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July 5 IRANexecutions 2 Men Executed at Rajai-Shahr Prison At least 2 prisoners were hanged at Rajai-Shahr prison. According to IHR sources, on the early morning of Wednesday, July 3, at least 2 prisoners were hanged at the Iranian city of Karaj’s Rajai-Shahr prison. IHR sources have identified them as Mehdi Assadi and Hassan Baradaran. Iranian website Rokna has also reported about the executions without mentioning the prisoners’ name. Both men were sentenced to death for murder charges. According to the Iran Human Rights statistic department, at least 273 people were executed in Iran in 2018. At least 188 of them executed for murder charges. (source: Iran Human Rights) PHILIPPINES: More senators back death penalty The push to revive the death penalty gained more supporters in the Senate, as more bills were filed to bring it back to life. Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa formally filed his version that would impose death on drug traffickers and manufacturers, as did Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who wanted the penalty to cover other heinous crimes. Earlier, Senators Manny Pacquiao and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go filed their own versions. Opposition The proposals are expected to be met with opposition from the Catholic Church and human rights groups, who contend that imposing the death penalty does not deter criminals, and that it only tends to target the poor. Lacson’s measure seeks to impose the death penalty on those who commit plunder, treason, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery with homicide, destructive arson, drug trafficking and other related drug offenses, human trafficking and arms smuggling. It prescribes the use of lethal injection to carry out the punishment. In pushing for the measure, Lacson said the “alarming surge of heinous crimes in recent years” showed that imposing reclusion perpetua as the harshest penalty did not prove to be a deterrent. Rule of law “Hence, to reinstate public order and the rule of law, there is an impending need to revisit and reimpose the death penalty on certain heinous crimes,” he said. Dela Rosa, for his part, believes it would be easier to revive the death penalty if it would be limited to drug trafficking. He said a frequent criticism of the measure was that it was antipoor, but drug traffickers tended to be rich and powerful. “There are no poor drug traffickers, many of them are big time, so I expect support from my colleagues,” Dela Rosa said. He is also hoping that the Catholic Church would support his measure, since he said the Bible also speaks of the death penalty. (source: newsinfo.inquirer.net) Drilon admits stopping death penalty bills an uphill battle Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon admitted Friday that anti-death penalty senators faced an uphill battle against the proposed re-imposition of the death penalty. “It will be a tough fight considering that it is an administration-backed legislation and a number of senators have openly endorsed its passage. Let alone our diminished number in the Senate,” Drilon explained in a press statement. At least 4 senators, 3 of them close allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, have filed bills seeking the re-imposition of death penalty: Senators Manny Pacquiao, Ronald dela Rosa, Christopher ‘Bong’ Go, and Panfilo Lacson. Those who expressed support for the bills included Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Cynthia Villar, Imee Marcos, Aquilino Pimentel III, Juan Edgardo Angara, Pia Cayetano, Bong Revilla, Francis Tolentino, and Lito Lapid. Nevertheless, Drilon, a former Justice Secretary, vowed to fight “tooth and nail” to block the proposal. “We strongly and unequivocally oppose the re-imposition of the death penalty. We are prepared to fight it all the way,” he emphasized. “Notwithstanding these difficulties we will do our best to prevent it. We will never allow the 18th Congress to give license to authorities to kill the poor.” Drilon explained that given the inadequacies of the criminal justice system, it was likely that death sentences would only be handed out to the poor - the sole victims of this cruel and inhumane punishment. “It has been proven time and again that capital punishment is not an effective deterrent to crimes. Only the poor will be made victim of this measure,” he said. International treaties Furthermore, Drilon pointed out that in 2007, the Philippines signed and ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, mandating the abolition of capital punishment. The Protocol did not provide for any withdrawal or derogation mechanism, which meant that parties to the Protocol could not reinstate the death penalty without violating international law. And the Philippines was mandated by no less than by the Constitution to honor its
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July 4 INDIA: Why Bombay High Court order on death penalty for repeat rape offenders is unsatisfactoryThe death penalty presents a unique kind of threat to individual rights – and for this reason, the court should have engaged in stricter scrutiny than it did The Bombay High Court last month handed down a judgment upholding the constitutional validity of Section 376E of the Indian Penal Code, which allows for courts to impose the death penalty on repeat offenders in cases of rape. It was argued by the petitioners that imposing the death penalty in non-homicidal cases was a disproportionate sentence, and, therefore, violated the constitutional guarantees against arbitrariness, and to the right to life. The high court rejected this argument on 2 grounds, considering, 1st, the nature of rape, and, 2nd, the deterrent function served by the punishment. In doing so, however, the court missed an important opportunity to critically interrogate the recent trend, where high-profile crimes, which lead to public outrage, are immediately met with harsher legal punishments, and an extension of the death penalty to an ever-proliferating set of new circumstances. To understand why the court’s analysis was unsatisfactory, it is important to understand why the death penalty is a unique form of punishment, and why that matters. Our existing laws themselves recognise the singular character of the death penalty. Statutorily, judgments imposing the death penalty are bound to provide reasons for why that form of punishment has been chosen. Doctrinally, the Supreme Court has made clear that the death penalty is only to be imposed in the “rarest of rare cases”, where the alternative option is “unquestionably foreclosed.” The reason for this is straightforward: alone among all forms of punishment, the death penalty is final. No legal system can ensure the absence of error; and with all other forms of punishment, mistakes can, to some extent, be rectified, if they surface later. Jailed people can be set free, and compensated for the time they have spent in prison. Dead people, however, cannot be brought back to life. The death penalty, therefore, presumes infallibility on part of our legal system that does not exist – in fact, the number of lower court decisions that are reversed on appeal shows that it is not even close to existing. Therefore, when the possibility of error is non-trivial, and when, as studies show, errors disproportionately impact the poorest and most vulnerable in society, who lack access to good legal representation – any extension of the death penalty should be treated with particular caution and circumspection. It is here that the high court’s judgment comes up short. The court observed repeatedly that it would defer to the legislature’s view on the proportionality of sentencing, on the basis that the legislature reflected the “will of the people.” This statement is true enough in its own right, but the function of the courts is also to protect the rights of individuals. For the reasons discussed above, the death penalty presents a unique kind of threat to individual rights – and for this reason, the court should have engaged in stricter scrutiny than it did. For example, the court noted that there was a recent rise in rape cases, and that, therefore, the death penalty was needed as a means of deterrence. However, far from providing evidence for the causal link between enhancing the quantum of the sentence, and deterring crimes, the court did not even ask if the State had considered this question, or had analysed any evidence for the link. While the principle of deference would require the court not to second guess the State’s opinion on this issue beyond a point, it was certainly the court’s job to ensure that the State’s opinion was based on adequate material and sound reasoning. Similarly, in noting that rape was as grave a crime as murder – and, therefore, the death penalty was appropriate – the court made a number of assertions about the rape destroying a woman’s “soul”, that were not only unsupported by evidence, but also played into disturbing gendered stereotypes about how rape is not a crime against the body, but in some sense, a crime against “honour.” In other words, the court seemed unable to distinguish between rape and other crimes of serious physical assault (for which there is no death penalty) without relying on controversial and criticised cultural assumptions. The recent legislative trend of indiscriminately extending the death penalty as a way of solving problems of crime needs urgent debate, especially in the judicial forum. It is to be hoped the future judgments will accomplish what the Bombay High Court could not. (source: Gautam Bhatia is an advocate in the Supreme CourtHindustan Times) SRI LANKA: Appeal Court hears Prisons Commissioner's stance on death penalty The Prisons
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July 3 PAKISTAN: Man sentenced to death for murdering schoolgirl The Model Criminal Court, Haripur, has awarded death penalty to a man who had gunned down a schoolgirl four years back in the Hattar village. According to prosecution record, Azra Bibi, 14, daughter of, Amjad Iqbal of Hattar village, was a student of 10th grade in the Government Higher Secondary School, Hattar. On the morning of September 8, 2015, she was on the way to her school when Adnan, son of Muhammad Aslam from the same village, intercepted her. The convict attempted to drag her for an unknown purpose, which she resisted and the accused opened fire, killing her on the spot. (source: thenews.com.pk) SINGAPORE: Man charged over murders 1 week before Chinese New Year in 2017, debt-ridden property agent Teo Ghim Heng strangled his wife, who was 6 months pregnant, and their 4-year-old daughter. He slept on the same bed as the bodies for 1 week in his Woodlands flat, with the air-conditioner turned on to delay the decomposition process. He searched online for ways to commit suicide, leaving the flat only to buy food and air freshener. He then set the bodies on fire, claiming that he had also tried to kill himself in the blaze but aborted his attempt as it was too hot. He gave excuses when his wife’s family asked about her whereabouts and they eventually called the police on the first day of Chinese New Year. The details surrounding the deaths of Teo’s wife Choong Pei Shan, 39, her daughter Zi Ning, and unborn son emerged yesterday as prosecutors set out their case against him for a double-murder on the `st day of his trial. Teo, 43, is charged with 2 counts of murder for killing his wife and daughter on Jan 20, 2017, with the intention of causing death, which carries the mandatory death penalty. A 3rd charge of killing his unborn son has been stood down for now. The High Court heard that Teo was an avid gambler who racked up debts of at least S$120,000 (RM365,900) at the end of 2016, but kept his wife in the dark about the extent of his debts. He listed the flat for sale and took on another job as a sales coordinator. “The accused felt that Choong should have contributed to the household income by working. “He also never fully forgave her for an affair she had a few years back, and strongly suspected that Zi Ning was not his biological daughter,” said deputy public prosecutor Han Ming Kuang. According to Teo’s statements to the police, he and Choong, a housewife, had an argument on Jan 18, 2017, about his financial problems. He told her he had a debt of S$70,000 (RM213,450) and could not pay their daughter’s school fees. 2 days later, the couple argued about money again in the master bedroom. Teo told police that he looped a towel around Choong’s neck and pulled both ends for about 15 minutes, and then strangled her until she stopped breathing. He then did the same to his daughter. Teo claimed he tried to take his own life after setting fire to the 2 bodies by lying on the bed next to them. On Jan 23, 3 days after the killings, 3 of Teo’s colleagues went to his flat to look for him as he had not shown up for work, but Teo refused to leave. He also repeatedly lied to his and his wife’s families to explain their absence at Chinese New Year gatherings, saying that Choong was ill and using her phone to communicate with her family members and Zi Ning’s teachers. On Jan 28, the 1st day of Chinese New Year, Choong’s brother came knocking at the door but got no response. That same day, Teo used a payphone at the void deck to call his mother-in-law and mother, lying that his wife had kicked him out of the flat, deputy public prosecutor Dillon Kok told the court. Choong’s family was suspicious and returned to the flat. Upon detecting a pungent odour coming from inside, they called the police. (source: thestar.com.my) PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG parliament considers death penalty The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister says parliament will continue debate whether the death penalty is maintained in the criminal code. The newspaper The National reported James Marape was responding to questions about 11 prisoners who have been on death row for over 10 years. The Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Minister and Attorney-General, Davis Steven, said PNG officials conducted a $US600,000 fact-finding mission overseas to look at methods of execution. But he said the national court has directed the government to examine legal provisions relating to the power of mercy. Meanwhile, Mr Marape said he has instructed the Correctional Services Minister to convert prisons into an industry. The prime minister said prisoners should be educated with vocational skills to contribute back to society. (source: Radio New Zealand) SRI LANKA: Prisoners rights group to handover petition against death penalty to President A prisoners rights group will
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July 2 PHILIPPINES: Bong Go files bill imposing the death penalty for drugs, plunder Neophyte Senator Christopher "Bong" Go on Tuesday filed a bill seeking the reimposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes involving dangerous drugs, as well as for plunder. Senate Bill 207 will amend Section 1 of Republic Act 9346 or an Act Prohibiting the Imposition of Death Penalty to read: “The imposition of the penalty of death is hereby prohibited except for crimes specified under Republic Act 9165, otherwise know as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Section 12 of Republic Act 7659.” In the explanatory note, Go said the proliferation of heinous crimes had ignited the call for a tough and definitive stance against crimes that have plagued the security and development of the nation. “The crippling problems brought about by dangerous drugs and corruption must be answered with a firm and decisive solution,” he said. “Due to their pervasive nature and the impunity with which criminals operate, these crimes must be met with a punishment based not only on deterrence, but also on retribution, to leave no doubt that there can never be any gain for anyone who chooses to commit these heinous crimes,” he added. Go argued that under the Constitution, the death penalty was reserved for the most heinous crimes and the time had come to revive it. “We must recognize the need to take a harder stance against these pervasive evils and impose the most extreme form of punishment, reserved only for the most evil of crimes,” claimed Go. (source: gmanetwork.com) SRI LANKA: Must abolish Executive’s powers to implement death penalty - CHR The powers vested with the Executive to implement the death penalty must be abolished, Centre for Human Rights and Research (CHR) says. Among the powers conferred on the Executive of the country, the authority to implement the death penalty is extremely threatening, the Acting Executive Director of CHR Surangi Ariyawansa said was cited in a press release issued by the centre. She has stated this during a workshop held with the volunteer human rights activists at the CHR office in Rajagiriya. Ariyawansa pointed out that the legislature has the jurisdiction to limit the powers of the Executive to implement the death penalty. This power vested with the Executive can be revoked by the majority consent of the Parliament, she added. Sri Lanka has been internationally acknowledged for not enforcing capital punishment since 1976 and Sri Lanka has already voted in favour of a resolution brought forth by the United Nations in 2016, the release further said. The CHR Acting Executive Director emphasized that the decision taken to reintroduce the death penalty, at a time in which almost all the democratic nations have looked towards its abolishment, is unacceptable. The release highlights the fact countries like Saudi Arabia impose the death penalty yet have failed to put an end to the crimes taking place states. The CHR says implementing the death penalty is a decision that takes the society backwards from civilization to barbarism. Child abuse and drug menace are severe social issues, however, imposing the death penalty is not a solution for these, Ariyawansa says. Disregarding the responsibility to streamline the legal system to wipe out drug trafficking and hanging convicts to death instead cannot resolve the issue, she added. Ariyawansa says there is no evidence to prove that imposing the death penalty can curb social issues like drug trafficking and this is merely a political decision taken to gain popularity. At a time when the trust in the judiciary has been diminished, the partiality shown to implement the capital punishment is doubtful and this grant arbitrary powers to the authorities to convict an opponent and impose the death penalty on him, the CHR release said. (source: adaderana.lk) *** ‘Parties which supported Common Candidate oppose death penalty’ Most parties that supported the Common Candidate at the 2015 Presidential Election oppose the implementation of the death penalty, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told a group of foreign ambassadors yesterday. The foreign envoys met the Prime Minister to express their concerns over President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to implement the death penalty. The Premier explained to the ambassadors that the UNP, JVP and TNA are against ending the 43-year-old moratorium on the death penalty, and even the Opposition led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been vocal against it. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said he would discuss this matter with the Cabinet of Ministers, and then with President Sirisena and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. He told the envoys that Sri Lanka had voted in favour of the UN resolution on the moratorium on the use of the death penalty in 2016 and again in 2018. “President
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July 1 VIETNAM: Singaporean nabbed at Vietnam-Cambodia border may get death for allegedly transporting 10kg of Ice A 39-year-old Singaporean man was arrested last Saturday (June 29) at the border of Vietnam and Cambodia for allegedly transporting 10kg of crystal meth, also known as Ice. Cher Wei Han and Vietnamese Duong Hung Tam, 36, were detained by Vietnam's border defence force in the southern province of Tay Ninh, reported the Vietnam News Agency. According to local media outlets, the pair were travelling in a Toyota Corolla Altis when they were stopped by border guards. The drugs, estimated to be worth US$3,450 (S$4,670), were detected following a search of their vehicle. Under Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600g of heroin or more than 2.5kg of methamphetamine may face the death penalty. Those who make or trade 100g of heroin or 300g of other illegal drugs could also be sentenced to death. (source: straitstimes.com) THAILAND: Thailand Police Arrest Child Rapist After 14 Years on the Run Police have arrested a 52 year-old man in Northern Thailand after 14 years on the run for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl in Lamphun province in 2005. Police arrested Pongchaipat Pichaichuang,52 of Chiang Mai province, at a house in Moo 1 village of tambon Pradang in Wang Chao district in the Northern Province of Tak. Mr. Pongchaipat was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the provincial court of Lamphun in 2005 for the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl in Lamphun province. After 14 years on the run, police learned that he was hiding at a relatives house in Tak Province. He was asleep when police moved in and arrested him. Police also found a vehicle that Mr Pongchaipat allegedly stole in Uttaradit in 2011. The provincial court of Uttaradit issued a warrant for his arrest for vehicle theft. Rape in Thailand Rape always brings with it devastation — to the victims, their families and even the public that learns of such crimes. The condemnation is loud, a cry for harsh punishment up to the penalty of death — a solution many believe can put an end to rape. Just recently, an amendment to the penal codes put the spotlight on the issue of rape and sexual assaults, and the punishment that rapists can get for their crime. Many netizens rejoiced when learning of the possibility of the death penalty, which applies if the rape victim dies. New Penalties for Rapists – Rape of a child under the age of 15 Penalties: 5 to 20 years in prison and a fine of between 100,000-400,000 baht – Rape of a child under the age of 13 Penalties: Seven to 20 years in prison or a life sentence and a fine of between 140,000-400,000 baht – Rape where guns, explosives or other weapons are involved, or gang-rape of a child under the age of 15 Penalties: A life sentence – Rape where guns, explosives or other weapons are involved or in which the victim suffers severe injuries Penalties: 15 to 20 years in prison and a fine of between 300,000 and 400,000 baht or a life sentence – Marital rape in cases in which the couple wishes to remain together as spouses Penalties: Courts may hand down a lesser sentence than stipulated under the law or it may order behavioural controls in lieu of a sentence – Rape where pictures, videos or audio of the assault are recorded for personal or other people’s gratification Penalties: The prison term is increased by 1/3 – Distributing photos or audio recordings of a rape or sexual assault Penalties: The prison term is increased by 1/2 (source: Chiang Rai Times) INDIA: Maoists kill tribal man following kangaroo court verdict A tribal man was killed allegedly by Maoists in Malkangiri district after a kangaroo court sentenced him to death, a police officer said. A group of 15 to 20 armed Maoists stormed Kukurukundi village, close to Chhattisgarh, on Friday night and forcibly took away 3 persons on the suspicion of being police informers, he said. Though the 'Praja court' of the Maoists set free the 2 others, it "sentenced" Guja Kabasi with death penalty, he said. The villagers Sunday found the body of the man, identified as that of Guja Kabasi, with his throat slit. It was found in a forest near the village. Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said, the district police has sealed the border with the neighbouring state. "The incident could be the handiwork of Maoists from Chhattisgarh," he said. (source: Press Trust of India) SRI LANKA: Resuming Death Penalty a Major SetbackPresident Signs Warrants to Execute 4 Drug Offenders The Sri Lanka government should halt plans to resume executions and restore its de facto 43-year moratorium on the use of the death penalty, Human Rights Watch said today. Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena said he has ordered the execution of four drug offenders, claiming it would end increasing
