[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
August 28 EGYPT: 6 sentenced to death over attacking police ambush Aside from their involvement in terror-related crimes, the attack on the ambush, which is located in Al-Khasos city in Qaluybia governorate, resulted in the death of a police officer and also left others injured. The court also sentenced 2 defendants to life in prison (25 years), a minor to 15 years of intensive imprisonment and another defendant to 5 years in the same case that is known in the media as "Khosous Ambush." Back in 2017, there were initially 12 accused of the crime; however, those facing death penalty are Islam Mohamed, Mohamed Sabri, Mohamed Nasar, Ibrahim Abd El-Daher, Abd ElRahman Mostafa and Mohamed Mahmoud Hesham. According to the investigations, the 1st defendant in 2016 established and lead a terrorist group contrary to the provisions of the law that was aimed at disrupting and preventing state institutions and public authorities from fulfilling their duties. This group also aimed to change the regime by force, by attacking police authorities and armed forces. The other defendants also joined this terrorist group and they were taught how to use firearms to assassinate policemen. The investigations revealed that the defendants, from 1st to 5th, 9th, 11th and 12th provided the group with the necessary funds, firearms and explosives so that they can carry out terrorist attacks. With respect to the crime of assassinating a police officer at a special police unit, the defendants all participated in the assassination of Moustafa Mohammed Amin, a police sergeant, as he was at the special police unit when the incident occured. The 3rd defendant also took footage of the assassination as it happened. In June, the court presided by Judge Shaaban Al-Shamy, referred the case to Grand Mufti, Egypt's top religious body authorized to issue Islamic rulings on the execution of the 6 convicted. (source: egypttoday.com) IRANexecution Man Hanged in Ardabil A prisoner was executed at Ardabil Central Prison on murder charges. According to a close source, on the morning of Sunday, August 26, a prisoner was executed at Ardabil central prison. The prisoner, sentenced to death on murder charges, was identified as Shahram Mohammadi, 37. Shahram Mohammadi had been in prison for three years and 10 months. HRANA reported that the prisoner was transferred to the solitary confinement on Saturday. A close source told IHR, "His family was supposed to win the consent of the plaintiffs who had promised to give their consent several times but they changed their mind. Finally, Shahram was executed at Ardabil Prison on Saturday." The execution of this prisoner has not been announced by the state-run media so far. According to Iran Human Rights annual report on the death penalty, 240 of the 517 execution sentences in 2017 were implemented due to murder charges. There is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran which results in issuing a death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intensity and intent. (source: Iran Human Rights) TURKEY: Turkish leaders agree to bring back death penalty Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the leader of his far-right junior coalition partner, Devlet Bahceli, have agreed to a proposal that could see the death penalty restored in Turkey, Cumhuriyet newspaper said on Tuesday. The 2 leaders want to see the death penalty restored for terrorism offences and the murder of women and children, having discussed the issue at a meeting held at the end of July, the newspaper said. An amnesty for other crimes is also on the agenda, Cumhuriyet said. Bahceli has long advocated such an idea and his Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) recently produced draft legislation relating to the issue. Both the reinstatement of the death penalty and the proposed amnesty would require amending Turkey's constitution. This requires support from at least 360 of parliament's 600 members. The MHP and Erdogan's Justice and Development Party together won around 20 seats less than this in June's parliamentary elections. Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004, though no executions have taken place since 1984. Restoring the death penalty would put an end to Turkey's already dormant bid to join the European Union. (source: ahvalnews.com) VIETNAM: Lao man arrested for smuggling drug to Vietnam A Lao man was detained by the border guard force of Vietnam's central Quang Tri province on Tuesday when he was transporting 65,800 pills of methamphetamine from Laos to Vietnam. The 19-year-old detainee confessed that he had been hired to transport the synthetic drug by a 27-year-old man from Vietnam's northern Bac Giang province, and a 19-year-old woman from northern Tuyen Quang province, the border guard force said, adding that relevant Vietnamese agencies arrested the duo for further investigation. According to
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, ALA., LA., OHIO, ARIZ.
August 28
TEXAS:
Death row is not for mistakes
A "mistake."
