[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Nov. 22 PAKISTAN: Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif confirms death sentence of 10 terroristsThe 10 condemned terrorists were given capital punishment by special military courts set-up after the 2014 Peshawar school attack for speedy trial of terrorists. Ahead of his retirement, Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif Tuesday confirmed death sentence handed down to 10 "hardcore terrorists" by military courts for their involvement in killing 4 commandos and other heinous offences related to terrorism. The 10 condemned terrorists were given capital punishment by special military courts set-up after the 2014 Peshawar school attack for speedy trial of terrorists. "Today, Chief of Army Staff confirmed death sentences awarded to another 10 hardcore terrorists who were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism, including killing of innocent civilians," army said in a statement. The militants had also slaughtered Special Services Group's 4 commandos who had been captured and mercilessly killed during Swat operation of 2009. Army said the convicts also planned and executed attacks on Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan which resulted in deaths and injuries to several soldiers. They were also involved in destruction of educational institutions and communication infrastructure. Fire-arms and explosives were also recovered from their possession. The military courts were set up in Pakistan to expedite the trial process for terror-related offences following the December 2014 Taliban's massacre at an army-run school in Peshawar in which over 150 people, mostly school children, were killed. Following the attack, the government had lifted the moratorium on the death penalty and the Parliament passed the 21st amendment which established military courts which was challenged in the Supreme Court. The apex court ruled in favour of setting up of the courts in August last year. It is not known where the trial was held and when the verdict of conviction announced, as the military courts work in secrecy due to fear of backlash by militants. Raheel will end his 3-year term as army chief on November 29. (source: indianexpress.com) SOUTH AFRICA: Should criminals be hanged by the neck? Should violent criminals in our ravaged society be hanged by the neck to pay for their crimes? For some, this is justice. For others, it's an act of barbarism that simply reinforces the violence in a society. And still for others, it is a hideous ghost from the gallows of apartheid where people were hanged simply for their political affiliation. It is not a comfortable question, but one which sits on the lips of many South Africans outraged by how murder, rape, gang rape and violent assault have become a norm in society. Now, the Institute for Race Relations has just released a report that says 4 of the 5 main arguments against capital punishment can be debated without conclusion - but it is the "possibility of error" that really cements capital punishment as a "no go" area. IRR security analyst Kerwin Lebone said: "Almost 500,000 people have been murdered by violent criminals since 1994. Many more have been maimed, otherwise injured, or traumatised. It must be expected that the society might ask questions of the wisdom of having abandoned the death penalty." In its research, the IRR tested 5 objections to the death penalty: That it is cruel and unusual, that it is a form of retribution, that it is arbitrary, that the penalty is not a deterrent to crime, and that an irreversible error can be made. According to a statement released by the IRR, it was "able to overcome the first 4 objections. It found that the death penalty is not necessarily cruel and unusual. Society is entitled to a measure of retribution. The arbitrariness is not unique to that form of punishment. The international evidence is mixed but, in South Africa's unique circumstances, the death penalty could well be a deterrent to the commission of the most cruel and violent of crimes." But, the IRR found that "the most compelling argument against the punishment was the possibility of error" - particularly in the case of the South African criminal justice system. The IRR said that, while a case could be made to reopen a debate into the death penalty, this debate would have to overcome the 5th objection to that penalty. Barend van Niekerk, a fervent death penalty abolitionist, said in 1967 that "47% of the executions in the world were carried out in South Africa". According to the IRR, it is a figure that was "questioned but never refuted". Up until 1989, when executions were stopped in SA, around 4,000 had been capitally punished in the country in the 80 preceding years. Today, "technological advances (like DNA testing)" could reduce the risk of error, as could "better police and prosecutorial procedures". However, even if all precautions were taken,