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June 29 GLOBAL: UN General Assembly adopts controversial resolution on torture-free trade The General Assembly on Friday adopted a controversial resolution, which aims to establish common international standards for torture-free trade. The draft resolution, introduced by Romania, was adopted with 81 votes in favor, 20 against and 44 abstentions. The resolution requests the secretary-general to seek the views of member states on the feasibility and possible scope of a range of options to establish common international standards for the import, export and transfer of goods used for capital punishment and for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It asks the secretary-general to submit a report on the subject to the General Assembly at its 2019-20 session. It also requests the secretary-general to establish a group of governmental experts to examine, beginning in 2020, the feasibility and scope of the goods to be included, and draft parameters for a range of options to establish common international standards on the matter. It asks for the transmission of the report of the group of experts to the General Assembly for consideration at its 2020-21 session. Before and after the vote, 20 countries voiced their opposition or reservations concerning the draft resolution. The concerns concentrated on the indicated linkage between torture and the death penalty, the ambiguity in language that may have impacts on trade, as well as the lack of consultations. (source: xinhuanet.com) IRAN: Khamenei’s ‘Upgrade Plan for the Judiciary’ Is a Plan to Increase Execution and Torture in Iran The Iranian regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has spoken several times, albeit in vague terms, of a ‘Upgrade Plan for the Judiciary,’ without ever explaining exactly what that meant. When introducing Ebrahim Raisi as Chief Justice on March 7, 2019, Khamenei mentioned the plan in his nomination decree. Again he did not elaborate much, but called the plan one of “revitalizing and resuming public rights and protecting the people’s legitimate liberties.” He also emphasized a few points, of which the most important were “the need for firmness” and “presence of revolutionary youth” in the Judiciary. On Wednesday June 26, in the traditional annual meeting entitled “Week of Justice,” evidently Raisi raised the question, and Khamenei answered that it was necessary to precipitate to implement the plan, again without much ado. But it was not hard to guess, through Khamenei’s words, on the content of the so-called Upgrade Plan for the Judiciary. It was also evident that the plan’s implementation was vital to Khamenei for which he is in big hurry. He went so far as to say the plan had to be “implemented without delay” and he stressed the need for “timely, brave execution based on genuine methods.” It was clear from what he said that the plan’s true nature was “increasing repression.” In his Wednesday speech, Khamenei mentioned the need for showing “firmness and might.” Experience has shown that in the regime’s jargon those words have no other meaning than increasing repression. But why the secrecy? The reason Khamenei keeps a plan of which the consequences would be felt by the people on the streets of Iran clearly is that he and the whole of his regime have much less leeway in repression now. While the regime needs the repression as much as oxygen, the same repression can backfire in the form of popular unrest and riots able to threaten the regime’s stability. The ability to oppress is directly proportional to the elements of power that Khamenei and the regime have. If one looks at the forty year history of Iran’s regime, one notes that repression was harshest in the 1980s. The reason is that, having exploited to the full the exceptional historical circumstances, the regime’s founder Ruhollah Khomeini had been able to combine political and religious power in himself after usurping the leadership of the anti-monarchist revolution. But Khamenei lacks absolutely such exceptional power. Internally, the regime faces such crisis that Khamenei is obliged to embolden his forces on a daily basis to prevent desertion and loss of will. Internationally, while Khomeini enjoyed support in the East as well as the West, the regime’s current isolation has reached a point where Khamenei and his entourage are sanctioned by name. The regime’s foundation stands on a society on the verge of explosion, with Khamenei himself calling that social “cleavage,” that if activated, would lead to a social earthquake. In his Wednesday speech, Khamenei pointed to deep social hatred towards the regime’s oppressive apparatus, under the term “unleashed virtual space” reactions towards the mullahs’ justice department, and reassured his henchmen that they should not be afraid of such reactions. Thus Khamenei is obliged to play a double game. On
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June 28 SRI LANKA: Death Penalty: License for Judicial Killings Last year, on October 2, Iran executed a 24-year-old woman, Zeinab Sekaanvand, who was a child at the time of her alleged offense. Under international law, she should have been excluded from the death penalty. She was also, like many child brides, a survivor of gender-based violence. Born into a poor and conservative family, she was married at the age of 15 to a man who had turned abusive and violent. She appealed to the authorities and her family to protect her from both her husband and her brother-in-law, whom she claimed had raped her repeatedly, but her pleas went unheard. When she was 17, her husband was found dead, and she confessed to the crime under police torture. At her trial hearing – when she was finally appointed a lawyer – she retracted her confession, but it was too late: the court sentenced her to death. Alice Nungu, was a Malawian woman who was sentenced to death after killing her abusive husband while defending herself and her elderly mother from his drunken attack. In 2015, a court finally heard about the years of intense abuse that Alice endured before sentencing, and ordered her immediate release. She had languished on death row for over 12 years, fading from HIV, inhumane living conditions, and lack of food. Only weeks after her release, Alice died, with her mother by her side. Though there are women in the death row in Sri Lanka, not much information is available about gender dimensions of those facing the death penalty. But international research indicates that women who are sentenced to death are subjected to multiple forms of gender bias. That women who are seen as violating entrenched gender norms are more likely to receive the death penalty and that most women are sentenced to death for the crime of murder, often in relation to the killing of family members and in a context of gender-based violence. In Jordan, for example, of 16 women on death row, all but one was convicted of killing a close family member who traditionally wields authority, creating the potential for abuse: a husband, a father, or a mother-in-law. Two weeks ago, on June 14, in the United States of America (USA), Charles Ray Finch was exonerated of all charges, 43 years after he had been sent to the death row. Earlier this year, also in the USA, Clifford Williams Jr., was exonerated 42 years after having been sentenced to death. Since 1973, exonerations had taken more than 30 years each for ten persons. All of them have been black. Williams and Finch were the 165th and 166th persons respectively to be exonerated after being given the death penalty in the USA, over a period of 36 years, an average of more than 4 exonerations per year. The 166th came just before the 1500th execution on June 20, 2019. Sri Lanka’s new license for Judicial Killings Sri Lanka last’s execution was in 1976 and since then, there has been moratorium on the use of death penalty. Although death sentence remained in our laws and courts regularly imposed the death penalty, successive Presidents didn’t sign the death warrant. But on June 26, the International day in support of Victims of Torture, media announced President Sirisena had brought back the death penalty, a cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment, breaking the 43 year long moratorium upheld by all Sri Lankan presidents. Sri Lanka, a country notorious for extra-judicial executions for last several decades, is on the verge of becoming notorious now for judicial executions. The names of the 4 persons against whom the death warrant has been signed is yet to be announced. As of early this year, 1299 persons were reported to have been on the death row. All those on the death row, and all of their families, must be in agony and trauma, not knowing whether they or their loved ones are amongst the first four to be executed or when their turn might come. Media quoted Prison officials saying most on the death row were stressed, not eating and feeling faint. Why say NO to the Death Penalty The death penalty is an irreversible form of punishment which grants no space to consider new evidence that may emerge after a conviction is made, for example through new technology, indicating a wrongful conviction. As has been mentioned above, people wrongly convicted have been released from death row decades after they were put there as new evidence has shown they were wrongfully convicted. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has pointed out that persons wrongly convicted had been later released from the death row or prison from countries such as USA, Canada and the United Kingdom. The Commission has pointed out a case in the USA, where a convicted man was released after 23 years in prison for several crimes, and the lead investigator and the judge later had claimed his conviction was a miscarriage of justice. The Commission has also noted alleged
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June 27 SAUDI ARABIA: Online petition calls for release of Saudi Salman Al-Ouda The son of imprisoned Saudi sheikh, Salman Al-Ouda, has launched an online petition demanding for his father’s release. Abdullah Alodah, who lives in the United States, launched the petition calling for the release of his father and other sheikhs who were sentenced to death on the platform, change.org. In the petition, which is directed to the US Department of State and Congress, the younger Al-Ouda wrote: “In September 2017, my father Salman Alodah, a prominent moderate Saudi scholar was arrested shortly after tweeting a prayer for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbour Qatar, 3 months after Riyadh launched a blockade on the emirate. “Al-Ouda remains imprisoned in solitary confinement in breach of international laws. Holding detainees for too long in solitary confinement is in itself slow-motion execution.” Regarding the death sentence, he wrote: “The Saudi Attorney General is seeking the death penalty for him on bogus charges and in a secret trial.” He said that his father was sent to a secret court hearing. “During the court hearing, the special prosecutor swiftly accused him with 37 charges, such Abdullah also noted to the detention of his uncle. “My uncle Dr Khaled Al-Ouda is imprisoned for breaking the news of my father’s detention. Dr Khaled also developed a heart problem due to deprivation of his medications.” Abdullah, who is a US citizen, also said that “17 family members are banned from travelling. Moreover … I cannot do any paperwork with the Saudi embassy in Washington.” He also mentioned the detention and death penalty for other sheikhs Awad al-Qarni and Ali al-Tarifi. *** AOHR: Saudi Arabia must end executions Saudi Arabia should abolish the death penalty and be investigated by an international body for the executions it has carried out, said the Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR). They criticised the international community, including the UK and the US, for being silent in the face of Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations, encouraging them to “continue in their bloody policy of crushing dissidents.” AOHR stated that 46 people are currently facing imminent execution, including three minors: Ali Al-Nimr, Dawood Al-Marhoun and Abdullah Al-Zaher. They added that those executed were often “subject to enforced disappearance and brutal torture such as electrocution and sexual assault to extract confessions.” Under the rule of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 709 people have been executed, including seven children, according to AOHR. In April, the second largest mass execution took place in Saudi Arabia, killing 37 people, including 3 minors. The Kingdom has the 3rd highest execution rate in the world and has frequently been criticised for executing people who were minors at the time of the crime. AOHR called on countries all around the world to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its deadly policies, saying that many more innocent people would lose their lives unless “strict and decisive measures to deter the Saudi regime were taken.” (source for both: Middle East Monitor) BANGLADESH: War trial: Man gets death for killing Ranada Prasad Saha A man from Tangail has been handed death penalty for abduction and killing of philanthropist Ranada Prasad Saha during the Liberation War. International Crimes Tribunal-1 led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam found Mahbubur Rahman, a Jamaat-e-Islami follower, guilty in 3 charges in the verdict delivered this morning. Mahbubur Rahman was present at the dock when the tribunal delivered the verdict. The prosecution prayed for capital punishment of the lone accused Mahbubur Rahman, saying all 3 charges have been proven against him beyond reasonable doubt. Defence counsel Gazi MH Tamim prayed for the accused’s acquittal saying that the prosecution failed to prove the charges brought against his client. Mahbubur’s late father Abdul Wadud alias Wadud Moulana was the chairman of Mirzapur Peace Committee, an anti-liberation organisation, while he (Mahbubur) and his late brother were involved in Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of the Pakistan army in 1971, according to investigators. A Jamaat follower, Mahbubur ran for the chairman post of Mirzapur Union Parishad in Tangail as an independent candidate three times but never succeeded, they said. The prosecution on January 10 last year pressed 3 charges against Mahbubur, including abduction and killing of Ranada Prasad, his son Bhabani Prasad, and 5 others. 2 other charges are: killing 33 Hindu people in Shahapara, Mirzapur and killing 22 Hindu men from different villages in the upazila. (source: The Daily Star) VIETNAM: 3 sentenced to death in Hanoi for drug trafficking The Hanoi People’s Court sentenced three Vietnamese to death on Tuesday on
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June 26 SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka reinstates death penalty for drug crimes ahead of polls Sri Lanka's president on Wednesday signed death sentences for 4 people convicted of drug-related offences in a decision analysts said is aimed at boosting his chances of re-election later this year. Maithripala Sirisena was elected as a reformist in January 2015, but has struggled to fulfill pledges including addressing human rights abuses, eliminating corruption and ensuring good governance. He has been under increasing pressure since a political crisis last year, and more recently faced criticism for his handling of Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed more than 250 people. "I have already signed the death penalty for four (convicts). It will be implemented soon and we have already decided the date as well," Sirisena told reporters in Colombo, without giving details. He said the four could appeal their convictions on charges of trading and trafficking in drugs. Many Sri Lankans, including several influential religious leaders, are in favor of reinstating the death penalty to curb rising crime, though rights groups have warned that such a measure would be ineffective. "The death penalty does not deter crimes any more effectively than other punishments," said Kumi Naidoo, secretary general of rights group Amnesty International. "Executions are never the solution," he added. The last execution in Sri Lanka was 43 years ago. The country's last hangman quit in 2014 without having to execute anyone, but he cited stress after seeing the gallows for the first time. Another hangman hired last year never turned up for work. The president's hardline policy is in part inspired by the Philippines' so-called "war on drugs," where thousands have died in encounters with police. "He is trying to project himself like the Philippines president ... but I doubt whether it is enough. It won't give him much political mileage now," political columnist Kusal Perera told Reuters. Sirisena declined to comment on whether he will stand as the presidential candidate for his center-left Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which has recommended him as the candidate for the election expected in the last 2 months of 2019. (source: Dhaka Tribune) *** Sri Lanka president signs death warrants to end moratoriumExecutions by hanging would be the first carried out in Sri Lanka since 1976 when a moratorium was implemented. Sri Lanka's president signed death warrants on Wednesday for 4 drug offenders who will "very soon" become the first people executed in decades on the island. Maithripala Sirisena said he completed formalities to end a 42-year-old moratorium on the death penalty, which he said was needed to clamp down on a rampant narcotics trade. "I have signed the death warrants of four. They have not been told yet. We don't want to announce the names yet because that could lead to unrest in prisons," Sirisena told reporters at his official residence. He did not say when the executions would be carried out, only that it would be "very soon". An official in Sirisena's office said the president wanted the hangings to be a powerful message to the illegal drugs trade. Sirisena said there were 200,000 drug addicts in the country and 60 percent of the 24,000 prison population were drug offenders. His remarks came a day after Amnesty International said it was "alarmed" over media reports of preparations to resume executions. "Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena must immediately halt his plans to resume executions," Amnesty said in a statement. Sri Lanka is a party to the international convention on civil and political rights, which sets the abolition of the death penalty as a goal to be achieved by countries, it added. No executioner Sirisena in February announced the country would carry out the first executions in decades, saying he had been inspired by President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly anti-drug campaign in the Philippines. The president has also appealed to human rights organisations not to pressure him. Criminals in Sri Lanka are regularly given death sentences for murder, rape, and drug-related crimes. But since 1976 their punishments have been commuted to life imprisonment. The country currently has no executioner. The justice ministry said more than a dozen people had been shortlisted to fill the position, but no formal appointment has been made. While Sri Lanka's last execution was more than four decades ago, an executioner was in the post until his retirement in 2014. 3 replacements since have quit after short stints at the unused gallows. (source: aljazeera.com) ** ‘Sri Lanka gearing up to hang drug offenders’Prisons authorities say they have not received any official communication Following up on his earlier pledge to hang drug offenders, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has
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June 25 GLOBAL: How to Understand the Death Penalty and Development of Doctrine Recent developments in Rome on the subject of capital punishment have led to many anguished discussions on whether a change authorized by Pope Francis in the moral stance of the Church on the death penalty is a development of Church teaching which binds people in conscience to obedience. On Aug. 8, 2018, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), stated that Pope Francis had approved a change in No. 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good. Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption. Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.’” Cardinal Ladaria maintained that since the Church has always upheld the right of the state to punish with the death penalty, this was a development of doctrine. Was he right? It must be stated at the outset that whether something is a development of doctrine is a theological opinion not revealed truth. Before any judgment can be made about whether a specific teaching is a true development of doctrine, it would be good to clarify what the term “development” or “evolution” of dogma means according to the mind of the Church. True Growth The Catechism of the Catholic Church topically treats the idea of doctrinal development as part of the growth of the Catholic Church in its understanding of the faith. After proclaiming that faith is a response to the supernatural knowledge communicated to the Church through Revelation, the Catechism rightly states that the 2 sources of this revelation are the word of God as spoken (Tradition) and the word of God as written (Scripture). The agency that Christ himself chose to interpret and faithfully hand on Revelation is the magisterium of the pope and the bishops. The Catechism then states: “in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, sacred Scripture and the magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls” (94-95). Traditional Development The clearest Patristic source for the idea of development of doctrine is Vincent of Lerins. In his Instructions (Chapter 23: PL 50, 667-668), Vincent explains that there is a “development in religion.” Development, Vincent says, means “that each thing expands to be itself while alteration means that a thing is changed from one thing into another.” Though the Church understands and applies the teaching of Christ, Vincent says, never are such applications an alteration but an expansion “only along its own line of development, that is, with the same doctrine, the same meaning and the same import.” Souls develop in the same way as bodies, which may grow but “remain what they were.” He clearly states: “The doctrine of the Christian religion should properly follow these laws of development, that is, by becoming firmer over the years, more ample in the course of time, more exalted as it advances in age.” This sort of growth in the Church is known as homogeneous and not heterogeneous development. A future understanding of the faith cannot contradict but only expand on a former one. If this teaching expands our understanding, it is homogenous; if it contradicts it, it is heterogeneous. Revelations Catholicism has never supported the idea of progressive revelation, which can change from age to age or country to country and is culturally conditioned. Christ is the prime revealer and prime revelation, and the Church’s magisterium is his servant — not culture’s servant. While the pope (or any of the faithful) may have insights into the teachings of the Church, the formal revelation that Christ came to make on earth concluded with the death of the Twelve Apostles. Whatever progressive understanding of the faith may occur through the centuries in councils or papal teachings cannot add one iota to the faith of the apostles nor contradict it. There cannot be seven sacraments
