[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Aug. 14 UNITED KINGDOM: MPs to review UK's 13m pounds overseas 'war on drugs' linked to execution of non-violent offenders Claims the execution of "innocent scapegoats" in Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia are funded by millions of British pounds funneled into counter-narcotics operations overseas have forced the UK government to reassess the human rights implications of its policy. The chair of Britain's Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, announced plans to "look again" at the policy, after human rights group Reprieve raised concerns that Britain's 13 million pounds foreign "war on drugs" is potentially funding executions abroad. Reprieve had previously attacked Britain's backing of counter-narcotics operations in states that impose the death penalty for non-violent drugs offenses. The human rights group warned that such action is driving up the number of death sentences in these countries. The Iranian government has reportedly executed 394 drugs offenders this year, while Saudi Arabian authorities have beheaded some 47 non-violent drugs offenders. Since resuming executions 7 months ago, the Pakistani government has killed at least 180 people. Reprieve is particularly concerned about the 12 million pounds worth of British taxpayers' money gifted to the Pakistani Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), which has sent over 100 alleged drug traffickers to death row. The ANF has described these supposed mules on its website as "prosecution achievements." Reprieve says the ANF has sent 8,500 alleged drugs traffickers to death row, several of whom are thought to be British citizens. The ANF has also broadened its hanging campaign to cover all prisoners on death row, including those who have committed non-violent offenses. Among these are mentally ill people and juveniles. Britain's Overseas Security and Justice (OSJA) guidelines require ministers to consider human rights risks associated with assisting governments abroad. But the government has flatly refused to come clean on key details of its decision-making with respect to its funding of overseas counter-narcotics operations. The Home Office had previously maintained that releasing this information would damage its diplomatic relations with the Pakistani government and jeopardize Britain???s national security. In July, Reprieve launched a legal challenge against the British government, demanding to know why ministers had refused to reveal whether state regulations were adhered to when the UK channeled the funds to Pakistan. To date, large sections of these hearings at the Information Rights Tribunal (IRT) have been held in secret. The director of Reprieve's death penalty team, Maya Foa, accused the government of enabling abusive police who gloat about executing innocent people. "Hundreds of vulnerable mules and innocent scapegoats are being executed or languishing on death row in countries such as Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia," she said. "It is utterly unacceptable that the British government is contributing to this situation, by propping up abusive police forces who openly boast about sentencing people to death." Vaz has expressed concern over Britain's financial and operational backing of foreign counter-narcotics operations. The Labour MP for Leicester East has written to Home Secretary Theresa May to make inquiries. Vaz has asked the committee he chairs to examine whether the government's support of these operations is in line with Home Office policy recommendations. Britain is the most prolific funder of foreign anti-narcotics operations in Europe. Irish and Danish authorities have withdrawn funding for such programs over concerns the money was linked to death sentencing for drugs offenders. United Nations monitors recently stated that UK-funded schemes in Pakistan may have bolstered drugs seizures, but had made little impact on the drugs trade overall. They further suggested that incidences of drug trafficking had increased in the face of Pakistan's UK-backed counter-narcotics program. (source: rt.com) INDONESIA: BNN nabs 8 drug dealers The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) said on Friday that it had arrested eight suspected members of an international drug syndicate, which had attempted to smuggle 2.3 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into Indonesia. "The meth was brought from Malaysia to Dumai, Riau, using a speedboat on Aug. 11, 2015," BNN spokesperson Sr. Comr. Slamet Pribadi said, as quoted by tempo.co. Slamet said that the suspects were arrested in 3 different locations. 5 of the suspects, with initials AK, aged 34, AM, 36, JM, 37, FA, 34, and FN, aged 39, were arrested on a street in West Dumai, Riau. Meanwhile, suspects with initials I, aged 30, and F, aged 34, were arrested at a house in West Dumai. 1 suspect, K, aged 29 and believed to be the ringleader, was arrested in Berau in East Kalimantan. Slamet explained that the syndicate
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----CONN., VA., GA., ALA., COLO., CALIF., USA
Aug. 14 CONNECTICUT: Death penalty ruling may pave way for national abolitionists A sweeping decision this week by the Connecticut Supreme Court that found the death penalty no longer meets society's evolving standards of decency could be influential across a nation that is increasingly questioning the practice, legal experts said. Thursday's ruling found capital punishment violates the Connecticut constitution, but the justices backed their decision by citing what abolitionists say are universal problems with the death penalty, including economic disparities in its use, the costs involved with appeals, the inherent cruelty involved in lengthy waits for execution, and the risk of executing innocent people. "It reads as a missive to the U.S. Supreme Court," said Kevin Barry, a Quinnipiac University law professor and expert on death penalty law. "It is a blueprint for our nation's high court to strike down the death penalty nationally." 