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Nov. 22 VIETNAM: A 73-year-old Aussie woman has had her death penalty reduced to life in Vietnam An appeals court in Vietnam has commuted the death sentence of a 73-year-old Australian woman convicted of heroin trafficking. The online state media outlet Vietnamnet quoted the People's High Court in Ho Chi Minh City as citing Nguyen Thi Huong's sincere confession and age for granting leniency. The sentence was reduced to life in prison at the appeals trial on Monday. Court officials were not available for comment on Tuesday. Huong was sentenced to death in June after being convicted of trafficking over a kilo of heroin. She was arrested in December 2014 when checking in for a flight to Australia after the heroin was found hidden in 36 bars of soap in her luggage. The court originally ruled that the offence was "extremely dangerous to the community" and found her guilty. She would have faced death by lethal injection. Huong has always maintained her innocence saying the bars of soap were given to her and she planned to take them back to Australia as gifts for family not knowing what was inside. Vietnam has some of the world's toughest drug laws where trafficking even small amounts of heroin is punishable by death. (source: ntnews.com.au) MALAYSIA: Death sentences reduced to 20 years by Malaysian court 2 Turkish Cypriots, who appealed death sentences imposed on them last year in Malaysia for drug offences had their punishments reduced to 20 years' imprisonment, the foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. "The supreme court of Malaysia, met yesterday, November 21, 2016 to hear the appeal of Cypriot nationals Mehmet Ucaner Oktay and Muhammet Osman, against the death penalty imposed on them by the first instance court following their arrest for possession and drug trafficking," a statement from the foreign ministry said. "The supreme court quashed the first instance judgment, and instead condemned the said persons to 20 years in prison. 1 of the 2 was also sentenced to 10 lashes." The ministry said the sentences will run from November 5, 2011, the date on which the pair, said to be aged 67 and 57, were arrested at Kuala Lumpur Airport after arriving on a flight from Dubai. They have been in prison since then after being found to be in possession of a large quantity of unspecified drugs, found in their luggage. The initial court decision, in April last year, ruled they be hanged for their crimes, with the death sentence being mandatory for those found guilty of drugs trafficking in Malaysia. "From the time of their arrest, until the final decision, full consular assistance was provided by the foreign ministry, which included frequent visits to prisons by consular officers of the high commission of the republic in New Delhi, financial and psychological support, and most importantly, the delegation of a suitable law firm for their defence, which resulted in the result reported," the statement continued. "The ministry of foreign affairs and particularly the high commission in New Delhi had, throughout the judicial process excellent cooperation both with the prisoners themselves and their families and with their defence lawyers. It is noted that the handling of the whole matter took into account the seriousness of the offence for which both Cypriot nationals were accused, but also the principled position of the republic against the death penalty." (source: cyprus-mail.com) SUDAN: Apostasy and blasphemy laws curtail freedoms The fate of the 2 Sudanese pastors facing espionage and apostasy charges in Sudan remains unknown, despite some movement in the case. Open Doors, the charity that serves persecuted Christians around the world, reports that after many delays this year, lawyers have finally been able to begin their defense of the 4 men - 2 Sudanese pastors, a Czech aid worker, and a 3rd Sudanese man. Middle East Concern sources note multiple postponements, with no updates coming from the November 21rst hearing. The 4 are accused of 7 charges, including waging war against the state and spying, and face the death penalty if convicted. It seems like an unusually harsh penalty, and yet Sudan is one of 12 countries in the world where there are both apostasy and blasphemy laws in force. It's a diverse nation, especially where Arabic culture meets African culture. Islam became more prevalent when Sudan and South Sudan separated, with the North becoming 90 % Muslim. According to the Joshua Project, 5 % of the population in Sudan is considered Christian, with just .39 % claiming to be evangelical. The rest are animists, adds 'K'*, a man who advocates for religious freedom in the Muslim world. 'K' says it would be unfair to consider Sudan an Islamic country. "If you say it is an Islamic state, there is no place for non-Muslims. Faith is nothing you can force on anybody. Faith actually has to come from the heart.
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, N.J., VA., S.C., GA., FLA., ALA.