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June 24 UGANDA: Ssebuufu Found Guilty of Murder The proprietor of Pine Car Bond, Muhammad Ssebuufu has been found guilty of murdering Betty Donnah Katushabe, a business woman, over a Shs9 million debt. Katushabe was tortured to death on October 23, 2015 over a car debt she could not readily pay to Ssebuufu. Prosecution proved to court that was presided over by Justice Flavia Anglin Senoga, that Ssebuufu and his 8 co-accused guilty of murder, aggravated robbery and kidnap. Prosecution led by Mr Alex Ojok, a state prosecutor, placed the all the accused at the scene of crime. Prosecution also proved that the convicts deceived Katusabe into believing that they would settle the debt matter at Pine Car Bond but when she went there, the convicts assaulted her with sticks, a panga and other objects leading to her death. Katushabe bought a car from Pine Car bond at Shs13 million but she paid only Shs5 million leaving a balance of Shs9 million. Ssebuufu and the other eight convicts had been jointly indicted with the former Kampala CPS DPC Aaron Baguma for Katushabe's kidnap and murder but at the beginning of the trial this year, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Mike Chibita, without giving any reason to court, dropped charges against Mr Baguma and continued with the trial of Ssebuufu and the rest . Justice Senoga cancelled Ssebuufu's bail which he secured in 2016, since he is no longer a suspect but a convict. Murder and aggravated robbery offences attract a maximum penalty of death by hanging. The group will be brought to court on July 4, for mitigation and sentencing. (source: allafrica.com) NIGERIA: Oyo Senator recommends capital punishment for kidnapers, bandits The Senator representing Oyo North senatorial district, Abdulfatai Buhari, on Sunday recommended capital punishment for kidnappers, bandits and other criminals in the country. Buhari said the rate of kidnappings and other forms of crimes called for a national emergency. Speaking with journalists on Sunday, in Ibadan, Buhari, a former Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and cybercrime, lamented spate of kidnapping which started few years ago in the South-South and Southeast but now spread across the country, saying the act was fast becoming a lucrative business for those involved in it. The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator said he’s specifically worried over the current incessant kidnappings in Southwest, Nigeria, urging elders in the region to speak up and tackle the menace. “This heinous crime against humanity has gone beyond the normal Fulani herdsmen attack and has become a real trade for those who engage in it. “Let me be honest with you, the situation is nationwide and very worrisome. I am afraid because Nigerians themselves are yet to take a drastic measure. “I believe by the time anyone caught in the act faces death penalty other people will learn and stop. Kidnappers have been arrested and nothing has been done to them. I believe taking them to court is a longer process,’’ he said. He recalled how increasing rate of drug peddling was stemmed in the 80s through drastic measure, adding that lots of people abandoned the trade as soon as government made those caught in the act face firing squad. The lawmaker said that the absence of such punitive measure gave those involved in the recent inhuman activities liberty to continue recruiting young people. According to him, “today, going to Saudi Arabia, Bangkok, Singapore or India with drugs or to commit other forms of crime attracts death penalty and such had to an extent stem the trend. “Nigerians are very stubborn people; they won’t change except there is a deterrent. These people collect cash from victims and take it to banks but the banks have not been reporting receipt of strange monies."P> He called on Nigerians to collaborate with security agencies by supplying them with vital information on every strange movement around them. Buhari recalled the recent abduction of a former minister’s son in Oyo, saying the culprits can’t operate without information. “I am sure some people would have supplied information to the culprit on the movement of the former minister’s son and the location of his farm. Nobody will tell me that Fulani herdsmen came from Niger Republic to abduct him without information,’’ he said. The lawmaker called on the government to wake up and do the needful, saying the major function of any government was security of lives and property. He assured that the National Assembly would deliberate on the spate of insecurity in the country when it reconvened, adding that they would seek expert opinion and give the necessary backing. Buhari cautioned Nigerians on possible politicization or colouration of whatever measure evolved to stem the trend, saying insecurity knows no political party, tribe, religion or status of any individual. (source:
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June 23 SAUDI ARABIA: Religious Thinker on Trial for His LifeCriticized ‘Extremism’ in School Curriculum Saudi prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against a Saudi religious reformist thinker on a host of vague charges relating to his peaceful religious ideas, Human Rights Watch said today. Saudi authorities arrested Hassan Farhan al-Maliki in September 2017 and have detained him since, finally bringing charges in October 2018. Prosecuting al-Maliki for peacefully expressing religious ideas appears to contradict Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s statement in October 2017that he wanted to “revert” the country to “a moderate Islam open to the world and all religions.” The Public Prosecution reports directly to the Saudi royal court. “Mohammed bin Salman has consistently pledged to support a more ‘moderate’ version of Islam while his country maintains a prosecution service that seeks the death penalty against religious reformers for expressing their peaceful ideas,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Saudi Arabia’s real road to reform lies in allowing religious thinkers like al-Maliki to express themselves without fear of arrest and possible execution.” A Saudi activist told Human Rights Watch that the Specialized Criminal Court, Saudi Arabia’s terrorism court, has held at least three trial sessions on al-Maliki’s case, but the next hearing has not yet been scheduled. Human Rights Watch reviewed al-Maliki’s charge sheet, which consists of 14 charges, nearly all with no resemblance to recognized crimes. The first two charges relate to his peaceful expression of his religious opinions about the veracity of certain sayings of the prophet and his criticism of several seventh century Islamic figures. Other charges include “insulting the country’s rulers and the Supreme Council of Religious Scholars, and describing them as extremist,” and accusing Gulf countries of supporting ISIS. Prosecutors also charged al-Maliki with praising Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and “having sympathy” for the Houthi group in Yemen, and expressing his religious views in television interviews, attending discussion groups in Saudi Arabia, writing books and studies and publishing them outside of Saudi Arabia, possession of banned books, defaming a Kuwaiti man by accusing him on Twitter of supporting ISIS, and violating the country’s notorious cybercrime law. The charge sheet also accuses al-Maliki of crossing illegally from Saudi Arabia into northern Yemen for research about his family origins and history in 2001, after Saudi authorities had banned al-Maliki from travel abroad. Saudi Arabia does not have a comprehensive written penal code and only a limited number of written criminal regulations. Charges not based on a written text, which include all but one of al-Maliki’s, do not have a statute of limitation. Evidence cited by prosecutors in the charge sheet consisted entirely of al-Maliki’s alleged confession, his Tweets, and material confiscated from his home and electronic devices. It says that he allegedly confessed to “calling for freedom of belief, and that it is the right of any person to adopt beliefs that he sees as correct, and it is not permitted to restrict these [beliefs] or impose certain beliefs,” as well as his denial that the crime of apostacy should be punishable by death, “seeing that there is no truth to it legally.” He also allegedly confessed to saying that “those [clerics] who ban singing or music in all its forms are extremists, as there is no evidence for banning it and that the prophet [peace be upon him] listened to it.” “Prosecutors are seeking to put a man to death in part for criticizing any cleric who bans music, while Saudi leaders are paying millions to public relations companies to show how ‘progressive’ they are for allowing public concerts by major Western artists in the country,” Page said. Prosecutors also cited excerpts of an alleged confession by al-Maliki’s son, Abbas, whom the charge sheet indicates is also detained, though Saudi activists do not know his status. The charges do not qualify as crimes for which capital punishment can be justified under international human rights law. International standards, including the Arab Charter on Human Rights, ratified by Saudi Arabia, require countries that retain the death penalty to use it only for the “most serious crimes,” and in exceptional circumstances. In 2012, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions stated that where used, the death penalty should be limited to cases in which a person is intentionally killed. Human Rights Watch opposes capital punishment in all countries and under all circumstances. Capital punishment is unique in its cruelty and finality, and it is inevitably and universally plagued with arbitrariness, prejudice, and error. Since
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June 22 INDIA: Bombay HC stays execution of 2 death row convictsBoth were convicted for kidnap, rape, and murder of a BPO worker in Pune in 2007 The Bombay High Court on Friday stayed the execution of 2 men scheduled to hang in 3 days for the rape and murder of a BPO employee in Pune in 2007. A Division Bench of Justices B.P. Dharmadikari and Swapna Joshi was hearing 2 criminal petitions filed by Pradeep Kokade and Purshottam Borate seeking a stay on their execution scheduled for June 24 in Pune. The two were convicted for the kidnap, rape and murder of a BPO employee on November 2007, when she was leaving for home from work at night. Borate, the cab driver, and his friend Kokade, were convicted and sentenced to death in 2012. Soon thereafter HC and Supreme Court upheld the death penalty and their mercy petitions were also rejected in 2016 by the Maharashtra Governor and the President of India in 2017. In their plea both said, “excessive and unexplained delay of over four years (1509 days) in execution of the sentence of death causes unnecessary and unavoidable pain, suffering and mental torment that constitutes cruel and unusual punishment violative of Article 21 (right to life) of the Indian Constitution.” Advocate Yug Chaudhry, appearing for the 2, told the court that there has been a delay in issuance of the warrants for execution of the death penalty. He said the Centre has declined to give them some documents pertaining to the recommendations made by officers in the Ministry of Home Affairs on the basis of which the mercy petitions were rejected by President in 2017. After hearing arguments from the petitioners, advocate general and additional solicitor general, the court ruled that the execution shall not take place on June 24 and directed the Union government to file an affidavit on whether they are willing to give those documents. The court held the convicts should be a given a chance to fight their case and adjourned the matter to June 25. (source: The Hindu) EGYPT: Rights group demands Egyptian juvenile not be executed Amnesty International is demanding that Egypt not execute a man arrested at age 17 ahead of an anticipated death sentence. The rights group released a statement Friday saying that international human rights law prohibits the use of the death penalty against people who were under 18 at the time of the crime. In April, an Egyptian court referred the case of Karim Hemada to the Grand Mufti, the highest religious authority in Egypt, to seek his opinion on the execution verdict, signaling the court's intention to convict him and sentence him to death. Hemada was 17 years old at the time of his arrest in January 2016. He is accused of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, possessing weapons, assaulting policemen and vandalizing properties in 2016. The verdict is expected Saturday. (source: Associated Press) IRAN: Continuing a Hardline Trend, Iran Accelerates Imposition of Death Sentences On Wednesday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran reported that the deputy head of the Iranian judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, had been granted authority by the regime’s supreme leader to impose death sentences and orders of qisas, or “retribution in kind.” The move was evidently the result of a direct request by the nation’s top legal authority, Ebrahim Raisi, in the interest of accelerating the processing of capital cases. Iran already maintains its status as the nation with the world’s highest rate of executions per capita, with approximately 3,600 individuals having been hanged since President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013. Although still higher than any other nation except China, the annual number of confirmed executions declined last year to 285. But Raisi’s request and Ali Khamenei’s response suggest that this downturn may turn out to be short-lived. The lower annual figure reflects a change in the Islamic Republic’s drug laws, permitting lesser sentences in the cases of non-violent drug trafficking involving small-to-moderate quantities of banned substances. Yet questions quickly emerged as to whether the new sentencing guidelines were being consistently applied. And in any event, other groups have continued to be subject to the death penalty despite factors that define their executions as violations of international law. According to Iran Human Rights Monitor, at least 10 political prisoners were executed in 2018, along with at least 6 individuals who were under the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crimes. 11 hangings are known to have been carried out in public, and the crowds at such events have been known to include children. The above statistics were cited in the context of a report explaining that 5 more Iranian prisoners had been put to death on Wednesday alone. 2 of these killings took place in Rajai Shahr Prison, although
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June 21 PAKISTAN: Pakistan to revoke capital punshiment for accused, says foreign minister Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says Pakistan is going to revoke capital punishment for the accused, who will be extradited from other countries. "We are amending the Pakistan Penal Code [PPC] to revoke the capital punishment for the accused, who will be brought back to Pakistan under extradition treaties with other countries,” Qureshi told reporters. The development comes a day after British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt declared in London that the UK would not sign "politically-motivated” extradition treaties with any country. Qureshi had assured Hunt that his country would not "misuse” any such agreement, if signed. Islamabad is seeking extradition of several Pakistani nationals, including the founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and former finance minister Ishaq Dar on different charges, including murder and money laundering. The foreign minister said according to his observations in Bishkek, India had not yet come out of its election mood. Qureshi said he visited UK upon the invitation of the British foreign secretary. "We had some very good meetings during the visit. We talked about the Financial Action Task Force and I assured him that Pakistan is doing everything it can to be removed from its grey list. I apprised Jeremy Hunt with the measures taken by the Pakistani government in this regard,” said Qureshi. "We are considering an amendment in the PPC according to which capital punishment will not be applicable on the suspects given under extradition.” The foreign minister also met the Chinese leadership and held talks with them on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). "CPEC is a massive project. It was limited, but now it is being expanded. The nation is in agreement. Narratives come and go, but those who made comments against the CPEC have faced defeat,” the foreign minister said. (source: gulftoday.ae) IRANexecution Prisoner Hanged Charged with Spying for the United States Prisoner Jamal Haji-Zavareh who was charged with “spying for the enemy”, was executed in an unknown place in Tehran, reported a close source. According to IHR sources, Seyyed Jamal Haji-Zavareh was executed in Tehran last week. He was accused of spying for the U.S. and sentenced to death for the charge of “spying for an enemy state.” Prior to his arrest on September 5, 2017, Seyed Jamal (Also known as Siavash) Haji-Zavareh was an employee of Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He was arrested along with his wife, Leila Tajik. A well-informed source told IHR, “Jamal was held in a place called the death cell. He was tortured severely.” Jamal’s wife, Leila Tajik, was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment and is held at Kachouei prison of Tehran. The couple has 2 teenage kids. “They could not have a lawyer of their own choice,” the source said, “Siavash (Seyed Jamal) was in solitary confinement at an unknown place owned by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.” According to the source, the couple thought if they kept quiet and didn’t inform the media about their situation, they might be forgiven or their sentence might be reduced. Leila Tajik suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and is denied access to proper medical treatment in prison. (source: Iran Human Rightgs) *** Can fiction help an anti-death penalty campaign in Iran? A 456-page semi-autobiographical work by prominent Iranian rights activist Emadeddin Baghi aims to turn the public against the death penalty in the country. "The prisoners were all ears while Janyar recounted them an anecdote from [Dostoevsky's] ‘The Idiot.’ One inmate … however, looked as though he had been asleep for centuries. His eyes were open, but he was no longer seeing anything. What they had been all talking about had quietly and surreptitiously called on their inmate. It calls on everyone in a different way. Their inmate had died of a heart attack; as simple as that." The above passage is part of "Jan” (“The Soul”), a 456-page semi-autobiographical work by prominent Iranian rights activist Emadeddin Baghi. Baghi’s description of death in the prison cell reflects his advocacy against the death penalty for more than 3 decades. According to a 2017 Amnesty International report, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq are the top 3 countries to implement the death penalty, accounting for 92% of executions in the region. But few in Iran dare raise their voices against it, as any explicit criticism of capital punishment pushes red lines and brings unpredictable risks to opponents. Despite this backdrop, Baghi has written numerous articles and books over the last 35 years. His essays — some of which were banned — range from subjects such as the Islamic law of Qesas (retribution) to the stoning sentence and to jurisprudential reasons for the
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June 20 BELARUS: Declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the execution of Alyaksandr Zhylnikau in Belarus The Committee of Ministers deeply deplores the execution of Mr Alyaksandr Zhylnikau, announced on 13 June 2019. It calls on the Belarussian authorities not to carry out the execution of Mr Vyachaslau Sukharko, condemned for the same crime as Mr Alyakasandr Zhylnikau. The Committee of Ministers reaffirms its unequivocal opposition to the death penalty and reiterates its strong call on Belarus to establish a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty. The Committee of Ministers remains ready to assist the Belarussian authorities to promote a public debate on the issues relating to the full abolition of the death penalty, as foreseen in the Belarussian Constitution (source: coe.int) PAKISTANexecution Death row convict hanged in Haripur jail A death row convict was hanged in the Haripur Central Jail here on Wednesday morning. Chanzeb, a resident of Peshawar, had been awaiting execution since 2006 when Federal Shariat Court had awarded him death penalty for raping and murdering a minor girl who happened to be his sister-in-law in 1996. After issuance of his black warrants the jail administration arranged his last meeting with his family on Tuesday. According to jail sources, his execution was carried out at 4.30am amid tight security. According to deceased’s last will, his real sister received his body and took it to Peshawar for burial. Police and witnesses said Sheikh Abdul Fatakh of Kalas village was on way to pick his daughter from university when his bike collided with a speeding van, injuring him critically. The locals shifted him to Haripur Trauma Centre where he succumbed to injuries. (source: dawn.com) INDIA: State to HC: No deliberate delay in executing death penalty of 2 convicts The Maharashtra government on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that there has been no “deliberate or inordinate delay” on its part in deciding and executing the death penalty imposed on two convicts in the 2007 Pune BPO employee's gang-rape and murder case. The state home department and Superintendent of Yerwada jail in Pune, where the 2 convicts are lodged, filed their affidavits in response to the pleas filed by the duo seeking to halt their execution scheduled on June 24. The petitions filed by Purushottam Borate and Pradeep Kokade have claimed that the “inordinate delay” in executing the sentence violated their fundamental rights. They urged the high court to commute their death sentence to life imprisonment. In the affidavit, the government said the Pune sessions court delayed in issuing warrants for the convicts' execution despite several reminders sent by the Yerwada prison superintendent and Additional Director General, Prisons Department, Pune. The home department, in its affidavit, stated that the superintendent of Yerwada prison was informed on June 19, 2017 that the convicts' mercy petitions were rejected by the President. “The Yerwada prison superintendent informed the convicts about the decision on the same day and also wrote a letter to the sessions court concerned, intimating it about the rejection of the mercy petitions and seeking for appropriate orders to be passed regarding the death penalty imposed,” the affidavit said. From June 19, 2017 to December 2018, the Yerwada prison superintendent as well as additional director general, prisons, Pune wrote letters to the sessions court, requesting for appropriate orders to be issued. “There has not been any delay... on the part of the state government as such, either in intimating the convicts, or in forwarding the documents to the government of India,” the state government said in the affidavit. The affidavit filed by the present superintendent of the Yerwada prison said no blame can be put on the then jailor as he had followed the procedure and had sent repeated letters to the sessions court in Pune, requesting for necessary orders for execution of the death penalty. “It was entirely within the jurisdiction and totally in the absolute discretion of the sessions court to issue the death warrant. There is no delay in executing the death sentence of the two convicts by the state of Maharashtra,” the affidavit said. Meanwhile, the affidavit filed by the Union government Wednesday said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) received the mercy petitions filed by the two convicts on May 18, 2016 and these were decided on May 26, 2017 after taking into account all relevant considerations, such as the convicts' age, background, role in the offence and so on. The convicts' counsel, Yug Chaudhry, claimed that this is the first case in the country that has witnessed such an inordinate delay. A division bench headed by Justice B P Dharmadhikari will continue hearing arguments in the case on
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June 19 IRANexecution Man Executed at Ahvaz Prison A prisoner was hanged for murder charges at Ahvaz (Ahwaz) Central Prison last Saturday. According to IHR sources, on Saturday, June 15, prisoner Mohammad Shekaf was hanged at the Iranian southern city of Ahvaz’s central prison. He was arrested on January 29, 2015, and charged with murder. His execution is not announced by Iranian authorities or media so far. According to the Iran Human Rights statistic department, at least 273 people were executed in Iran in 2018. At least 188 of them executed for 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) Iran Regime Hangs Three Prisoners at Dawn in Bandar Abbas 3 prisoners were hanged at dawn on Wednesday, June 19, in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran. The state-run Fars News Agency quoted the regime’s top judiciary official in Hormozgan Province, Ali Salehi, as saying the trio were hanged in the city’s central prison. The victims’ names were not given. Iran is the world’s number 1 executioner per capita. On June 10, political prisoner Ali Reza Shir-Mohammad-Ali, 21, was stabbed to death at the Fashafouyeh Prison (Central Prison of Greater Tehran) in a premeditated criminal plot by the mullahs’ regime. 2 of the regime's mercenaries who attacked him were among dangerous criminals. Shir-Mohammad-Ali was arrested last year and sentenced to eight years in prison on bogus charges such as insulting Khomeini and Khamenei and propaganda against the regime. He had gone on hunger strike from March 14 to April 16, 2019 in protest to lack of separation of political prisoners from ordinary and dangerous criminals and insecurity, and in protest to the dire health and living conditions in the prison. Following his murder, the Iranian Resistance once again called for condemnation of the crimes of the clerical regime against political prisoners by the United Nations Security Council and the Member States, the European Union, the UN Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and relevant rapporteurs and other international human rights organizations. It once again insisted on the call of Maryam Rajavi for the establishment of an international delegation to visit prisons and political prisoners in Iran. (source: ncr-iran.org) * Halt Execution of Teenager (Iran: UA 83.19) Urgent Action Danial Zeinolabedini, an 18-year-old imprisoned in Mahabad prison, West Azerbaijan province, is at risk of execution. He was sentenced to death in June 2018 after an unfair trial in which he was convicted of a murder that took place when he was 17 years old. His execution would be a grave violation of international law. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them. Head of the Judiciary Ebrahim Raisi C/o Permanent Mission of Iran to the UN Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28 1209 Geneva, Switzerland H.E. Majid Takht Ravanchi Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran 622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10017 Phone: 212 687-2020 // Fax: 212 867 7086 Email: i...@un.int Twitter: @Iran_UN Salutation: Dear Ambassador Dear Mr Raisi, Iranian teenager Danial Zeinolabedini is at risk of execution in Mahabad prison for a crime that took place when he was 17 years old. International law prohibits without exception the use of the death penalty against persons who were below 18 years of age at the time of the crime. Iran would be in violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which it is a state party, if it executes him. Danial Zeinolabedini, now aged 18, was sentenced to death on 3 June 2018 after a juvenile criminal court in the city of Mahabad, West Azerbaijan province, found him guilty of participating, along with four other young men, in the murder of a man. The court rejected his lawyer’s request that Danial Zeinolabedini should be issued an alternative sentence to the death penalty on grounds that he had not yet attained full maturity. The court reasoned that even though “he is younger than the other defendants [all of whom were aged between 18 and 20 and years old at the time of the crime], the way he speaks, argues and defends himself shows that his level of mental maturity is higher than them.” The death sentence was upheld on 27 October 2018 by the Supreme, Court and the request for a judicial review has been rejected. The legal proceedings that led to Danial Zeinolabedini’s conviction were unfair and flagrantly violated the principles of juvenile justice; he was not allowed access to a lawyer during the entire