31 states still have capital punishment, but seven states have eliminated it in the past decade, including Nebraska in May and Maryland in 2013, which both passed legislation outlawing the death penalty. Connecticut's abolishment is different because it comes in the form of a court ruling, one that found the 2012 state law that banned executions for future crimes did not go far enough, experts said. The court found the death penalty "no longer serves any legitimate penological purpose." "This is one more institution saying this is too broken and it can't be fixed, and let's be done with it," said Shari Silberstein, executive director of the anti-death penalty group Equal Justice USA. The ruling could also influence courts in states such as Maryland and New Mexico, which, like Connecticut, eliminated the death penalty only for future crimes, said Robert Blecker, a professor at New York Law School and a proponent of the limited use of capital punishment. States including Delaware, Colorado, Kansas, New Hampshire and Washington are also considering repealing the death penalty only for future crimes, he said. "My view is that there will never be an execution of anyone who, if they had committed the same crime on the day of their execution, would not be subjected to the death penalty," said Blecker, author of the book "The Death of Punishment." ''This ruling backs that up." The death penalty was widely used in the United States for decades until the 1960s, when questions about its fairness reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which eventually ruled capital punishment unconstitutional in 1972. After states reworked their laws, the Supreme Court reinstituted the death penalty in 1976. In recent years, the number of death sentences and executions in the U.S. has plummeted as juries take advantage of new laws offering life with no chance of parole and as prosecutors hesitate to bring capital charges because of the cost, especially at the appeals stage. In the past 5 years, executions have slowed again while the supply of lethal drugs has dried up as manufacturers, responding to activist pressure, have put them off limits for capital punishment. The number of death sentences imposed last year marked a 40-year low in the country, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, which tracks information about the use of capital punishment in the United States. There have been recent indications that the U.S. Supreme Court may be preparing to take its first broad look at the constitutionality of the death penalty since 1976, perhaps as early as this fall. In June, Justice Stephen Breyer, in a dissent of an opinion upholding Oklahoma's use of a new lethal injection drug, said that circumstances have changed drastically over the past 40 years, and that the death penalty may now constitute cruel and unusual punishment. "Given these changes, I believe that it is now time to reopen the question," he wrote. One of the main tests the U.S Supreme Court would look at is the nation's standards of decency, Barry said. If it follows Connecticut's lead, in may not need to find that the majority of states oppose the death penalty, only that the trend is heading in an undeniable direction, he said. But death penalty supporters may also look to Connecticut to back their position that executions should remain legal in states where it has public and legislative support. Connecticut's ruling drew harsh criticism from the 3 dissenting justices and legislative Republicans, who accused the court of improperly taking on the role of policymakers. Connecticut Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano noted that multiple lawmakers would not have voted to repeal the death penalty in Connecticut if that ban had applied to those already on death row. In her dissent, Connecticut Chief Justice Chase Rogers wrote court ignored the most obvious evidence that society still accepts the death pena
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS
Aug. 15 TEXASnew execution date James Freeman has been given an execution date for January 27, 2016; it should be considered serious. Executions under Greg Abbott, Jan. 21, 2015-present10 Executions in Texas: Dec. 7, 1982present-528 Abbott#scheduled execution date-nameTx. # 11-August 26Bernardo Tercero---529 12-September 29-Perry Williams-530 13-October 6Juan Garcia--531 14-October 14---Licho Escamilla-532 15-October 28---Christopher Wilkins-533 16-November 3---Julius Murphy--534 17-January 20 (2016)-Richard Masterson535 27-January 27---James Freeman--536 (sources: TDCJ & Rick Halperin) ___ 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
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Aug. 14 PAKISTAN7 new death sentences Death Penalty For Pakistan School Attackers The school massacre shocked Pakistanis and prompted the government to reinstate the death penalty for convicted terrorists. 7 Islamic militants have been sentenced to death in Pakistan over a series of attacks, including a school massacre which left almost 150 staff and students dead. According to a statement released by the army, an 8th militant was sentenced to life in prison. The Taliban claimed responsibility for last December's attack on an army-run school in Peshawar, which was the country's deadliest terrorist attack. The massacre shocked Pakistanis and led to a decision to lift a moratorium on executions that had been in place since 2008. It is unclear at this stage when the death sentences will be carried out. The army statement indicates that the 8 men have the right to appeal against their sentences in a military court. "The convicts were given fair trial by following all the legal formalities and offering (and) providing them legal aid and defence counsels," the statement said. "The sentences of death have been confirmed by the Chief of Army Staff." Pakistan has long been accused of ignoring the threat posed by Islamic militants, instead using them to project influence into neighbouring Afghanistan. At the time of the attack, Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif described the massacre as a "national tragedy". (source: Sky News) SINGAPORE: Heroin hidden in cabbages; 4 men arrested may face death penalty Bags of cabbage might seem innocuous enough but yesterday police busted an attempt to use the vegetable to traffick 3.6kg of heroin, estimated to be worth over $245,000. A 46-year-old Singaporean man, along with 3 Malaysian men aged 25 to 32, were arrested in the sting. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said this was its 1st case in which cabbage was used to hide drugs. Officers were deployed in the area on information that a suspected drug trafficker would be receiving a drugs consignment in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 in the early morning. At about 5.45am, a white Malaysia-registered lorry arrived at the location. Shortly after, the Singaporean walked up to the left side of the lorry and handed a plastic bag to one of the passengers, said the CNB. He received 4 plastic bags in return and the lorry moved off. Anti-narcotics officers tailed the suspect to a nearby coffeeshop and arrested him there. Inside the plastic bags were eight cabbages which concealed bundles of heroin. The Malaysia-registered lorry was later stopped at Woodlands Checkpoint at about 6.45am. The 3 Malaysians who were in the vehicle were arrested. Cash amounting to $18,500 was found inside a plastic bag behind the driver's seat. Investigations are ongoing. If convicted, the men could all face the death penalty. The CNB said yesterday that it is committed to keeping Singapore safe from drugs, and that it will remain vigilant to drug smuggling. (source: Straits Times) ___ 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
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----CONN., FLA., OHIO, ARK., COLO., CALIF., USA
Aug. 14 CONNECTICUT: William Petit, Dad of Murdered Family, Reacts to Connecticut Death Penalty Ruling It was a crime of epic cruelty, and the culprits were sentenced to pay the ultimate price. But a decision by Connecticut's highest court means the 2 men who carried out the chilling Petit family murders will be spared execution, along with 9 other death-row inmates. Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky now get life sentences for a 2007 home invasion robbery in which they raped and strangled Jennifer Petit, tied her daughters Hayley and Michaela to their beds, and set the home ablaze. Petit's sister, Cynthia Hawke Renn, told NBC News that she is "disheartened" by the Connecticut Supreme Court's finding that a 2012 legislative repeal of the death penalty should also apply to those who committed their crimes earlier. "I really do think that cruel and unusual crimes really do deserve cruel and unusual punishment," she said. "For people who commit such heinous and horrific crimes - when you torture and rape them and their children, douse them with gasoline and burn them alive - is there not something that should be worse? "Shouldn't there be a worse punishment out there for someone who takes a life in such a cruel and unusual way?" Jennifer Petit's husband, Dr. William Petit, who was beaten during the siege but escaped to call for help, had fought against the 2012 repeal of the death penalty. He noted in a statement Thursday that the court was divided in its ruling. "The dissenting justices clearly state how the 4 members of the majority have disregarded keystones of our government structure such as the separation of powers and the role of judicial precedent to reach the decision they hand down yesterday. "The death penalty and its application is a highly charged topic with profound emotional impact, particularly on their victims and their loved ones." Connecticut's death row includes killers who have been there since 1989. The latest addition is Richard Roszkowski, who was sentenced last year, after legislative repeal, but was still eligible because the crime occurred in 2006. He was convicted of killing a former neighbor, Holly Flannery, her 9-year-old daughter Kylie and a landscaper, Thomas Gaudet. Kylie's grandmother, Flo Tipke, said the court ruling was a blow. "We went through two trials and now it kind of feels like it was a huge waste of time and money," she said. "We're very sad. We feel that the way he murdered our grandchild and our daughter-in-law was cruel and heinous and I don't feel any punishment they could have given him would be too cruel or heinous." Mary Jo Gellenbeck - whose sister Diana was kidnapped and killed by another death-row prisoner, Daniel Webb - said she favors Thursday's ruling. "I don't support the death penalty so I'm happy to see that Connecticut is moving in the direction of eliminating that," she said. Gellenbeck said her opposition to capital punishment stems in part from the danger that someone innocent could be put to death, though she is certain Webb murdered her sister. "I think David Webb is a danger to society," she said. "But if he is behind bars without parole, it's what everybody wants." (source: NBC news) Statement on Connecticut Supreme Court Death Penalty Decision Today, the Connecticut Supreme Court struck down exemptions to the state's 2012 death penalty ban, which had excluded the 11 inmates currently on death row. In response, James Clark, Amnesty International USA's senior campaigner on the death penalty, released the following statement: "Today's ruling that any use of the death penalty in Connecticut is unconstitutional brings the state closer in line with the majority of the country, which is abandoning the death penalty in law and in practice. "It's encouraging that the court determined that the death penalty fails to meet 'contemporary standards of decency' and serves no 'legitimate penological purpose.' Connecticut can now stand fully among the 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have abolished the death penalty." Executions and death sentences in the US have plunged in the last decade to historic lows, due largely to the public's increased awareness about glaring flaws inherent to capital punishment. In 2014 only 7 states carried out executions, with 80% of executions taking place in just 3 states. Amnesty International USA opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. As of today, 140 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. (source: Amnesty International USA, Thurs., Aug. 13) *** The End of the Death Penalty in ConnecticutAs backlash against capital punishment continues across the country, Connecticut's Supreme Court rules the death penalty unconstitutional. ?It's been obscured by the headlong pr