This is how murder ("the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with
malice aforethought") is defined in a recent column titled "U.S. Should Follow
Pope's Leadership on the Death Penalty" by Anna Arceneaux, a senior staff
attorney for the ACLU Capital Punishment Project. (The column was penned for
InsideSources.com.)
Arceneaux, referencing the thoughts of a corrections officer, wrote "For the
most part, he said, death row is made up of people who made one horrible,
tragic mistake."
What is a "mistake" is the use of such political spin on the horrific and evil
crimes that land a person on death row in Texas.
There are 4 people from the Amarillo-area (Potter and Randall counties) on
death row in Texas.
One of them, a woman, has been on death row since 1996.
This is the description of the crime this individual committed (according to
the Texas Department of Criminal Justice): "[The person] robbed and murdered an
80-year-old white male in his home. The victim was struck with a hammer and
stabbed nearly 60 times. The weapons used were: a paring knife, a butcher
knife, a grapefruit knife and a fork. A lamp pole had been shoved more than 5
inches down the victim's throat."
To categorize this crime as a "mistake" is an insult to the memory of the
victim.
Such a flippant description of a horrible and violent crime makes it sound as
if a person was killed as the result of someone driving drunk - as if a tragic
accident occurred.
In the case of the aforementioned individual on death row, this was a willful
act of evil that showed zero regard for human life.
Those who want to oppose the death penalty are certainly entitled to their
opinions.
However, to gloss over the crimes people commit that result in the ultimate
form of punishment by describing such crimes as simply a "mistake" detract from
the seriousness of such crimes.
Capital punishment is reserved for those who commit the most heinous and
despicable crimes. And with the advent of science (namely DNA evidence - when
available) there is no doubt as to guilt or innocence.
The willful act of brutally killing another human being should be regarded as
something more than a "mistake" - especially when justice is involved.
(source: Editorial, Amarillo Globe-News)
ALABAMA:
Dothan man previously given a death sentence has a new trial scheduled to begin
this week
A Dothan man on death row will have a new trial in the Houston County court
system.
Lameca Dechawn Turner was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death
in Jan. 19, 2010. However, the case came back on appeal and a new trial will
begin this week in Judge Michael Conaway's courtroom.
According to State's Attorney Russ Goodman, the jury selection should be
completed by Monday and Goodman hopes opening arguments will begin Tuesday,
Aug. 28.
"If Turner is found guilty of capital murder, the death sentence is no longer
on table, by request of the victim's family," Goodman said.
Dothan police investigators charged Turner with capital murder in the death of
Prakash Shah on April 20, 2004. Shah died after being shot during a robbery of
the Southeast Mini Mart, located at Cottonwood Road and Third Avenue.
During Turner's previous trial, former Dothan Police Officer Frank Meredith
stated Turner admitted he pulled the trigger in the fatal shooting, and that
there was no evidence to show it was an accident.
On appeal, however, Turner argued that his case suffered irreparable damage
when confessions of his nontestifying accomplices' were admitted into evidence
through the testimony of the lead investigator. Turner argued he shot Shah by
accident. The lead investigator testified that witness accounts indicated that
Turner shot Shah after Shah grabbed a nearby phone to call police. Turner
argued on appeal that introduction of the confessions violated Turner's
Constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him.
The conviction was reversed and remanded back to court for a new trial.
Turner was 1 of the 3 people charged with murder in the shooting. If convicted
Turner faces the possibility of life in prison without parole.
Turner's brother, Cordell Turner, pleaded guilty to his involvement in the
murder and received a 99-year prison sentence. Turner's cousin, Ray Grace, was
also convicted and was sentenced to life in prison.
The family of Prakash Shah is opposed to the death penalty on religious
grounds.
(source: Dothan Eagle)
LOUISIANA:
Death penalty status quo a detriment
The last person executed in Louisiana was a volunteer - Gerald Bordelon. He
waived his right to appeal and begged the state to end his life. Louisiana
obliged. At the age of 47, Bordelon was executed by lethal injection.
Bordelon's unique "voluntary" execution was more than 8 years ago. It's been
more than 16 years, however, since the Pelican