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June 18 BELARUS: PACE 'Strongly Condemns' Secret Execution In Belarus The Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has "strongly condemned" the reported secret execution of a Belarusian while his case was still under consideration by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHCR). PACE’s general rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty, Titus Corlatean, said in a statement on June 17 that by executing Alyaksandr Zhylnikau in recent days "Belarus has once again shown that it does not fully subscribe to basic European standards, and its use of the death penalty continues to prevent the development of deeper relations with the Council of Europe." "I reiterate my call on the Belarusian authorities to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty, as a matter of urgency, and as a first step towards its full abolition. It is the only way forward,” Corlatean said. The Minsk-based human rights center Vyasna (Spring) quoted Zhylnikau's relatives on June 13 as saying that his death penalty verdict had been implemented. It remains unclear if the 2nd convicted person in the case, Vyachaslau Sukharka, was also executed. Sukharka and Zhylnikau were convicted of murdering 3 people and sentenced to life in prison in December 2015. In July 2017, the Supreme Court upheld an appeal by prosecutors and the case was sent for retrial, where the 2 men were sentenced to death. At the same time, Zhylnikau filed a complaint with the UNHCR, which had subsequently asked Belarusian authorities to take "urgent measures and to avoid carrying out the death sentence" prior to the consideration of the convict's complaint by the committee. Andrej Paluda, coordinator of the campaign Human Rights Defenders Against Death Penalty in Belarus, said the case shows that Belarus "does not share the human rights values and remains the last country in Europe and the former Soviet Union where people are executed by shooting." Belarus is the only country in Europe and Central Asia to carry out the death penalty. According to rights organizations, more than 400 people have been sentenced to death in Belarus since it gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. 2 convicts were reportedly executed in November and 2 in May last year. (source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty) ** Foreign citizen who may face death penalty in Iran allowed to reside in Belarus The Belarusian Interior Ministry has allowed Iranian Merhdat Jamshidiyan to stay in the country. When reached by belsat.eu, his wife Alena confirmed the news. The ministry will also grant the corresponding status to him for ‘humanitarian reasons’, RFE/RL quotes Alyaksei Byahun, Head of the Citizenship and Migration Department. Merhdat Jamshidiyan has been living in Belarus for more than 20 years and, with the exception of the last two years, he had had registration. But for the last 7 years Iran has been asking to give out the man, because the state suspects of murdering his mother and brother (for the record, he was an opposition activist) in September, 2012. It should be noted that Merhdat was staying in Belarus at that moment. Even if a man is found not guilty in his homeland, he may still be executed; in Belarus, he converted to Christianity, which is considered as apostasy. For the year to date, 902 Belarusians have signed an appeal to the authorities asking ‘not to send Merhdat to his doom’. (source: belsat.eu) FRANCE: 80 years since Versailles execution stopped public guillotine spectacles 80 years ago on Monday, a crowd gathered to watch what was to become the last public execution by guillotine in France — a grim spectacle that was captured on film. Onlookers lined up for hours to be in the front row to see the blade fall on the neck of convicted murderer Eugen Weidmann. His execution took place in front of the doors of the Saint-Pierre prison, in the centre of Versailles, on June 17, 1939. Executions were supposed to take place before sunrise, but dealing with the crowd delayed preparations and reporters were able to take photos and even film the event. The shocking images and the behaviour of the baying crowd led France to banish the use of guillotines to within prison walls until their final use, in 1977. Weidmann, a 31-year-old German with a string of previous criminal convictions, was sentenced to death for six murders committed in France with 3 accomplices. Among their victims was an American dancer who had come to Paris to visit the 1937 World's Fair. The condemned man was led out with his hands tied behind his back and white shirt turned down to keep his neck clear. Among those watching was the future Dracula actor Christopher Lee, who was then 17. He was attending with a friend of his family who was a journalist. In his autobiography, he described the "powerful wave of howling and shrieking" that
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June 17 SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia May Execute Teenager for His Protests — Including When He Was 10 In 2011, as Arab Spring protests swept across the Middle East, demonstrations also kicked off in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich Eastern Province. Members of the kingdom’s repressed Shiite minority took to the streets, calling for equal rights and a fairer distribution of oil revenues. The protesters included a group of around 30 kids on bicycles. As a video released last week by CNN shows, those children were led by a smiling 10-year-old in flip-flops named Murtaja Qureiris. “The people demand human rights!” the young boy can be seen shouting through a megaphone. Here’s the problem: Demanding human rights in Saudi Arabia lands you in prison. Even if you’re a kid. Three years later, in September 2014, 13-year-old Murtaja was arrested while on his way to neighboring Bahrain with his family. “At the time,” reports CNN, “he was considered by lawyers and activists to be the youngest known political prisoner in Saudi Arabia. Over the past four years, say human rights groups, this teenager has been subjected to torture and intimidation, as well as a spell in solitary confinement. He has been denied access to a lawyer while interrogators try to get him to confess to the trumped-up charges against him. These include “participating in anti-government protests, attending the funeral of his brother Ali Qureiris who was killed in a protest in 2011, joining a ‘terrorist organization,’ throwing Molotov cocktails at a police station, and firing at security forces,” according to Amnesty International. Last week, we learned that Saudi prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for 18-year-old Murtaja, who is being tried in an anti-terror court. CNN reports that the prosecutors want to “impose the harshest form of the death penalty, which may include crucifixion or dismemberment after execution.” Got that? The unelected government of a close ally of the United States is planning on brutally executing an 18-year-old member of a minority group, for crimes allegedly committed when he was 10 years old. Let me repeat: 10. Years. Old. We shouldn’t forget the person who is primarily responsible for this outrage: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS. Since his father installed him in power, the violent crushing of political dissent has escalated. According to the CIA, MBS ordered the horrific murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He is also behind the targeting of three Arab activists in Norway, Canada, and the United States. Much has (rightly) been made of the crown prince’s shocking record on extrajudicial killings. But what of the growing number of judicially sanctioned killings inside of Saudi Arabia on his watch? The planned execution of Murtaja Qureiris may be the most horrendous act yet. “There should be no doubt that the Saudi Arabian authorities are ready to go to any length to crack down on dissent against their own citizens, including by resorting to the death penalty for men who were merely boys at the time of their arrest,” says Lynn Maalouf, Middle East research director at Amnesty International. The Gulf kingdom is one of the world’s top executioners and, according to Maalouf, Saudi authorities have “a chilling track record of using the death penalty as a weapon to crush political dissent and punish anti-government protesters — including children — from the country’s persecuted Shi’a minority.” The majority of the country, and the ruling family, are from a strict school of Sunni Islam called Salafism. In April, 37 people were executed in a single day — the biggest mass execution in the kingdom since 2016 — and the vast majority of them were believed to be Shiites. Three of them, according to human rights group Reprieve, were “minors at the time of their alleged offences.” Such executions, as both Reprieve and Amnesty International have noted, are a brazen violation of international human rights law. Another 3 Saudi Shiites — Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon, and Abdullah al-Zaher — who were also below the age of 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, are still on death row and could be executed at anytime. It isn’t just Shiites, either. MBS has also targeted Sunni clerics who have failed to fall into line. There have been reports that the belligerent and thin-skinned crown prince plans on executing three high-profile Saudi religious scholars — Salman al-Odah, Awad al-Qarni, and Ali al-Omari — all of whom have been held on multiple charges of “terrorism.” 62-year-old Odah is famous in the Arab world for his relatively progressive views on Islam and homosexuality and his 2007 denunciation of Osama bin Laden. His actual “crime”? Tweeting a prayer for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and its Gulf rival, the Emirate of Qatar. (Full disclosure: I host 2 TV shows for
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June 16 SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi teenager arrested at 13 spared from execution, source says Murtaja Qureiris, the 18-year-old who had been facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, has been spared execution and sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to a source familiar with the matter. The source told CNN that Qureiris, who was arrested at the age of 13 by Saudi authorities, could be released by 2022. Qureiris's sentence includes time served since his arrest in 2014, with the 4 final years on probation, leaving him with three years left in prison. A Saudi official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that timeline to Reuters. CNN has reached out to the Saudi government for comment. International pressure had been mounting on the kingdom after CNN reported on Qureiris's case. In Austria, the country's parliament, voted to close a Saudi-backed center for interfaith dialogue, in protest against the detention of Qureiris. Qureiris was 10 years old when he committed at least one of the acts alleged in his charge sheet. He was charged with accompanying his activist brother, Ali Qureris, on a motorcycle ride to a police station in the eastern Saudi city of Awamiya, where Ali allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at the facility. His other alleged crime includes attending his brother's funeral which later became a rally. Qureiris has denied the charges and said that the confessions, which the prosecution has largely relied on, were obtained under duress. At the time of arrest, Qureiris was considered by lawyers and activists to be the youngest known political prisoner in Saudi Arabia. Murtaja Qureiris is from a Shia family in the eastern province of the majority Sunni Saudi Arabia. In April, Saudi Arabia announced it had executed 37 men who, according to rights group Reprieve, were mostly from the kingdom's Shia minority. At least 3of the men executed were minors at the time of the commission of alleged crimes, court documents reviewed by CNN and Reprieve showed. All 3 were arrested for violence the government says was committed during protests around the time of the Arab Spring. But the prosecution relied heavily on confessions which the prisoners said were extracted from them. In the court proceedings, they said that they were tortured, the confessions made under duress. The country has one of the highest rates of execution in the world, and has frequently been criticized by rights groups for executing people who were minors at the time of the commission of crimes. Amnesty International responded to the news about Qureiris's case on Twitter Sunday: "Much relief to learn that Saudi authorities confirm that #MurtajaQureiris will NOT be sentenced to death. #EndDeathPenalty #SaudiArabia." (source: CNN) PAKISTAN: Rights Group Calls On Pakistan To Halt Execution Of Mentally Ill Man A rights group has urged the Pakistani government not to execute a prisoner with "clear symptoms of mental illness," who is scheduled to be hanged on June 18. ? Sarah Belal, executive director of Justice Project Pakistan, which campaigns against the death penalty, said on June 16 that the government must halt the execution of Ghulam Abbas, 36, for further evaluation. "Abbas's execution must be stayed and he should be transferred to a mental health facility to be comprehensively assessed,” the rights group said. Citing a prominent psychiatrist, Dr. Malik Hussain Mubbashar, the statement says Abbas's medical records show he's being treated with strong anti-psychotic drugs by prison authorities and has a family history of mental illness. Abbas was sentenced to death in 2006 for fatally stabbing a neighbor in 2004. Pakistan is a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an international convention guaranteeing the dignity of individuals with disabilities. The country lifted a six-year moratorium on the death penalty after Islamist militants killed more than 150 people at a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar in December 2014. (source: rferl.org) ___ 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
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June 15 KUWAIT: Police officer accused of raping Filipina maid may face death penalty — envoy Kuwait's envoy to Manila on Friday assured Philippine officials that his government is exerting all efforts to arrest the police officer who allegedly raped a Filipino maid, noting he could face death penalty under Kuwaiti laws. Ambassador Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh told the Department of Foreign Affairs that "an all-points bulletin" has been issued to police and immigration posts in Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council member states to alert them that Fayed Naser Hamad Alajmy, a 22-year-old Kuwaiti police officer, is facing criminal charges for rape. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola met with Althwaikh Friday to convey the Philippine government's concern on the incident. Althwaikh said the suspect has been charged with rape under Article 186 of Kuwait Penal Law No. 16/1960, which states that: "Anyone having sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent, through the use of force, threats or deception, shall be liable to the death penalty or life imprisonment. The law further states: "If the offender is an ascendant of the victim or one of the persons entrusted with her upbringing or welfare or vested with authority over her, or a servant or a servant of any of the above-mentioned persons, he shall be liable to the death penalty.” Alajmy was the one who assisted the Filipina for finger scanning registration at the airport upon her arrival in Kuwait on June 4. Later on, Alajmy reportedly kidnapped and assaulted the worker, according to the Philippine Embassy. Quoting Althwaikh, a Department of Foreign Affairs statement said: "The Kuwaiti government is exerting all efforts for the speedy arrest of the suspect." The DFA said the Philippine Embassy will continue to provide legal and other necessary assistance to the victim, who started working for her employer in Kuwait. She is working in the same household with three other Filipina domestic helpers. According to the DFA, the employer of the Filipina is also cooperating with the embassy and local authorities on the case. (source: gmanetwork.com) IRANexecution Man Hanged at Gorgan Prison A man hanged at Gorgan prison for murder charges last Sunday. According to HRANA, on the early morning of June 9, Hashem Amiri, 47, was executed at the northern Iranian city of Gorgan’s prison. He was a father of 3 kids. “Hashem Amiri was a worker at a shopping centre 4 years ago. At that time, he fought with a shop owner and hit his head with a rod. The shop owner was killed and Hashem was sentenced to death,” a well-informed source said. The aforementioned execution has not been announced by Iranian authorities or media so far. 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) SAUDI ARABIA: Fate of Saudi Religious Scholars on Death Row Last month, the London-based Middle East Eye reported that 3 Saudi religious scholars—Sheikh Salman al-Awdah, Awad al-Qarni, and Ali al-Omari—were going to receive the death penalty after the end of Ramadan. The report cited two sources in the Saudi government and one of the detained Islamic scholar’s relatives. Currently, Awdah, Qarni, and Omari are charged with terrorism and awaiting trial at the kingdom’s Criminal Special Court in Riyadh. The arrest of these three “moderate” clerics in September 2017 triggered a chorus of condemnation from abroad, including from the United Nations and numerous human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Their detention occurred two months before the Ritz Carlton saga in which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) ordered the arrest of scores of wealthy and prominent Saudi royals, merchants, and billionaire moguls during the infamous “anti-corruption drive.” Adwah, Qarni, and Omari have been tied to the Muslim Brotherhood-inspired Sahwa movement. Since the crown prince’s ascendancy, his fears of revolutionary activism in the region spreading into Saudi Arabia have prompted the authorities in Riyadh to wage a campaign of repression against Sahwa-affiliated Islamists in the kingdom. From MbS’s perspective, the potential for the movement to compete with him for power while operating outside of his control represents an unacceptable threat not only to the Saudi monarchy’s Islamic legitimacy but also to its survival. Awdah was punished for tweeting that he hoped for a resolution to the Qatar crisis shortly after MbS had a telephone conversation with the emir of Qatar on September 8, 2017. This cleric spent half of the 1990s behind bars because he advocated political change in the kingdom. Awdah has delivered hundreds of lectures and produced hundreds of articles that
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June 14 BAHAMAS: BCC president: Lethal injection is more humane than hanging On the heels of the country’s latest homicide, President of the Bahamas Christian Council, Bishop Delton Fernander, on Thursday expressed his stance on capital punishment, calling for the eradication of hanging and replacing it with lethal injection. “As you know, the Council is divided on the conversation of hanging, however I speak as the President that we should remove hanging and add lethal injection,” Bishop Fernander told Eyewitness News. “It is a more humane way to deliver the same penalty, [but] obviously it is only conversation and it’s in the States hands, but there must be action.” Bishop Fernander said there must be a push to ensure that there are more serious consequences for certain crimes, which would lead to a more progressive and proactive country and church. “Criminals must know that when you take [the lives of] fathers or mothers or productive citizens in our society there will be a consequence to your action, rather than eating and having a good time in jail,” Fernander said. “As a Council, we are being more proactive and engaging in some areas that we have not engaged in. It lends itself to conversation, but we are willing to have that conversation.” The BBC president also admitted that there is division amongst him and some of the other members of the Council when it comes to his views on capital punishment. He noted, however, that the Council’s stance on capital punishment will be further discussed at a march scheduled for this Saturday, held under the theme, “Operation Restoration”. Meanwhile Attorney General Carl Bethel declared in a recent interview that the death penalty “remains a part of Bahamian law and the country’s position on the penalty is not likely to change anytime soon.” David Mitchell was the last convicted murderer to be hanged in The Bahamas in 2000. According to an American Civil Unions online article there is no credible evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than long terms of imprisonment The death penalty is legal in 29 states in the United States, including popular states like Georgia, Texas, California, and Florida but is illegal in 21 states including New York, Illinois, Washington State and Iowa. (source: Eyewitness News) BELARUSexecution Just Before European Games: Another prisoner executed in Belarus Alyaksandr Zhylnikau, a convict under a sentence of death for murders, was executed, his family told human rights defender Andrey Paluda. On June 13, his defense lawyer was informed that the prisoner ‘had departed to serve his sentence’, HRC Viasna reports. When she asked whether Zhylnikau had been executed, prison officials confirmed it. In December 2015, Vyachaslau Sukharko and Alyaksandr Zhylnikau were found guilty of murdering 3 people. One more defendant in the case, Alina Shulhanava, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Sawmill workers Sukharko and Zhylnikau were accused of murdering 3 people, robbery and stealing documents. Alina Shulhanava, a nursery school teacher and former employee at the state-controlled youth organization BRSM, was charged with the organisation of causing a grievous bodily harm, which resulted in death, and preparation for abducting a person. The charges stem from 2 episodes that took place in December 2015 in Minsk. 27-year Alina Shulhanava failed to come to terms with the fact that her ex-boyfriend was dating another woman. Shulhanava hired Vyachaslau Sukharko and Alyaksandr Zhylnikau to threaten and beat the couple. However, the perpetrators went a bridge too far and killed the both. Immediately after their arrest, it became known that Sukharko and Zhylnikau were involved in another murder in the town of Kalodzishchy near Minsk. A 59-year-old man who let an apartment to 1 of the defendants turned out to be another victim. In March 2017, the Minsk City Court sentenced the 2 men to life imprisonment. However, on July 14, the Supreme Court sent the case for retrial. In January 2018, they were sentenced to death. The fate of Vyachaslau Sukharko is unknown at the moment. However, the record shows that the sentences passed on the defendants in the same case are carried out at the same point of time. *** Belarus remains the only country in Europe that still applies capital punishment. The West has repeatedly called on the Belarusian authorities to join a global moratorium as a 1st step towards the abolition of death penalty. The exact number of executions in Belarus is unknown, but local human rights defenders and journalists have worked tirelessly to uncover some information about death sentences and executions. According to the Ministry of Justice of Belarus, 245 people were sentenced to death from 1994 to 2014. Human rights NGOs believe that around 400 people have been executed since the country gained its