Nov. 22 TEXASimpending execution Urgent ActionSTOP EXECUTION OF TEXAS MAN WITH DELUSIONAL DISORDER John Battaglia, aged 61, is scheduled to be executed in Texas on 7 December. He was sentenced to death for killing his 2 young daughters in 2001. Three psychologists have concluded that a delusional disorder renders him incompetent for execution. On 18 November, a Texas judge ruled that he is feigning mental illness and can be executed. Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet- including inmate number #999412 in your appeals: * Calling for the execution of John Battaglia to be stopped and for his death sentence to be commuted; * Noting that 3 psychologists have found he has a delusional disorder that leaves him without a rational understanding of his impending execution; * Explaining that you do not wish to downplay the seriousness of the crime or deny the suffering caused. Contact these 2 officials by 7 December, 2016: Important note: Please do not forward this Urgent Action email directly to these officials. Instead of forwarding this email that you have received, please open up a new email message in which to write your appeals to each official. This will help ensure that your emails are not rejected. Thank you for your deeply valued activism! Clemency Section, Board of Pardons and Paroles 8610 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, Texas 78757-6814, USA Fax: +1 512 467 0945 Email: bpp-...@tdcj.state.tx.us Salutation: Dear Board Members Governor Greg Abbott Office of the Governor P.O. Box 12428 Austin, Texas 78711-2428, USA Fax: +1 512 463 1849 Contact form: https://gov.texas.gov/contact/assistance.aspx Salutation: Dear Governor (sourc: Amnesty International USA) NEW JERSEY: N.J. lawmakers want to reinstate death penalty in 'extreme' cases 2 state lawmakers are looking to reverse New Jersey's landmark ban on the death penalty and restore the punishment for serious crimes. On Monday, Senators Steve Oroho (R-Sussex) and Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) introduced a bill that would restore capital punishment in certain murder cases, citing recent terror attacks and fatal ambushes of police officers across the United States as examples of crimes warranting the death penalty. New Jersey eliminated capital punishment nearly a decade ago, and the measure would have to be approved by the Democrat-controlled state Legislature in order to pass. Previous attempts to roll back the prohibition have failed in recent years, and opponents who shepherded the state death penalty ban into law vowed to fight any effort at repeal. But its sponsors say recent events merit a fresh look at allowing capital punishment in "extreme" cases. According to a copy of the bill obtained by NJ Advance Media on Monday, it would restore capital punishment in cases including the murder of a police officer; the murder of a child in commission of a sex crime; deaths caused by an act of terror; killings committed by those who have previously been convicted of murder; and for serial killers. In a statement announcing the introduction of the bill, Oroho cited the case of Ahmad Khan Rahimi, the man accused of planting bombs in New Jersey and New York in a botched terror plot in September, in advocating for a return to capital punishment. But even if the bill were currently law, Rahimi himself wouldn't likely face the death penalty, because despite causing widespread panic and injuries, the string of bombings caused no fatalities. In an interview, the senator said the accused Elizabeth bomber was used as an example. "There could have been significant fatalities had it actually gone off as planned," Oroho said, adding that he hoped the possibility of capital punishment would serve as a deterrent to future plots. Sen. Ray Lesniak, a key sponsor of the legislation banning capital punishment in the Garden State, said on Monday that the testimony that led to its passage included the family members of major crime victims who opposed answering killing with more killing. He also said the specter of wrongful convictions should give pause to anyone looking to reinstate the death penalty. Van Drew, a Democrat who said he voted against the repeal of the death penalty, said there was "no question that it has to be used very sparingly, only in circumstances where there is clear proof" such as a confession or DNA evidence. Lesniak said he did not expect the bill to pass. "We haven't had the death penalty for almost 10 years now, and we're not going to back to the dark ages," Lesniak said. Ari Rosmarin, the public policy director for the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which fought for the death penalty ban, said capital punishment in New Jersey "is in the dustbin of history, where it belongs." "Lawmakers submit thousands of bills every year that will never see the light of day in an effort to generate a headline," Rosmarin said
