[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----new link to webpage
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[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
September 23 BANGLADESH: Bangladesh considers capital punishment for driving deaths The cabinet on Monday will consider for traffic accident deaths, a official said, as thousands of students held for a 9th day over the deaths of 2 teenagers by a speeding bus. Tens of thousands of angry school and colleges students have been demanding changes to Bangladesh's transport laws, paralysing the crowded capital of 18 million, after the 2 teenagers were killed when a privately operated bus ran over a group of students on July 29. "In this amendment it has been proposed to award the highest level of punishment if it is killing by an accident," said the law ministry official, who has been briefed on the matter but declined to be named ahead of a decision. The current punishment is a maximum jail term of 3 years. Using the death penalty for road accidents is rare anywhere in the world. Bangladesh's transport authority listed punishments given in different countries that ranged from 14 years in the UK in extreme cases to 2 years in India. Sheikh Shafi, a student of a polytechnic institute in Dhaka who lost his brother in a road accident in 2015, said one of the problems was that bus drivers are not paid fixed monthly salaries instead only earn commissions based on the number of passengers, forcing them to work long hours. "Our demand is that the owners must appoint them and they will work a maximum of 10 hours. The commission based system must be eliminated," said Shafi, who was injured while protesting on Saturday. Amid the ongoing protests, an official vehicle carrying the US ambassador to Bangladesh was attacked by a group of armed men on Sunday, some on motorcycles, the embassy said in a statement. There were no injuries but 2 vehicles were damaged. The embassy has condemned the "brutal attacks and violence" against the students protesters by security forces, a charge the government denies. Police said they did not have an immediate explanation as to why the US ambassador came under attack. (source: glenwoodguardian.com) IRANexecutions 9 Prisoners Hanged at Shiraz Prison 9 prisoners were hanged at Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz on the charge of rape. According to the state-run news agency, Mizan, on the morning of Saturday, September 22, 9 prisoners were executed at Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz. The prisoners were sentenced to death on the charge of rape. There is no information regarding the time of their arrest or the proceedings of their case, but according to the state-run media, the defendants were identified as Abdolkhaleq Safaiy, Ali Akbar Haqiqi, Ali Shah Alian, Hamidreza Safaiy, Behnam Roustaiy, Ehsan Safaiy, Mohammadreza Safaiy, Davoud Zareiy, and Mehdi Zamani. According to the reports, the defendants sexually harass a woman in a villa, however, the reports mentioned that 3 women were harassed but the other 2 did not file a complaint. A Brief Look at an Executed Political Prisoner's Case Mohammad Abdollahi, a political prisoner, was hanged along with four other people at Urmia Central Prison in August 2016. After 3 years, Iran Human Rights has obtained some pieces of evidence indicating multiple violations in the judicial proceedings of his case. We interviewed one of Mohammad Abdollahi's relatives under the pseudonym Ali. It should be noted that the burial place of the defendant has not been announced to his family yet. Mohammad Abdollahi was shot and arrested by the Revolutionary Guards in Mahabad in March 2010. One of his relatives, aka Ali, told IHR, "We went to Almahdi Detention Center several times but they told us that Mohammad was not there and threatened us not to look for him." He added, "The Revolutionary Guards beat him badly while he was already injured and bleeding. His right hand, left leg, and three of his teeth broke under torture. Mohammad was interrogated and tortured in the solitary confinement for three months until he had internal bleeding and was transferred to Mahabad Prison." Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that Mohammad Abdollahi had entered Iran along with some members of Komalah and was involved in an armed conflict that led to the murder of 3 police officers. However, Ali says, "Mohammad never admitted to involvement in the armed conflict, possession of any weapons, and cooperation with Komalah, the only thing they found on him was a membership card of Komalah. Nonetheless, he was sentenced to death on the charge of "Moharebeh and membership of Komalah" in September 2013." He added, "His lawyers believed that he would be saved from death. He didn't even make a false confession under torture. But Judge Javadi Kia told him that he would do everything in his power to have him executed." Mohammad Abdollahi was finally transferred to Urmia Central Prison after his verdict was issued in April 2014. He
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----PENN., OHIO, IND., COLO.