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June 13 INDIA: Death penalty for rapists of girls below 12 as President signs the ordinance President Ram Nath Kovind signed an important ordinance on Thursday which will pave the way to provide tougher punishments in rape cases. This ordinance also includes a provision to give the death penalty for rapists of girls below 12 years of age. This comes in just a day after Union Cabinet approved the Ordinance. New fast-track courts will be set up for such cases and special kits will be provided to the police stations and government hospitals to conduct probe in a better manner. Additionally, the minimum term for punishment in case of rape has been increased to 10 years of rigorous punishment from the existing 7 and this may also be turned into a life punishment based on the brutality of the case, the ordinance said. Also, in case of rape of girls between 12 to 16 years, the punishment from 10 years has been increased to 20 years and can be extended to life term which means that convict has to spend jail term for the rest of his natural life. With this ordinance, the Indian Penal Code, Evidence Act, Code of Criminal Procedure and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) will stand amended. The deadline for trial in all rape cases will be 2 months. Additionally, no provision of anticipatory bail in relation to rape of girls below 16 years will be available. (source: newssting.in) SAUDI ARABIAexecution Saudi Arabia executes Asian man for smuggling drugs The Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia today issued a statement implementing the death sentence on a Pakistani prisoner in Dammam. The execution was carried out in the city of Dammam in the eastern province on Thursday. The Ministry of the Interior made the announcement to affirm to the public Saudi Arabia's keenness to fight drug dealing and use in the country. The accused, Mohammed Allah Akho Nezad Kal, was arrested for smuggling heroin. According to investigations, he was sentenced to the death penalty and the ruling was supported by the court of appeal and the supreme court, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. A royal order was issued to enforce the execution. (source: Khaleej Times) IRAN: 4 Prisoners Hanged at Rajai-Shahr Prison According to the Iran Human Rights statistic department, most of Iran’s executions in 2018 were carried out at Rajai-Shahr prison. 3 prisoners were hanged this morning and 1 prisoner was hanged last Monday at Rajai-Shahr prison. According to IHR sources, on the morning of Wednesday, June 12, 3 prisoners were executed at Rajai-Shahr prison in the Iranian city of Karaj. All of them were sentenced to death on the charge of “corruption on earth and rape.” IHR could identify one of them as Amir Tahmaseb. Moreover, on Monday, June 10, 1 prisoner was hanged at Rajai-Shahr prison. He was charged with Moharebeh (waging war against God) by armed robbery. The aforementioned executions are not announced by Iranian authorities or media so far. According to the Iran Human Rights statistic department, most of Iran’s executions in 2018 were carried out at Rajai-Shahr prison. (source: Iran Human Rights) Openly gay reporter presses Iran's top diplomat on death penalty for homosexuals An otherwise standard press conference in Tehran got turned up a notch on Monday when a German reporter hit Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif with a somewhat surprising question. “Why are homosexuals executed in Iran because of their sexual orientation?” asked Paul Ronzheimer, the Berlin-based chief correspondent for the tabloid Bild. Zarif, who conducted the press conference alongside his visiting German counterpart, Heiko Maas, responded that his “society has principles.” “And we live according to these principles. These are moral principles concerning the behavior of people in general,” he continued. “And that means that the law is respected and the law is obeyed.” According to Germany’s public broadcaster ZDF, Ronzheimer's question sparked a notable fracas among other Iranian officials and press in the room and came as a jolt to the top Tehran official. The question along with Zarif’s answer was subsequently edited out of a news release issued by the Ministry following the German official's stopover. The Washington Post reported that Ronzheimer's American boyfriend, who is based in Berlin, had helped the reporter craft the question in English ahead of the confrontation. Zarif’s defense of his country’s execution policy for gays has attracted the ire of the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, who told the German Press Agency that the “Iranian regime has violated the basic principles of the United Nations.” Homosexuality is currently outlawed in Iran and the court system is known to use accusations of male rape and gay sex to trigger death penalty sentences, despite protests from
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June 12 IRAN: Iran's top diplomat says his country executes gay people because of 'moral principles' Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Monday cited "moral principles" when asked why Iran executes homosexuals for their sexual orientation, as he also attacked the US and Israel for "violating human rights." At a press conference in the Iranian capital with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, Zarif was asked by Bild reporter Paul Ronzheimer about the death penalty for gay people in the Middle Eastern country. "Our society has moral principles, and according to these principles we live," Zarif responded. "These are moral principles regarding the behavior of people in general. And that's because the law is upheld and you abide by laws." In late January, a 31-year-old man was publicly hanged in Iran after being found guilty of violating the country's anti-gay laws, according to The Jerusalem Post. As of March 2019, there were 70 UN member states that have laws on the books criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual acts, according to a report from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). Of these countries, 6 impose the death penalty on consensual same-sex sexual acts: Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Sudan, and Somalia. (source: businessinsider.com) EGYPT: Good news: Reprieve beneficiary in Egypt Hatem Zaghloul has been pardoned and freed! I am writing to share the great news that Hatem Zaghloul, who was sentenced to death as a child in Egypt in 2014, has now been pardoned and is back with his family. I recently visited Hatem and his father in Egypt just after he returned home. They were both so grateful for the efforts of Reprieve supporters– so, from Hatem and his father, thank you to the whole Reprieve community. Hatem was taken from his bed in the middle of the night. He was falsely accused of being involved in an attack on a police station. He was sentenced to death in a mass trial of 545 people. That’s when Reprieve’s lawyers, investigators, campaigners and supporters became involved in proving his innocence. His sentence was eventually reduced to a 10-year prison term, and now – after more than 5 years away from his family – he has been pardoned and freed by the Egyptian President. So many people campaigned for Hatem as part of Reprieve’s work to stop children from being sentenced to death in mass trials in Egypt. This is a huge victory for all of us who champion human rights. We should celebrate this great news! End death sentences for children in Egypt Since 2013, Egyptian courts have recommended initial death sentences for at least 10 children convicted in mass trials. Sign our petition calling on the Egyptian Government to release all children unlawfully sentenced to death, close the child death penalty loophole and end the use of mass trials. (source: Sherif Azer, reprieve.org.uk) ALGERIA: Former Algeria PM Faces Corruption Trial as 3 Officers Sentenced to Death Algeria’s prosecutor said Tuesday that 45 people, including former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and senior officials connected to the case of the Algerian automobile tycoon Mahieddine Tahkout, are being investigated in corruption cases. The prosecutor announced that the Undersecretary at Sidi Amhamed Court in Algiers opened a judicial investigation against 45 people on suspicion of involvement in the case. The investigating judge decided to place 19 of the accused in provisional detention and conditionally release 7 suspects. The 19 others under investigation remained free without restrictions. Tahkout, his son and 2 of his brothers, along with 38 civil servants and 3 business employees, are being prosecuted. The detainees are accused of money laundering, concealing the illicit transfer of goods obtained through corruption and squandering public funds. Separately, the military tribunal sentenced to death three officers of the dissolved Intelligence and Security Service in cases related to the disclosure of state secrets and communicating with foreign parties, reported the German news agency (dpa). Al-Jazair al-Youm news agency quoted a source close to the military establishment as saying that the 1st death sentence was issued against the former adviser to the head of foreign intelligence for disclosing state secrets. The 2nd was against a lieutenant of the Information and Coding Service on charges of leaking information and communicating with foreign parties and the 3rd was issued against the deputy head of foreign intelligence in the case of conspiracy against the state and the disclosure of secrets and communication with foreign parties. Meanwhile, Abdul Rahim Bouteflika, brother of former Algerian President Abdulaziz Bouteflika, was removed from his government post after 37 years of service. Abdul Rahim, known as Nasser, had been retired from his position as
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June 11 BANGLADESH: ‘Enemies of the nation’: Bangladesh considers death penalty, life imprisonment for food adulterators Bangladesh is considering implementation of the death penalty or life imprisonment as a punishment for food adulterators in the country. In a press conference, Bangladesh Minister of Food Shadhon Chandra Majumder said that the government has adopted a ‘zero-tolerance policy’ towards food adulteration, deeming these perpetrators to be ‘enemies of the nation’. “The level of punishment will be increased to stop food adulteration. If needed, we will make provisions for capital punishment or life imprisonment by amending the present Food Safety Act, 2013,” said Majumder to The Independent. Describing food adulteration as a ‘crime against humanity’, he added that the Ministry of Food was holding hearings via mobile courts with regard to the issue. “The number of mobile courts will be increased to stop food adulteration,” he said. The ministry’s suggestion on increasing punishments for adulterators received support from former Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Mohammed Nasim, who called for the capital punishment during an iftar (fast-breaking) event. According to Dhaka Tribune, Nasim said: “Those who push the countrymen to death by adulterating food, are enemies of the country as well as the nation. Capital punishment should be executed against them.” This is not the 1st time that more serious punishment has been considered for food adulteration in the region. In November last year, the state of Maharashtra in India also said that life imprisonment would be implemented? for such offenses. Many laws, little progress At present, some 15 food safety laws have been established in Bangladesh to guide and enforce food safety in the country – but the wide variety and high frequency of food adulteration has painted a picture of limited success. Known adulterants include arsenic, formalin, dyes, fertilizer, metals, poor quality raw ingredients and more applied across a near-unlimited range of food items including fish products, fruits, dairy, soups, beverages, biscuits. Earlier this month, 52 food products were banned in the country after the Bangladesh Testing and Standards Institution (BSTI) had identified these to be adulterated or substandard. New Age Bangladesh said that when the BSTI released its report revealing the 52 compromised food items earlier this month, the Conscious Consumer Society (CCS) had sent a legal notice to various governmental agencies on May 6 urging immediate action but received no response. This was later brought to the attention of the High Court, which summoned BSTI and BFSA officers for explanation and culminating in the banning of the compromised food products. Dairy adulteration Milk and milk product adulteration in particular has been exceptionally rampant in the country. In February this year, national food safety authorities including the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and BSTI were ordered by the High Court to submit a report on the milk adulteration situation locally. They were also ordered to explain ‘why their inaction and failure in preventing adulteration and taking appropriate legal steps against it should not be declared illegal’ The submitted report was found to not contain any identification of the adulterators, and the High Court ordered for a more detailed report to be submitted by latest June 23. According to Dhaka Tribune, head of the National Food Safety Laboratory (NFSL) Dr Shahnila Ferdous, the individual who first revealed the lab’s findings on high levels of contamination in the country’s dairy, submitted a report listing the relevant adulterators to the High Court on May 21. In the report, 30 curd-producing companies, 30 fodder companies, 31 packet milk companies, 96 raw cow milk producers, and several individuals were named. BSTI and BFSA were purportedly berated by the court for not being able to do the same sooner. “If the NFSL could do it, why couldn't you? [You] are not conducting any research,” said the bench. (source: foodnavigator-asia.com) VIETNAM: A U.S. Citizen Detained in Vietnam Could Face the Death Penalty for Subversion A U.S. citizen, detained in Vietnam on charges of “attempting to overthrow the state,” is expected to face trial at the end of this month and could be sentenced to death if found guilty, Agence France-Press (AFP) reports. Michael Nguyen has been held in Vietnam since July last year. He was traveling with 2 activists, both of whom were also arrested. His family, who live in the U.S., say Nguyen is innocent and not involved with any dissident groups. The father of four daughters left Vietnam in 1975 during the communist takeover and fled to the U.S. “He is severely disadvantaged and unable to properly defend against any accusations against him,” said a family statement cited by AFP.
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June 10 SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi teen faces beheading and crucifixion for protesting as a childA boy arrested when he was just 13 faces the death penalty and sick acts on his body for involvement in protests when he was just 10. A teenager who has been held in a Saudi prison for more than four years faces execution by beheading, dismemberment and crucifixion for crimes he allegedly committed when he was 10. Arrested at 13, Murtaja Qureiris, now 18, is alleged to have taken part in political demonstrations calling for greater representation of Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia. In the repressive monarchical state, protesting, in any form, is seen as an act of violence and often categorised by the justice system as an act of terrorism. The prosecutor has recommended Mr Qureiris face the most serious of punishments for his alleged crimes. “There are few more serious breaches of international law than the execution of a child,” said Maya Foa, director of Reprieve, one of the human rights watch groups following Mr Qureiris’ case. She said by trying to execute Mr Qureiris, the regime is demonstrating its absolute “impunity” to the global community. In an exclusive video obtained by CNN, a young Mr Qureiris can be seen leading a group of Shia protesters on a group bike ride in the moments before an anti-government protest in Saudi Arabia. The group was calling for more rights for Saudi Arabia’s Shia minority. It was one of the many expressions of political dissent by Shia Muslims across Saudi Arabia during the Arab Spring. The protests, beginning in 2011, were part of a larger movement across the Middle East and North Africa, with uprisings taking place in Saudi Arabia. It took 4 years for the Government to formally lay charges against the teen in August 2018. The charges are for offences dating back 3 years before his arrest when he was 10 years old and allege he engaged in anti-government protests, was in possession of a firearm and had joined a terrorist organisation. The Government has recommended Mr Qureiris, now 18, be executed for his alleged crimes. After he is killed, the prosecutor in his case has recommended his body be dismembered, or crucified, as his crimes, which included the “sowing of sedition” allow for the cruellest of punishments. Murtaja Qureiris has been held in pre-trial detention for years and is now 18 years old. Mr Qureiris’s family have a history of political activism, according to CNN, and in a video they identify a man in a keffiyeh, or red and white headdress, as Mr Qureiris’s father. When Mr Qureiris was just 11, his brother was killed at a political rally. At the funeral, the Government claims the event turned into an anti-royal family march. Saudi activists maintain the funeral remained peaceful. The Government would later use this as part of their claims against Qureiris. Mr Qureiris was arrested while travelling with his family to Bahrain, according to CNN. He was detained at the border by Saudi authorities. He was considered, at the time, to be the youngest known political prisoner. According to CNN, the prosecution’s case relies on confessions, which were extracted under duress and Mr Qureiris is now denying. Mr Qureiris, a Shia, is a member of a long marginalised community in Saudi Arabia, but as Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud ascended to power, crackdowns and mass executions have become more common. In January 2016, the country executed 47 men for alleged terrorism offences. Earlier this year, in April, a Saudi-run news agency reported 37 men had been executed for “their adoption of extremist, terrorist ideology and forming terrorist cells to corrupt and disturb security, spread chaos and cause sectarian discord”. Of the 37 executed, 33 of them where Shia Muslims, according to The New York Times. 3 of those executed were killed for crimes committed as minors, according to CNN. Executions are not uncommon in the country — last year 139 people were put to death — and the most common method is beheading. Death usually comes for prisoners after years of imprisonment and a sham trial. But according to multiple reports, the killing of Mr Qureiris, who was a child when he was arrested, would be unusual. “There should be no doubt that the Saudi Arabian authorities are ready to go to any length to crack down on dissent against their own citizens, including by resorting to the death penalty for men who were merely boys at the time of their arrest,” said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East research director. It remains illegal for Mr Qureiris, his lawyer, or his family, to speak to foreign journalists, and the details of his case are not public. The Saudi government has not yet commented on the case. (source: news.com.au) IRAN: Iran's FM affirms right to execute gays and blasts U.S. and IsraelRonzheimer wrote that Zarif answered: "The problem is the aggressive
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June 3 NOTEmy regular postings to this list will resume June 10 IRAQ: Prosecuting Islamic State Foreign Fighters: Issues And Implications The collapse of the physical caliphate of ISIS (Daesh) in Iraq and Syria has not led to the demise of Salafi-jihadi terrorism, but given rise to a set of problems relating to the management of scores of detained ISIS foreign fighters. Essentially, how should the international community deal with these foreign citizens who had travelled to the Levant to join ISIS? While countries are reluctant to allow their citizens, who became foreign fighters to return home, these countries have expressed concerns with the way that their citizens are being prosecuted in Iraq (or a third country). There are no clear positions and no clear solutions about the management of detained ISIS foreign fighters. For example, France reportedly said that the prosecution of French ISIS fighters in Iraq is “a sovereign matter for Iraq” but “opposed in principle to the death penalty.” Human rights groups said that the court trials in Iraq depend on “circumstantial evidence or confessions obtained under torture”, but there appear to be very few alternatives. Issues and Implications The bottom-line, the paths to de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration are seemingly closed to these foreign fighters. The delivery of retributive justice, however, has several issues and implications, some the writer had stated in an interview with Pakistan’s Indus News in Episode 99 (31 May 2019) of Scope: 1. Proportionality, legality and morality?—?Is the Iraqi court as well as the international community demonstrating that they are better than ISIS in terms of delivering justice and showing humanity? These points constitute an important consideration as counterterrorism is both a kinetic war and a war of ideas and ideals. 2. Is the international community being responsible by leaving their citizens to the justice system in conflict zones? In the first place, the world could not prevent ISIS from emerging and could not prevent their citizens from travelling to the conflict zones to join ISIS. The world had some time to prepare for the collapse of ISIS, but when ISIS collapsed, the world remains unprepared and divided about dealing with the foreign fighters and their families. 3. By stripping foreign fighters of their citizenship and leaving them in Iraq to face justice, are countries inadvertently recognising that these fighters were fighting for an enemy state and therefore recognising the caliphate as an actual albeit proto state? 4. By outsourcing the justice process to Iraq, is it politically expedient for countries in the short term but with long term ramifications to international security? The international community still needs to deal with the family members of foreign fighters who are left behind in Iraq and Syria. Will these family members usher in the next generation of jihadi terrorists, or could they be levers in counter-radicalisation and counter-propaganda efforts to weaken the ISIS brand? 5. The international community needs to pre-empt how ISIS could use the death penalties and trials in Iraq as part of their propaganda to re-invent themselves and sustain their ideology even as they move towards insurgency tactics now. For example, how would the death penalties complement the ISIS narrative of martyrdom? How would the lack of fairness in court processes complement the ISIS narrative that the caliphate must replace the existing international political order? 6. Dealing with citizens who had joined ISIS in conflict zones is a complex task. Unlike homegrown terrorists, citizens who joined ISIS had undergone more intensive psychological conditioning and indoctrination. However, not all of them travelled to the caliphate to die. Some went there to live; therefore, de-radicalisation efforts could turn some of them into credible voices for preventing violent extremism. 7. As ISIS is an international problem, the international community should not leave it to Iraq alone to solve the foreign fighter problem. Years of armed conflict may have left Iraq with insufficient capacity to deal with the enormous scale of the problem. The international community should seriously consider setting up an international war crimes tribunal to prosecute the leaders and members of ISIS in a way that is as fair as possible. The tribunal could be based in Iraq but with representatives from the various countries that participated in the fight against ISIS. This tribunal is a mission that international organisations such as INTERPOL could support in terms of operations and investigations. Conclusion The collapse of the physical caliphate of ISIS had caused many countries to be concerned about how returning foreign fighters could “threaten a new wave of terror”—as part of ISIS 2.0—in non-conflict zones. However, this is
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide----GLOBAL, IRAQ, BANG., MALAY., INDON.
