help those feeling vulnerable. She also felt that not enough was being
done about the issue of elder abuse, something she had written her college
thesis on.
She proclaimed herself to be "pro-life and proud", saying that she would
happily donate some of her presidential salary for the setting up of crisis
pregnancy centres.
She said she admired Donald Trump for his anti-abortion stance and for a lot of
his policies, saying she wanted Ireland to be a place where people could speak
their mind freely.
(source: Irish Times)
PAKISTAN:
Cop's killer sent to gallow
A cop murderer, awarded capital punishment under Anti-Terrorism Act, was hanged
till death at Kasur District Jail after his clemency appeal was rejected by the
President of Pakistan on Wednesday. The jail sources told The Nation that
Ramazan alias Jani, resident of Darbar Sheikh Ilam Din, Chunian was awarded
death sentence by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore for shooting a police
constable dead.
According to police, an FIR No. 359/2004 was registered against the suspect on
July 1, 2004 on charge of murdering Constable Mukhtiar Ahmed. It was stated in
the FIR that a police party was on a routine patrol in a police vehicle near
Chunian when the accused opened fire on them, killing Mukhtar on the spot and
leaving Sub Inspector Niamat Ali with critical injuries. The police arrested
the accused on Aug 10, 2004 and produced him in Anti-Terrorism Court No. 3,
Lahore which awarded him death penalty on Oct 12, 2006.
The convict filed an appeal No. 5-J/2007 against the court verdict in Lahore
High Court, but it was rejected on May 5, 2009. He also filed an appeal No.
28/2010 in Supreme Court of Pakistan which was rejected on Sept 9, 2016.
(source: nation.com.pk)
INDIA:
Yug murder case: Himachal court gives death penalty to 3 for killing 4-yr-old
boy
A Himachal Pradesh court on Wednesday gave the death penalty to 3 people for
the murder of a 4-year-old boy Yug whose skeletal remains were found in a
municipal water tank 2 years later.
Shimla Sessions Judge Virender Singh had convicted Chander Sharma, Tajender
Singh and Vikrant Bakshi on August 6 for the child's murder, but deferred the
hearing on the quantum of sentence.
Yug's father Vinod Kumar Gupta, mother Pinki Gupta and grandmother Chandralekha
Gupta were present in the jam-packed court as the sentence was pronounced.
"My son cannot come back but I am satisfied with the verdict of death penalty
for the guilty," Mr. Gupta told PTI.
The boy was abducted from the busy Ram Bazar area in Shimla on June 14, 2014
and killed after 7 days, even before a ransom call was made.
His remains were recovered from a Shimla Municipal Corporation water tank in
Kelston area on August 21, 2016, after the probe was handed over to the CID.
The prosecution said Yug was tortured, starved and forcibly served liquor
before being thrown alive into a water tank.
A rock was tied to him when he was thrown into the tank, it said.
Yug's killing had sent shockwaves across the city and residents took out
processions and candlelight marches to express rage.
Mr. Gupta had filed a missing person's complaint at Sadar police station the
day his son was abducted.
A criminal case was registered on June 16, while a letter seeking a ransom of
3.6 crore was received on June 27.
3 more ransom letters were received subsequently.
On January 29, 2016, some municipal corporation employees found his skeleton
while cleaning the tank after a jaundice outbreak in the city.
Public prosecutor Randip Singh Parmar told PTI that statements of 105 witnesses
were recorded in the case.
The death sentence would have to be confirmed by the high court. The convicts
may file appeal against it in the high court within 30 days, he added.
(source: The Hindu)
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