September 23 PENNSYLVANIA: Attorney William Ruzzo dead at 77; recalled as advocate for oppressed Renowned Luzerne County defense attorney William Ruzzo died Saturday morning at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton. He was 77. A retired Luzerne County public defender, Ruzzo worked on numerous high-profile cases, including George Banks, who shot and killed 13 people on Sept. 25, 1982, in Wilkes-Barre and Jenkins Township. Ruzzo was also part of the defense team for Mark Ciavarella, a former Luzerne County judge sentenced to 28 years behind bars for his part in the so-called "Kids for Cash" scandal that rocked Luzerne County. In addition, Ruzzo helped defend Eric Frein, convicted of killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson outside the Blooming Grove state police barracks in Pike County and seriously wounding Trooper Alex Douglass. Attorney Al Flora was a longtime friend of Ruzzo's and the 2 worked together on several cases. Flora said funeral arrangements for Ruzzo will be handled through the McLaughlin Funeral Home, Wilkes-Barre. "I was with him when he died," Flora said. "He died at 7:30 (Saturday) morning." Flora said Ruzzo was at the Wayne County Prison on Thursday for a meeting with a client. He said Ruzzo collapsed and was taken to Wayne County Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Geisinger CMC in Scranton. Flora said Ruzzo suffered a massive intracranial bleed and was placed on a respirator. Flora said he never regained consciousness. "I talked to him on Wednesday," Flora said. "We go way back." Flora said he took Ruzzo under his wing when Ruzzo entered law school. "Everybody knows he was a Yankee fan, but he was an individual who simply lived the law," Flora said. "He truly believed in the Constitution and that the rights of every individual should be protected." Flora said Ruzzo was a fearless advocate for the downtrodden - those in society who have been vanquished. "He fought for them and their rights," he said. "He believed they were entitled to protection under our Constitution. He was a very compassionate, brilliant attorney. He could cite cases off the top of his head." Flora said Ruzzo has 3 children, 2 sons and a daughter. Ruzzo was living at Provincial Towers, South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, according to his colleague. Fighting back tears, Flora noted: "I haven't slept for 2 nights. He will be missed by many." 'Foremost expert' Attorney Mark Singer, a public defender and a former assistant district attorney, called Ruzzo's passing "a great loss." "He and I defended 2 death penalty cases together," Singer recalled. "He was a friend, a mentor and a great, great attorney who found his calling later in life." “He quickly made an impact," Singer noted. "He was the foremost expert on the defense of the death penalty in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and perhaps the entire country. I was glad to have known him. He made us all better lawyers. He will be missed." Ruzzo along with Attorney John Donovan, a public defender, represented John Michaels who, if convicted of murder and arson charges, faced life in prison. Michaels was accused of setting a blaze to a boarding house on East Columbus Avenue, Pittston, in February 2004. Loretta Zampetti died in the blaze. Prosecutors alleged Michaels intentionally set the fire after being evicted. After a five-day trial in January 2005, a Luzerne County jury acquitted Michaels of all charges. When Michaels, who spent nearly a year in prison, was set free hours after the verdict, Ruzzo - out of his own pocket - gave him money to help restart his life. Retired judge Joe Cosgrove, 61, said Ruzzo was the most non-judgmental person he ever met. "He was dedicated to preserve our civil rights and our civil liberties," said Cosgrove. "He will be deeply missed." (source: timesleader.com) OHIOdeath sentence overturned Appeals court overturns Ohio murder-for-hire death sentence A man sentenced to die in an Ohio murder-for-hire case says statements alleging his involvement were hearsay, and a federal court has agreed and has thrown out his conviction and death sentence. Friday's ruling came in the case of Ahmad Fawzi Issa, convicted of aggravated murder for arranging the killing of Maher Khrais, a Cincinnati convenience store owner shot outside his store in 1997. Authorities say Issa paid a man $10,000 to kill Khrais at the request of Khrais' wife, Linda Khriss. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave Hamilton County prosecutors 6 months to retry the 48-year-old Issa or release him. A message was left with the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, which could appeal the ruling. (source: Associated Press) INDIANA: More mental exams for man accused of eating ex-girlfriend A southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body will undergo more mental evaluations to determine whether he's competent