June 2 GLOBAL: The Bible and the Death Penalty I have always been disturbed by the number of times the Bible declares “He, She or It, shall be put to death.” It doesn’t matter the severity of the crime. Being brought up in a liberal western society and having discovered how many innocent men and women have been wrongly put to death by judicial systems, I cannot accept the very idea of capital punishment. Let’s leave Nazis out of this. Death was too easy for them. Seeing the way the Bible seemingly loosely throws capital punishment around makes me feel very uneasy. I used to justify the Bible in different ways. For instance, punishments in the Bible were there to give priorities. Imagine a visitor from space landing on earth with no cultural or moral background. How would it be able to differentiate between a serious crime and a minor one? Between jaywalking or dropping litter as opposed to stealing from a store or killing someone? Or the difference between accidental homicide and intentional murder? Laws of other countries are often confusing for newcomers from different cultural worlds. Why should honor killings, female circumcision, forced marriages, beating one’s wife, or wanting to kill Jews not be allowed if they are tolerated or even encouraged elsewhere? Seeing what the punishments were would be the easiest way of working out what mattered more. I used to argue that, in the Bible, circumstantial evidence was not acceptable. Unlike our modern so-called “enlightened countries” and legal systems, the Torah required two actual adult witnesses who were not related. And even if you could find such witnesses, you would need another two unrelated witnesses who could testify that the perpetrator had been warned in advance and told what the punishment would be. Only then could the judges convict and apply the death penalty. Imagine you and a friend saw a fellow with a scimitar rush into a house yelling that he was going to kill someone. You heard a scream and a few minutes later, out he came brandishing a bloody sword. You rushed in and saw a decapitated body minus a head in a pool of fresh blood. Jewish Law would not be able to pass a death penalty without two independent people being present to witness and two others to testify about warning. Only a suicidal maniac could ever be sentenced to death. Although the authorities could still impose other punishments or decide that he was a danger to society and he ought to be sent to a city of refuge. It is true that later Rabbinic law invented another form of death by the sword as a punishment in order for a king to deal with traitors or threats. But that was not in the Bible. Still, seeing the bare text without context never sat easily. Great rabbis agreed with me (or I with them). The Mishna in Makot (1:10) says, “A Sanhedrin that put a man to death in seventy years is called murderous. Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah said once in seventy years. Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akivah said that if they had been on the Sanhedrin, they would never have passed a death sentence.” That’s pretty progressive. So much for Bloody Mary Tudor! Though there was a more conservative point of view from the big boss at the time, Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel, who said that removing the death penalty would only encourage more murders. And given that for 2,000 years under Christianity and Islam, Jewish courts had no right to execute anyone even if all conditions were met, I think we have every reason to feel proud of ourselves. Even so, I still felt bad. Until an article in The Economist of May 4, 2019 finally salved my conscience. 2 books were reviewed. The first, The Goodness Paradox by Richard Wrangham, examined why it was that chimpanzees on one side of the Congo river had evolved to be so aggressive and murderous — even with each other — whereas bonobos on the other side were peace-loving. One of his theories was that the chimps lived in a wild, bad environment with nasty gorillas for neighbors. They had to learn to be violent to survive. And the violence in their genes affected their own social relations. Whereas the bonobos lived in a less threatening environment. They were able to evolve more peacefully. Aha! I thought. That’s it. The Israelites lived right in the middle of all these violent civilizations: the Canaanites, the Philistines, the Egyptians, the Hittites, the Arameans, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and the Persians not to mention the later arrival of the Greeks and the Romans. They had to be tough, quarrelsome, and aggressive to survive. Though I think I’d rather put my money on God rather than the chimpanzees. But it did make me feel a lot better. The 2nd book was Blueprint by Nicholas Christakis. In it he described how 2 shipwrecks on different sides of the same island 300 miles south of New Zealand in 1864 produced very different outcomes. The Invercauld had 19 survivors of the
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June 1 NIGERIA: Amnesty International Seeks Abolition Of Death Penalty In Nigeria Global rights group, Amnesty International has launched an 8 point human rights agenda, asking the Federal and State Governments to urgently implement recommendations from previous reports about human rights violations in Nigeria. Amnesty International also asked for an abolition of death sentence and as well an end to torture as a means of extracting information from suspects during interrogations. Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, the country director of the human rights organization, Osai Ojigho maintained that both the Federal and State Governments need to do more to address cases of human rights abuses, adding that the new political dispensation provides politicians another opportunity. Over the years, Amnesty International has documented reports about human rights abuses across Nigeria. Some of those reports are often very critical about the operations of government agencies especially the police and the Nigeria military. At the news conference in Abuja, the human rights organization did not release a new report, but proposed 8 point human rights agenda for the new political dispensation in Nigeria. The organization said it wants government to end violence against women and girls, stop torture and abolish death penalty. In line with the rights group’s request, many agree that the issue of torture as a means of extracting information from suspects should be abolished, however, many others disagree with the human rights organization on their quest to abolish the death penalty. Although many countries around the world have abolished capital punishment, death penalty is still practiced in some countries including China, the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran. (source: channelstv.com) MAURITANIA: Blogger Mkhaïtir's Fate Lies in the Hands of the President On June 22, Mauritanians will elect a new President. This political transition offers the current head of state an unprecedented opportunity to close the case of blogger Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mkhaïtir, detained for the last 5 years for comments deemed blasphemous. The blogger's continued detention worries his supporters and illustrates the increasing deterioration of civil liberties in Mauritania. The fate of Mkhaitir, detained since November 2017 without any legal basis, now lies in the hands of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the only person with the power to order his immediate release. The outgoing president, who came to power through a coup d'état in 2008 and has since been elected twice, will not be running for reelection in June 2019. Throughout his last term, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz welcomed the firmness of the Mauritanian authorities with respect to Mkhaïtir's case and argued that his release would threaten his security as well as the country's stability. The period between the final results of the election and the inauguration of the new head of state could offer a decisive moment to order the blogger's release. Aycha Mkhaïtir has only one request for President Aziz: the immediate release of her brother, whose health is deteriorating day by day. Aycha's message is clear: "We are simply asking for Mohamed's rights to be respected, we’re running out of time!" In December 2013, Mkhaïtir had published an online article denouncing the religious justification for maintaining the caste system in Mauritania, which some Mauritanians tried to legitimize by citing examples from the life of the Prophet Mohammed – wrongly so, according to the blogger. Mkhaïtir himself belongs to the marginalized blacksmiths' caste. A few days after expressing his views, the blogger was arrested and charged with apostasy. In December 2014, after 1 year of pre-trial detention, Mkhaïtir was sentenced to death for apostasy and insulting the Prophet Mohammed. Since then, his lawyers have been fighting a legal battle that seemed almost lost in advance. In 2016, judges first reduced the charges from apostasy (zendagha) to non-belief (ridda), while maintaining the death sentence. His lawyers then decided to file an appeal. During the Supreme Court ruling on the case in January 2017, thousands of protestors stormed the hearing, demanding the blogger's execution. The Supreme Court then quashed the ruling of the court of appeal and sent the case back to a new panel of judges. In November 2017, the court of appeal of Nouadhibou eventually reduced Mkhaïtir's sentence to two years' imprisonment and a fine, for non-belief. His lawyers believed that at the end of the hearing, Mkhaïtir would be released and taken to a place of safety, under the eyes of international observers. Instead, Mkhaïtir's family and representatives were left without news of the young man for several months. Meanwhile, the Mauritanian government adopted a new law
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
May 31 SOUTH AFRICA: Naledi Lethoba: Calls for death penalty intensify after brutal murderThe gruesome details of Naledi Lethoba's final moments have caused uproar across South Africa, as citizens and politicians demand the death penalty in SA. The shocking murder of Naledi Lethoba this week has left South Africans incandescent. The 19-year-old from Bothaville was stabbed and burned before being discovered by a forensic team in Free State. A 21-year-old male student has since handed himself over to the authorities, but he’s now facing calls to be sentenced to the death penalty. The fury has been somewhat exacerbated by a video which surfaced online in the past 24 hours. The harrowing footage shows a woman being mutilated before she’s murdered. It was initially believed that the victim in the clip was Naledi, but these claims have since been dismissed. The crime fits a disturbing pattern in South Africa that infuriates the masses like nothing else. Another young woman has become the target of a gender-based murder – following in the tragic footsteps of Karabo Mokoena and Hannah Cornelius – who lost their lives because of violent men. Social media has been very clear about their take on Obed Leshoro, who is currently the prime suspect in the case. Political parties who support the death penalty The severity of this crime has also piqued the interest of politicians. Only a handful of parties in the National Assembly advocate the death penalty, but one of them is the African Transformation Movement (ATM). The Jimmy Manyi-backed organisation secured their first seats in Parliament during the 2019 Elections, and they are leading the capital punishment calls. The IFP and ACDP are also in favour of this measure. Vuyo Zungula is the ATM president, and he took the opportunity on Friday to suggest that the death penalty must be implemented if there are “extenuating circumstances”: “I wonder how many people have to be brutally murdered for us to have a conversation as a country on the introduction of a Justice based Capital Punishment system for extenuating circumstances like this? #JusticeForNaledi”Vuyo Zungula Details of Naledi Lethobo’s murder Given the grisly details that have emerged from this case, the “eye-for-an-eye” sentiment remains strong. Naledi Lethobo’s body was found with a knife stuck in her neck and much of her torso and face was burned. Investigators also made a gruesome discovery when they took a closer look at her charred chest — her breasts were cut off. Her family came forward a few days later and identified her as the missing teenage university student. (source: The South African) FRANCE: Rights group condemns France’s ‘outsourcing’ of Daesh trialsStatement comes after seven French nationals sentenced to death in Iraq Human Rights Watch on Friday condemned France’s “outsourcing” of trials of Daesh suspects to “abusive justice systems”, after seven of its nationals have this week been sentenced to death in Iraq. 2 of them have “alleged that they were tortured or coerced to confess”, the New York-based watchdog said in a statement. “France and other countries should not be outsourcing management of their terrorism suspects to abusive justice systems,” said HRW’s acting Middle East director, Lama Fakih. “These countries should not be sitting idly by while their citizens are transferred to a country where their right to a fair trial and protection from torture are undermined.” A Baghdad court sentenced a Frenchman to death on Wednesday for joining Daesh, bringing to 7 the number of French militants on death row in Iraq. Yassine Sakkam’s sentence came despite France reiterating its opposition to capital punishment this week. In January, a group of 11 French citizens and one Tunisian was handed over to Iraqi authorities by a US-backed force which expelled the militant group from its last bastion in Syria. Around 1,000 suspected foreign Daesh fighters are held in detention by this Kurdish force and Iraq has offered to put them on trial in exchange for millions of dollars, potentially solving a legal conundrum for Western governments but sparking rights concerns. France has long insisted its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria must face trial before local courts, while stressing its opposition to capital punishment. Iraqi law provides for the death penalty for anyone joining a “terrorist group” - even those who did not take up arms. HRW said it had documented cases of Iraqi interrogators “using a range of torture techniques, including beating suspects on the soles of their feet, internationally known as ‘falaka’, and waterboarding, which would not leave lasting marks on the person’s body”. It also condemned “the routine failure of the Iraqi justice system to credibly investigate torture allegations”. Before that, in all but one case observed by HRW since 2016, trials had
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May 30 KENYA: FORGET HUMAN RIGHTSExecute culprits to win graft war, politician urges Uhuru; Says Big Four agenda will never be realised given the level of corruption in Kenya A former MP aspirant in Embu yesterday urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to disregard human rights provisions and let the military execute corruption culprits. John Mukunji, who contested for Manyatta MP in the last general election, said perpetrators of corruption exploit the Constitution's provisions to escape punishment and that is why there are unending scandals involving billions of shillings. He said the only way to end corruption is "to have one or two killed by firing squad". Mukunji said culprits use the money they steal to fight for freedom. "We can never expect corruption to end unless the culprits are given capital punishment, he said. Mukunji asked the President to do away with his Big Four agenda of ensuring food security, affordable housing, universal health and manufacturing and focus on corruption. Considering the manner in which corruption is deep-rooted in Kenya, Uhuru will not get the funds to carry out his agenda, the politician said. He said the proposed 1.5 % tax for affordable housing will go a country that has been unable to fight corruption. “My advice to the President is, ignore the issue of human rights for these corrupt guys. Let’s not let someone who has stolen a billion be fined Sh500,000 or get anticipatory bail of Sh500,000 when the money is gone already". Mukunji said chicken thieves are dealt very harshly in the country but those who steal billions of money go scot free. “We cannot win the fight against corruption at the courts of law in Kenya unless the President handles it himself with the military and gets rid of corrupt individuals." (source: the-star.co.ke) THAILAND: Death penalty is no answer Amendments to the criminal law to make severe sex crimes punishable by death may cause some people to rejoice. Yet, it would be wrong to think that capital punishment is a panacea for the long-standing problem. In general, some rights activists recognise improvements in the amended law, saying that the changes will facilitate the work of the police. The amendments were published in the Royal Gazette on Monday. The amended version introduced new elements including clear-cut definitions between rape and a sexual offence known in Thai as anajan. But Thai society should should be aware that it cannot pin its hopes on capital punishment. Upgrading the penalty from imprisonment to death will not provide a guarantee that incidents of rape or murder will decrease. On the contrary, there are wide concerns that the threat of the death penalty could lead to rapists killing their victims in order to silence them. There is also a major flaw in the justice system as some suspects may end up as scapegoats for others' crimes. Some may be forced to confess through torture and the real culprits may be able to get away scot-free. In fact, punishing rapists with death is a contentious issue that divides society. Over the past 2 years, some people have stepped up calls for the death sentence for rapists following the rape-murder of young victims, including that of a railway worker who killed a young passenger on a night train in 2014 in a case that shocked the nation. The appalling case prompted many people to sign up for a campaign that called for "eye-for-an-eye" measures. But, for one thing, such a tougher penalty, while not solving the problem, will only further batter the country's already stained human rights record. Thailand is among 58 countries that still has the death penalty. More than 140 countries have already abandoned capital punishment. Resorting to the death sentence in rape-murder cases will mean the nation cannot honour the promise it has made to the international community that it will scrap capital punishment. Proponents of the punishment of death for convicted rapists really need to look thoroughly into the real causes of the problem. Rape is a form of social malady, so killing rapists will not end up preventing such crimes as long as the root causes remain unsolved. On the other hand, they should look into why several countries that have decided to revoke the death penalty have done so without fearing that relaxing the punishments will encourage rape. In fact, society needs to look at preventiveness that may work better in deterring rape. This means everyone in society must do their best to intensify social and ethical measures, instill family values, and strengthen families. Communities must work hard to get rid of the rape culture through education, provide efficient surveillance systems and do away with the conditions that make it easy for would-be rapists to commit these heinous crimes. (source: Editorial, Bangkok Post) PHILIPPINES: Eleazar favors death penalty Metro
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May 29 IRAQ: Iraq condemns 7th Frenchman to death for IS membership Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State group in 2017, and has since taken custody of thousands of jihadists captured in neighbouring Syria / © AFP A Baghdad court sentenced a Frenchman to death on Wednesday for joining the Islamic State group, bringing to seven the number of French jihadists on death row in Iraq. Yassin Sakkam was among 12 French citizens transferred to Iraqi authorities in January by a US-backed force fighting the jihadist group in Syria. "I admit to having sworn allegiance" to IS, he told the court, saying he was paid $70 (62 euros) a month. He added that he regretted his decision to join the group, and asked to be pardoned. Sakkam, now 29, left France in late 2014 to fight for IS, posting online pictures of himself carrying arms and speaking to multiple media outlets about IS. He became one of the most notorious jihadists in France, which has been seeking his arrest since 2016. Kurdish authorities detained him in Syria in 2017. His brother Karim carried out a suicide attack at the Iraqi-Jordanian border in 2015, according to the French Terrorism Analysis Centre (CAT). Sakkam's sentence came despite France reiterating its opposition to capital punishment this week amid a series of similar judgments against French citizens handed to Baghdad. Iraq has taken custody of thousands of jihadists in recent months after they were captured in neighbouring Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during the battle to destroy the IS "caliphate". They include hundreds of foreigners suspected of IS membership, raising the question of whether suspected IS jihadists should be tried in the region or repatriated. France has long insisted that its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria must face trial locally, while reiterating its opposition to capital punishment. Iraqi law provides for the death penalty for anyone joining a "terrorist group" -- even those who did not take up arms. Also on Wednesday, an Iraqi court sentenced Tunisian Mohammed Berriri to death for joining IS, after a hearing lasting less than an hour. Berriri, 24, admitted to joining the group, saying he thought it was "defending the weak", but said he now regretted doing so. Sakkam and the 6 other French citizens handed death sentences in recent days have 30 days to appeal. The remaining 5 French suspects face trial in the coming days. The trials have been criticised by human rights groups, which say they often rely on evidence obtained through torture. In a statement sent to AFP, a group representing the families of French jihadists asked the government in Paris to "do everything possible to stop this fatal chain of death sentences" and to try them "on our soil". On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France was stepping up efforts to stop Iraq executing those convicted. (source: rtl.lu) EGYPT: Scale of Egypt’s death penalty crisis revealed In President Abdelfattah el-Sisi’s first 5 years in power, his regime handed preliminary death sentences to more than 2,400 people, a Reprieve report reveals. Mass Injustice: Statistical Findings on the Death Penalty in Egypt examines Egypt’s death penalty crisis in unprecedented detail. It contains information relating to 2,595 individuals referred for preliminary death sentences from 25 January 2011 to 23 September 2018, including name, date of arrest, where and when trials took place, the offences charged, and the procedural status of the case. Of these 2,595 individuals, 11 were children (under the age of 18) at the time of their alleged offences. Sentencing a child to death is a grave violation of both Egyptian and international law. The use of the death penalty in Egypt has climbed sharply since el-Sisi came to power. From 3 July 2013 (the date former President Mohamed Morsi was ousted) to 23 September 2018 (the end date for the study), 2,443 people received preliminary death sentences. Of these, 1,884 death sentences were handed down in mass trials in which 15 or more defendants were tried simultaneously. During el-Sisi’s tenure, at least 45 such trials have resulted in death sentences. Defendants in mass trials are routinely sentenced to death on trumped-up terrorism charges related to the exercise of fundamental rights such as freedom of assembly. In some cases, defendants receive death sentences for alleged lethal offences they did not commit. In others, people are sentenced to death on nebulous, non-lethal charges related to 'membership' in alleged terrorist organisations. Maya Foa, Director tof the human rights organisation Reprieve, said: “This report makes clear that President el-Sisi’s regime is committing human rights violations on an unprecedented scale, even when compared to former dictator Hosni Mubarak. The report’s findings should shame the western
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May 28 KENYA: Former prison officer handed the death penalty for killing girlfriend An ex-prison officer was sentenced to face the death penalty for the murder of his girlfriend at Zimmerman estate in Nairobi 14 years ago. The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by Patrick Daniel Lesadala, who shot Diana Karambu Nthiba four times at her house on April 3, 2005. Appellate judges Asike-Makhandia, Gatembu Kairu and Agnes Murgor upheld the conviction and death sentence imposed on Lesadala by High Court judge Fred Ochieng on June 19, 2013. The judges said witnesses had told the court that Lesadala and Karambu had been having a difficult relationship. Detectives told the court that the murder was witnessed by the victim’s then 12-year-old son. “Given the grisly, ghastly and callous nature and manner in which the appellant committed the offence, and right in the face of the deceased’s 12-year-old son, the death penalty was merited and we see no need to interfere with it,” said the judges. Lesadala is said to have spent the night at Karambu's house but she had reportedly travelled to her uncle’s house in Dagoretti. However, when Karambu returned in the morning, a quarrel broke out between the 2 and Lesadala killed her. Later, Lesadala would confess to Sergeant John Onyango, who operated a bar at the prison, and whipped out the pistol and placed it on the table with 5 live rounds of ammunition and 5 spent cartridges. MPs stand against femicide The pistol and ammunition were surrendered to the Deputy Officer in charge of the prison and Lesadala taken into custody. He was later taken to the scene of the shooting where they found the body of the deceased covered in blood. The rise in femicide cases in Kenya has seen Women leaders, under their EMBRACE movement, launch a campaign against the vice. EMBRACE has organised a vigil to commemorate the young Kenyan women who have been victims of Gender Based Violence. The initiative dubbed “Her Life Matters” comes against the backdrop of recent killings witnessed among partners in relationships, that has drawn concerns across the country. (source: pyulselive.co.ke) SINGAPORE: Death penalty an effective deterrent Law Minister K. Shanmugam highlighted how the Pakatan Harapan government has made 3 requests to stop executions of Malaysians in Singapore since it took power in Malaysia a year ago (No exceptions for Malaysians on death row: Shanmugam, May 25). He said we have to respect that some Malaysian ministers are "ideologically opposed" to the death penalty. With regard to the case of Malaysian drug mule Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, who is on death row here, if the Malaysian ministers believe his life is precious, they should consider that drug trafficking can also destroy the precious lives of many drug abusers. The death penalty has been shown to be an effective deterrent among drug offenders. We should not be distracted from doing the right thing for Singapore. Ong Heng Poh (source: Letter to the Editor, Straits Times) PHILIPPINES: Velasco bats for revival of death penalty for rape, drug-related crimes Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco will push for the restoration of the capital punishment if elected Speaker this coming July. In an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), Velasco said the re-imposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes would set a “good deterrent” against wrongdoers. “Honestly, I would take a second look at the death penalty. I’d pursue it mainly because I think it would be a good deterrent,” said Velasco. But Velasco clarified that his version of capital punishment will only focus on 2 offenses: rape and those involved in the illegal drug trade. “I’d pass the death penalty for those involved in drugs and those involved in rape. Just those 2 crimes,” he said. In March 2017, Velasco was among the 217 lawmakers who voted in favor of House Bill 4727 that re-imposes the capital punishment on the following offenses: (1) importation of dangerous drugs; (2) sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, and transportation of dangerous drugs; (3) maintenance of a den, dive, or resort where any dangerous drug is used or sold; (4) manufacture of dangerous drugs; and (5) possession of 10 grams or more of dangerous drugs. The counterpart bill in the Senate, however, remains pending. (source: politics.com.ph) INDIA: Man Given Death Sentence For Killing Differently-Abled Younger BrotherRam Prasad Sahu, who had earlier served jail term in another case, was held guilty under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for brutally killing his younger brother, Moti, in front of a huge mob on February 23, 2017. The court of additional district and session judge was awarded death penalty to Ram Prasad Sahu. Jaipur: A 42-year-old man has been awarded death sentence by a local court for killing his
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May 27 JORDAN: Death sentence for 2 connected to Karak terror cell upheld The Court of Cassation upheld a February State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing 2 men to death in connection with the Karak terror cell case that resulted in the death of 10 people in Karak Governorate in 2016. In November, the SSC sentenced the two defendants to death, but decided immediately to reduce the sentence to life in prison, because “the 2 men were young and deserved a 2nd chance in life”. However, the Court of Cassation overturned the verdict a few months later, asking the SSC to sentence the 2 defendants to death. “The defendants should not benefit from any penalty reductions because their actions caused fear, terror and chaos among Jordanians and tourists and caused multiple deaths,” the higher court ruled. In February, the SSC adhered to the Court of Cassation’s request and handed the 2 defendants the death penalty. 8 other defendants received prison terms ranging from 3 to 15 years in prison for their role in the terror attack that also left 34 people injured. The defendants were standing trial on charges of plotting subversive acts that led to the death of people, manufacturing explosives, financing terrorist acts and joining armed terrorist groups. The victims included 7 security personnel, 2 Jordanian civilians and a Canadian national. The charge sheet said that the defendants plotted to carry out terrorist acts around Jordan and started by attacking a police patrol in Karak Governorate, 140km south of Amman, followed by an attack on a police station and a shootout at Karak Castle. Some of the security forces were killed as they attempted to arrest some of the group’s members in Karak, while the 2 citizens and the Canadian were killed during shootouts between the defendants and security forces, according to the charge sheet. The defendants did not contest the death sentence imposed on them by the SSC in February. Meanwhile, the higher court ruled that the SSC followed the proper proceedings when issuing a new sentence against the defendant and they deserve the death penalty. The Court of Cassation judges comprised Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat and Hamad Ghzawi. (source: The Jordan Times) IRAQ: Iraq sentences 4th French Daesh fighter to death An Iraqi court on Monday condemned a 4th French citizen to death for joining the Daesh group, despite France reiterating its opposition to capital punishment. Mustapha Merzoughi, 37, was sentenced to death by hanging, according to an AFP journalist at the court. In recent months Iraq has taken custody of thousands of extremists including foreigners captured in neighboring Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during the battle to destroy the IS “caliphate.” Among them are 12 French citizens, three of whom — Kevin Gonot, Leonard Lopez and Salim Machou — were handed death sentences Sunday by a Baghdad court in a first for French extremists. They have 30 days to appeal. The trials have been criticized by rights groups, which say they often rely on evidence obtained through torture. They have also raised the question of whether suspected Daesh militants should be tried in the region or repatriated, in the face of strong public opposition at home. France has long insisted that its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria must face trial locally, refusing to repatriate them despite the risk they face capital punishment for waging their jihadist war in the region. Paris on Monday reiterated its opposition to the death penalty, saying it would take “the necessary steps” to prevent Iraq from carrying out capital punishment against its citizens. “France is opposed in principle to the death penalty at all times and in all places,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The evidence and the confession show that you joined the Daesh group, that you worked in its military branch,” the judge told Merzoughi on Monday before handing down his sentence. Wearing a yellow prison uniform, Merzoughi said he was “not guilty of crimes and killings” but simply of traveling to Syria. “I ask for forgiveness from the people of Iraq, Syria, France and the families of the victims,” he said. Merzoughi told investigators he had served in the French army from 2000 to 2010, including a tour in Afghanistan in 2009. In France, he lived in the southwestern city of Toulouse, the hometown of brothers Fabien and Jean-Michel Clain who claimed the deadly 2015 attacks in Paris and were killed fighting in Syria. Passing through Belgium and then Morocco, the French citizen with Tunisian roots underwent “religious and military training in Aleppo,” in northern Syria. He allegedly told investigators previously that he pledged allegiance to a masked Daesh leader in Mosul, claiming that many senior jihadists worried about being “recognized or
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May 26 CHINA: Drug dealers sentenced to death in Shanxi 5 people were sentenced to death for drug dealing, according to a court in north China's Shanxi Province. Of the 23 people involved in the case, 3 received death sentences with a reprieve, and 1 received a life sentence. The rest were sentenced to 3 to 16 years imprisonment, according to the ruling of intermediate people's court in the city of Jincheng on Friday. Their personal properties were confiscated. The drug gang was involved in selling drugs weighing more than 84 kilograms between September 2016 to January 2017. They were busted in January 2017. Drug trafficking is a felony offense in China. The maximum sentence for anyone convicted of selling or producing more than 50 grams of heroin is the death penalty. (source: xinhuanet.com) MALAYSIA: Liew denies interfering with Singapore court decision to stay execution of Malaysian death row prisoner De facto law minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong has denied interfering with the Singapore Court of Appeal's decision to stay the execution of P. Pannir Selvam, a Malaysian citizen convicted on a drug charge. Liew, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said that "a certain quarter" in Singapore – whom he did not identify – had made serious allegations against him about the matter in the past few days. "The allegation that I have interfered with their judicial system is totally unfounded and baseless. It's purely a figment of an imagination on someone's part," Liew said in a statement Sunday (May 26). Liew said he wanted to place the narrative of events in a correct perspective to avoid further confusion and unnecessary innuendos from some people. Pannir, 32, was convicted in 2017 of trafficking 51.84g of diamorphine or heroin at the Woodlands Checkpoint on Sept 3, 2014, and was sentenced to death by hanging. Singapore President Halimah Yacob later rejected a clemency appeal from Pannir's family. Pannir then filed an application for a stay of execution before the Singapore Court of Appeal on Wednesday (May 22), 2 days before he was due to be executed in Changi Prison. The Court, after hearing submissions from Pannir's lawyer on Thursday (May 23), granted a stay of execution. Liew said he was notified on Monday (May 20) about the impending execution by rights group Lawyers for Liberty. At about the same time, Pannir's family issued a press release urging Liew and the Malaysian government to look into the matter. Liew said he managed to speak to Singapore's Senior Minister in the Ministry of State for Law on Wednesday afternoon. "As time was pressing, I sought our Foreign Minister's blessings to communicate with the Singapore Government and to write an email to them where I made a representation based on valid legal grounds." Liew said he had not read the grounds of decision by the Singapore Court of Appeal in granting Pannir a stay of execution. "What's obvious is that the Singapore Court made its decision having considered the prevailing circumstances and the rule of law applicable to the case. "It is therefore equally untenable to allege that there's an interference on my part in their judicial process. "I, and everyone of us here in Malaysia, respect the decision of Singapore's Court," Liew said. Liew said the Singapore Court of Appeal has only granted a temporary reprieve to Pannir to allow him to exhaust his legal and constitutional rights by engaging a competent counsel of his choice. On Friday (May 22) – a day after the Singapore Court of Appeal decision – Singapore's Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam was reported saying that Singapore cannot make exceptions for Malaysians who have been sentenced to death for their offences as it would undermine the rule of law here, he added. "Let me be quite clear, it's not possible for us to do so, regardless of how many requests we receive," said Shanmugam. Shanmugam said the Singapore Government will not intervene when there are no legal reasons to do so and when the courts have already imposed a sentence. He added that the death penalty is imposed because evidence shows that it is an effective deterrent. (source: thestar.com.my) IRAQ: 3 French IS members sentenced to death in Iraq An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced three French citizens to death after they were found guilty of joining the Islamic State group, the first IS members from France to be handed capital punishment, a court official said. Captured in Syria by a US-backed force fighting the jihadists, Kevin Gonot, Leonard Lopez and Salim Machou were transferred to Iraq for trial. They have 30 days to appeal. Iraq has taken custody of thousands of jihadists repatriated in recent months from neighbouring Syria, where they were caught by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces during the battle to destroy the IS "caliphate". The Iraqi judiciary said
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May 25 INDIA: see: http://www.uniindia.com/main-accused-of-triple-murder-case-gets-capital-punishment-3-others-get-lifer/east/news/1609799.html SAUDI ARABIA: ‘Death penalties are the norm in Saudi Arabia’ An online platform devoted to news from the region, has reported on Saudi plans to imminently execute 3 religious activists. Clerics Salman al-Odah, Awad al-Qarni and Ali al-Omari are expected to be put to death once Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, ends on June 4. The German branch of Reporters Without Borders, along with Human Rights Watch head Kenneth Roth, immediately shared the news on Twitter. And Al-Jazeera and other Arabic media have also started covering the news. The Gulf monarchy last carried out such an execution in April, when 37 where put to death. DW spoke with Madawi Al-Rasheed, a London-based social anthropologist originally from Saudi Arabia, about whether Riyadh is planning another wave of politically-motivated executions. DW: Can you confirm the report that 3 Muslim clerics are about to be executed in Saudi-Arabia? Madawi Al-Rasheed: Based on what I know, Saudi courts have not yet handed down the death sentence. But the public prosecutor is clearly considering the death penalty. The judiciary has brought 37 charges against cleric Salman al-Odah alone. The Saudi regime could exploit the tense political climate in the region to carry out the death sentences — especially when it comes to allegations concerning ties to Qatar or conflicts with Iran. The three clerics are accused of terrorism and espionage, as well as being members of the Muslim Brotherhood. So once again, we’re expecting to see death sentences — though nobody can know for sure. After the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October, the Saudi regime saw that the international community was in no way prepared to impose sanctions or jeopardize its own economic interests. The US government, in particular, ignored its own CIA reports about the killing, as if President Donald Trump were simply trying to exonerate Saudi Arabia. The report in Middle East Eye cites anonymous sources, making them almost impossible to verify. Is it possible that someone is deliberately trying to tarnish Saudi Arabia’s image, as argued by regime loyalists? It’s true; the report doesn’t name its sources. But that’s nothing unusual. Saudi dissidents often speak to international media under condition of anonymity. Otherwise, they risk facing reprisals by the regime. In this respect, the Saudi regime is not doing itself any favors by undermining transparency and shrouding its practices in secrecy. But Saudi Arabia’s approach toward executions speaks for itself. A month ago, 37 individuals were suddenly put to death. And the mass arrests that took place over the past three years are unprecedented. The Saudi regime is responsible for the lack of information concerning these incidents, not non-governmental organizations that make every effort to publicize these facts. The figures speak for themselves: according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia has executed more than 100 individuals in the past 6 months. Some exiled dissidents have argued the Gulf monarchy may be disseminating such information ahead of time — as a sort of test, to see how the international community reacts to the death sentences, or to slowly prepare people for what’s to come. Do you think this is plausible? I can’t confirm this. News of a death sentence always comes as a shock. Cleric Salman al-Odah, for example, is very well known. Even though no Saudis would protest in streets over the ruling, Salman al-Odah’s execution would not go unnoticed. He can’t be called a terrorist; it was his ties to Qatar that were his undoing. Why is there so little international criticism against the Saudi state of affairs? Plenty of criticism is expressed on the non-state level by Western NGOs and the media. They have focused on the arrested female activists, and have managed to make an impact. But the three men facing the death sentence have long been known to be clerics. Maybe that makes them less interesting. Or maybe they’re seen as representatives of political Islam, even though they have stood up for democracy. So it’s just a question of time until the next wave of executions? Yes, that’s what I fear. Death penalties are the norm in Saudi Arabia — but recently, mass executions have become a regular event. Last month, the 37 individuals were executed at the same time; peaceful activists and even teens were among them. Young people are being put to death because they joined the Arab Spring protests, demanding reforms. They were only 16 years old when they were arrested. It’s appalling that the Saudi state lumps them all together and executes them — as if human lives are worth nothing. (source: Madawi Al-Rasheed a Saudi social anthropologist and a
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May 24 SAUDI ARABIAmass executions Saudi Arabia Announces Mass Execution Of 37 Men The Saudi Arabia government recently announced the mass execution of 37 men on 23 April. According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), 33 of the men were Shia Muslims, the maligned minority Muslim community within Saudi Arabia. One of the executed Sunni men received the most horrific punishment under Islamic Law 8- beheading and a public exhibition of the beheaded corpse. This is the largest single execution since January 2016 and brings Saudi Arabia’s execution rate to 100 for this year alone, HRW reports. Global actors have condemned and shamed Saudi Arabia’s actions. The United States government commission on religious freedom asked its government take action against Saudi, which is a close ally to the U.S., Al Jazeera reports. Further, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet condemned the mass execution, calling it “shocking” and “abhorrent.” She also stated that Saudi Arabia ignored multiple warnings from rights officials about unfair trials amid allegations of forced confessions through torture. Michael Page, the HRW deputy Middle East director, commented that “Saudi courts are largely devoid of any due process.” Shockingly three of the suspects killed were minors at the time of arrest, causing many to call for prohibition of the death penalty for minors, HRW reports. According to Amnesty International, the youngest was Abdulkareem al-Hawaj who was charged with partaking in violent protests when he was just 16. Following his death sentence, the United Nations pressured Saudi Arabia to reconsider, to no avail. The use of the death penalty has long been a contentious issue in many regions worldwide. Saudi Arabia’s casual use of the death penalty reflects a lack of motivation in improving the country’s poor human rights record. It is an especially extreme punishment given the apparent lack of due process in the criminal legal system. According to Mr. Page, authorities often characterize those executed as “terrorists and dangerous criminals.” In reality, the men convicted accused authorities of forcing confessions through torture for a range of crimes, including protesting, espionage and terrorism. Some men claimed their confessions were written by the same people who tortured them, and others claimed to have evidence of this torture, CNN writes. What’s worse is the secrecy around the trials, as the U.K. Foreign Office was denied access when they sought trial details, The Guardian reports. Mr. Page commented that the death penalty should never be the answer, yet Saudi Arabia has shown little interest in addressing human rights concerns. Perhaps the U.S. could have a larger role to play, but President Trump has remained silent on this issue. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely the US will undermine Saudi’s actions, as they risk jeopardizing this important relationship. President Trump has promised to maintain a close relationship with Saudi, which makes notable purchases of U.S. weapons while providing oil exports and sharing hostility towards Iran- a significant rival of the U.S.. However, the U.S. must realize that the actions of its allies reflect on their government as well. They are sending the message – intentionally or not – that they condone such practices by continuing to engage amicably with Saudi Arabia as if 37 men were not killed unjustly. The British Government censured the massacre, and Labour MPs have demanded that the country be banned from hosting the G20 summit next year. Hopefully such actions are taken so that the Saudi government realizes that these atrocities will not be ignored. As for the U.S., it seems unlikely they will publicly criticize their ally, considering Trump continued talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite global uproar over the death of Jamal Khashoggi late last year. (source: theowp.org) BRUNEI: Brunei's sultan returns Oxford degree after gay sex death penalty backlash Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has returned an honorary degree awarded by Britain’s Oxford University after a global backlash led by celebrities including George Clooney and Elton John for proposing the death penalty for gay sex and adultery. Nearly 120,000 people had signed a petition by April calling on Oxford University to rescind the honorary law degree awarded in 1993 to the sultan, the world’s second-longest reigning monarch and prime minister of the oil-rich country. Oxford University said the sultan had decided to hand back the honorary degree on May 6, while it was reviewing its decision to award it. News of the decision was made public on Thursday. “As part of the review process, the university wrote to notify the sultan on 26 April 2019, asking for his views by 7 June 2019,” the university said in an emailed statement to the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “Through a letter dated
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May 23 BANGLADESH: 4 get death penalty for Kamrangirchar murder Speedy Trial tribunal-1 today awarded death penalty to 4 people for killing one Monir Hossain and cutting the dead body into 7 pieces in 2013. The convicts are -- Md Anwer Hossain Mollah , Md Sharif Matbor, Monir's ex-wife Shorna Akhter Kakoli and Ibrahim Khalil. Judge Abu Jafar Md Kamruzzaman of the tribunal passed the order in presence of Anwer and Shorna who are in jail now. 2 other convicts Sharif and Ibrahim are absconding. The victim was a resident of Munshihati village under Kamrangirchar thana of Dhaka. On April 17, 2013, he was abducted and later killed by the convicts. To hide their crime, the convicts cut the victim's body into 7 pieces and dumped the pieces in different areas. Later on April 28, police recovered the pieces of the victim's body from different places. (source: thedailystar.net) INDIA: MP Convicts 26 Rapists To Death; Activists Question Due Process After Madhya Pradesh passed a law to allow the death penalty to those convicted of raping minors, the state’s special court set up under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has served capital punishment in 26 cases, The Wire reported. Of these, 21 cases of the death penalty were served in 2018 and the remaining five in the months of 2019. The court also ordered life imprisonment in 168 cases. One of these judgments has been reportedly pronounced in no more than 5 days. “This is the swiftest capital punishment given to anybody in the history of jurisprudence. This case has found mention in the India Book of Records,” said the director general of prosecution Rajendra Kumar to The Wire. The accused in most cases are persons who claimed to belong to economically marginalised groups who didn’t have the money to hire a lawyer. Although the MP States Legal Services Authority provides lawyers to those accused who don’t have the means to afford it but since the trials conducted by the special court is so swift that a lawyer in one case alleged that “he did not even have the time to speak to the accused”. However, Kumar has denied such allegations and said, “Lawyers have been made available to all the accused. It is not correct to say that they did not have lawyers.” One of the shortest trials was that of Motilal Ahirwar, who was accused of raping a seven-year-old girl on May 29, 2018. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on August 8, The Wire reported. In 2016 when the latest National Crime Record Bureau report was released, it ranked MP on top among all the states for having the highest crime rate against women. Is Death Penalty the ultimate answer to reduce rapes? People supporting the women’s movement have for long stood against death penalty as a response to rapes. Women’s Rights Activist Dipta Bhog in a conversation with SheThePeople.TV said, “Death penalty in case of rapes is not something women’s movement stands for at all. There are 2 arguments in support of that of which one is that rape is not the ultimate crime against a woman or a girl. This eulogizing of rape as the ultimate crime robs us of the fact that we need to recognise it as a crime but it is not the worst crime. It then furthers the narrative that a woman cannot live her life beyond this crime therefore it is the most heinous crime which needs to change. Yes, it is a crime against women that needs to be investigated and people need to be punished. The other thing is that as a crime becomes more and more criminalised, it becomes identified as something that only requires death penalty and the chances of conviction gets lower. Such cases need to go through a due process.” Supreme Court lawyer Shomona Khanna also denied death penalty as being the ultimate solution for rapes in the country. She said, “I am completely opposed to the idea and one of the reasons for it is that death is completely final. If there is an error in judgment which convicts a person wrongly because new evidence has emerged then nothing can be done about it. Another reason for death penalty for sexual assault crimes is not acceptable is that in India the conviction rate for rape and sexual assault crimes is among the worst in the world out of the very few cases that get reported. Of the cases which come for trial the conviction rate is only 20% and what the women’s movement wants is the certainty in conviction.” Fast-tracking cases and pronouncing death penalty an “aberration” As far as fast-tracking of these cases is concerned, Bhog said that it is important to talk about these high rates of conviction and punishment where the criminal may have a possibility of reform as much as girls have the right to continue their lives without the stigma. “This approach to order capital punish in rape cases is a very protective approach of the lawmakers, where they are saying that they will kill the person who commits
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May 23 IRAQ: Iraq Brings the Islamic State to JusticeThe country’s trials have been brutally efficient, but will the U.N. deem them fair? In the coming weeks, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces may hand over up to 28,000 people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State to the Iraqi authorities for prosecution. The suspects are likely to include thousands of foreign fighters from at least 50 different countries. Awaiting them will be a process that, although fairly efficient, has often ended with the death penalty—a fact that presents a challenge to the United Nations, which has sent an investigative team to assist the local judiciary in the investigation and prosecution of some of these crimes. The trials of Islamic State defendants in Iraq began well before the official end of the group’s reign of terror in 2017. In 2015, dozens were charged, convicted, and later executed as terrorists for their role in a 2014 massacre of Iraqi Army cadets at Camp Speicher near Tikrit. The following year, a series of U.N. reports concluded that the Islamic State may have committed acts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity against the Yazidi minority group. Demands from national and international nongovernmental organizations for a U.N.-backed international tribunal to prosecute suspects followed. The goal was to focus on crimes against this small group before perhaps expanding to cover crimes committed by the Islamic State against all groups in Iraq, including Sunnis, who were the terrorist outfit’s most frequent victim. But U.N. member states had little appetite for establishing an international court, not least because of the cost and because of resistance from the Iraqis, who were already prosecuting and convicting hundreds of Islamic State defendants. Taking a cue from the U.N. General Assembly, which established in 2016 a quasi-prosecutorial body for international crimes committed in Syria, in September 2017 the Security Council established an investigative team to assist national investigations and prosecutions of Islamic State defendants in Iraq who had perpetrated atrocity crimes. Following months of negotiations between the U.N. and the Iraqi government, in February 2018, the sides agreed on the parameters of the investigations. Most notably, the international investigative team would only provide its evidence to the national authorities if it deemed that local judicial proceedings were fair and independent. Furthermore, though not explicitly stated in the terms of reference, in accordance with U.N. policies, the team would not hand over evidence in circumstances where the death penalty was on the table. Yet these stipulations are at odds with the way Iraq has so far handled many Islamic State cases. Since 2015, the country has prosecuted suspects through its counterterrorism law, a short and vague statute that stipulates that, for a conviction, the state must only prove membership or loosely defined support for the Islamic State. It does not have to prove any other underlying crime. The death penalty is mandatory in many of these cases. Under this system, in 2018, the Mosul court processed 9,000 Islamic State cases. Iraq has also said that it convicted over 500 foreigners that same year. Despite the immediate issues raised by the parameters set for the U.N. investigators, the Iraqi government still welcomed the team, seeing it as a way to help re-build the capacity of members of a judicial system that, in large swaths of the country, had been forced to flee by the Islamic State. And so, in May 2018, the U.N. Mission in Iraq began systematically monitoring trials in Baghdad, where most cases had been prosecuted. Between that month and February, the team I led monitored approximately 150 trials and some investigations, primarily in Baghdad but also in Mosul and, much later, Erbil. International media has painted a bleak picture of the cases. A common theme is outrage about the “10-minute trials” that determine suspects’ fate. And to be sure, the busiest court, the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad, was chaotic. Hearings were rushed, and sometimes the only evidence against Islamic State defendants was a confession, often allegedly obtained through torture. But in other courts, the process was significantly more professional. In the court in Karkh, a Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad, greater care and attention was given to some cases. Investigation files contained witness testimony, documentary evidence, and forensic material. True, the trials themselves still appeared perfunctory, but the fact-finding and investigation stage could last months and consist of numerous sessions. The subsequent trial hearings, in essence, summarized those facts and allowed final comments from the parties. The trials observed in Mosul, the Islamic State’s former capital in Iraq, were even more professional. There was
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May 22 SINGAPORE: NGO wants Putrajaya to stop Malaysian’s execution in Singapore Amnesty International Malaysia urged Putrajaya to intervene in a Malaysian’s scheduled execution for drug possession in Singapore this Friday. The human rights group pointed out that during Pannir Selvam Pranthaman’s trial, he had maintained his innocence by denying knowledge that he was carrying prohibited drugs and the Singapore High Court had found that he was a drug mule. According to Pannir’s lawyer, he had assisted Singapore authorities by providing information about a fellow Malaysian who alleged duped him into carrying the drugs to the city-state. Under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act, the court has the discretion not to impose the death penalty if the convicted offender is a courier and has been issued a certificate by the public prosecutor stating that he had cooperated with authorities, the statement added. “Singapore authorities must immediately halt plans to kill Pannir Selvam Pranthaman and put a stop to this continuous wave of callous executions. “The Malaysian government should do all in its power to urge the Singapore government to stop the execution of another of its nationals,” Amnesty International Malaysia executive director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said in a statement. Pointing out that the number of executions last year in Singapore had risen to double digits for the 1st time since 2003, Shamini had called for Singapore to emulate Malaysia’s initiative in abolishing the mandatory death penalty. “The death penalty is a degrading and inhuman punishment. We denounce its use in all circumstances. It is time for Singapore to follow the government of Malaysia’s example, who have suspended all executions and announced plans to abolish the mandatory death penalty, as a first step towards abolition,” she said. The group also noted that Singapore had carried out 13 executions in 2018 and 8 in 2017 for drug-related offences, with the hanging of another Malaysian, Michael Anak Garing, carried out on March 29 this year. In a Bernama report yesterday, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah was quoted as saying that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong was trying to convince the Singaporean government to save Pannir from the death penalty. Pannir was convicted of possession of diamorphine in 2017 in Singapore. (source: Malay Mail) *** Putrajaya trying to convince S'pore to spare M'sian on death row The government is seeking to help a Malaysian scheduled to hang in Singapore on Friday for drug trafficking, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said today. Saifuddin said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong is attempting to try and convince Singapore to spare P Pannir Selvam from the hangman’s noose. “Just now I discussed this with Liew, and he is working on behalf of Putrajaya to try and convince the Singapore government to spare Pannir the death penalty,” he told reporters at a Ramadan programme in Kampung Tengah, Kluang today. Saifuddin was asked to comment on a request from Pannir’s family for Putrajaya to intervene, because he had allegedly not been given enough opportunity to apply for clemency under the republic’s laws. Saifuddin said in similar cases in the past, the government had also taken the same approach of trying to get lighter sentences for those on death row. This is in line with Malaysia’s move to place a moratorium on the mandatory death sentence. Asked how Putrajaya could resolve the allegedly short notice for carrying out the death sentence, he said there was nothing much it could do. “Because this is how Singapore administers their law. There is not much room for us to complain, but normally what we do is we will try our best to help our people,” he said. Today, Pannir's family through human rights group Lawyers for Liberty turned to Putrajaya as their last hope to save him from the death penalty. This followed their unsuccessful attempts to save him, including a final clemency appeal to Singapore President Halimah Yacob. Pannir, 32, was convicted of trafficking drugs by the Singapore High Court on June 27, 2017. (source: malaysiakini.com) MALAYSIA: 2 Vietnamese women arrested in Miri drug raid 3 drug pushers, including two Vietnamese women were arrested in a raid on a luxury residence in Tanjung Lobang yesterday. Sarawak Narcotic Crime Investigation Department chief Supt Sahar Abdul Latif said in the 11am raid, various types of drugs, including ecstasy, Eramin 5, and ketamine pills and powder worth RM82,201 were seized. “The 3 suspects comprise a 24-year-old local man from Jalan Pujut, Miri, and 2 Vietnamese women in their 20s,” he said in a statement here today. Sahar said also seized were jewellery and 28 pieces of gold-plated keys worth RM30,752. “Their activities began in 2018 and they focused mostly on
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May 21 SOMALIA: Somali Military Court Sentences Al-Shabaab Members to Death Somali court of appeal for the armed forces has upheld the death penalty handed to 2 al-Shabaab fighters in Mogadishu. The first degree of the army court had previously sentenced Anshur Osman Abukar and Mohamed Alio Borow to death. The convicts moved to the appeal court to decided their cases. In a statement, the appeal on Monday said it concluded the cases of the 2 convicts. Following the conclusion of testimonials and evidence brought during the hearing of 2 men's appeal, the Court of Appeal backed an earlier ruling which found two guilty of taking acts to destabilize the country. According to the statement, the court has upheld the initial ruling of the 1st-degree court ruling the 2 death sentence. The court said that Anshur Osman Abukar and Mohamed Alio Borrow confessed to taking part al-Shabaab attacks including one in Mogadishu. Human rights groups have accused Somali military court previously for executions of suspects with unclear investigations, claiming the convicts were denied a chance to defend themselves. Somali military court handles cases related to security, mainly terrorism. It has sentenced several al-Shabaab suspected to death before. (source: allafrica.com) KENYA: 4 death row convicts get lesser sentence after appeal 4 men sentenced to death for robbery with violence will now serve 18 years in jail. The convicts, who had appealed against the death sentence, escaped the hangman's noose after judge Jesse Njagi ruled that although the offence they had committed was serious, "it did not warrant a death sentence". Mario Mangweni, Zadock Were, Dickson Chirade and Geoffrey Machomi were convicted on December 9, 2011. They were found guilty of violently robbing a shopkeeper Sh12,000 and assorted airtime worth Sh26,000 while armed with a gun, machetes and a club with nails embedded on it. The court heard that the complainant was closing his shop when the gang of 4, his long time neighbours, accosted him and fired a bullet which grazed the right side of his head. The 2nd appellant, the court heard, cut him on the head while the fourth hit him hard on the head with a club. As this was happening, the 1st appellant rushed to the shop and stuffed the day’s sales and airtime in his pocket. The gunshot attracted police officers stationed at a police post some 400 meters away and some neighbours who went to the shopkeeper's rescue. The incident occurred in Butsotso Village, Kakamega South District. The 4 managed to escape in a waiting vehicle, but it later developed a mechanical problem near Sasala River. They decided to abandon the vehicle and went to hide in a nearby sugarcane plantation. A cap bearing Mangweni’s name and Were’s Identity (ID) Card were picked outside the complainant’s house. The 4 sought a review following the Supreme Court's declaration that the mandatory death penalty is inconsistent with the Constitution which guarantees the right to life. (source: standardmedia.co.ke) NIGERIA: Death penalty will curb corruption in Nigeria -Ojikutu Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, has expressed concern over the worsening security situation in many parts of the country, noting that the calls for restructuring as a way out of the numerous problems presently facing the nation is a good one which should be accorded the attention it deserves. She also spoke on other national issues. The inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari for a 2nd term is days away, what are your expectations? I congratulate President Buhari on his re-election, and our prayers is that he will succeed in taking Nigeria to the next level as he promised during his campaign. We also hope that he will be able to fulfil his promise of making Nigeria clean, that’s talking about his anti-corruption campaign. I believe that once corruption is successfully tackled, the economy of Nigeria will pick up. I believe that it is not that our economy is that bad but too much corruption is stifling the economy on many fronts, and that is why there has been no industrial growth and commerce is not thriving the way it ought to. I’m praying that Buhari will set up committees made up of decent people, people of integrity to oversee and help him expose those things that pose as clog in the wheel of progress of Nigeria’s economy. Nigeria does not lack policies. We have so many policies, but the question is this, are these policies being implemented? Are they being implemented to give the desired impacts? These are some of the tasks the committee members will be saddled with. These committees can also help the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor policies that are being effected. Once you can curb corruption, there will be a boost in the economy and life will be more meaningful and abundant for
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May 20 PHILIPPINES: CHR remains steadfast in opposing death penalty revival Amid the plan of lawmakers to back the restoration of the death penalty in the 18th Congress, the Commission on Human Rights on Sunday maintained its opposition against the proposal. “The Commission is ready to engage Congress in a frank and factual conversation about the death penalty,” Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit said. “We are ready to present the ineffectiveness of the death penalty and offer viable programs that result in crime prevention and lowering crime incidence. These include police visibility or increasing police to population ratios and community vigilance. We fully support these initiatives that do not diminish our principles to uphold the right to life,” she added. She clarified that while the CHR does not want crime to go unpunished, it believes that capital punishment is not the solution to lower crime incidence. “The apprehension, prosecution, conviction and punishment of those who have committed wrong doings must be in accordance with human rights standards and principles. We also have to ensure that our legal obligations as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Second Optional Protocol aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty are respected and fulfilled,” the commissioner said. “As a state party to these human rights treaties, we have perpetually committed not to impose nor reintroduce capital punishment,” she added. (source: manilastandard.net) * House approves bill amending Dangerous Drugs Act on final reading sans death penalty provision After deleting a provision for the restoration of death penalty, the House of Representatives finally approved on 3rd and final reading the bill proposing amendments to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. At the resumption of regular sessions Monday, House Bill 8909 was presented anew for final reading. The measure seeks to further strengthen drug prevention and control. HB 8909 seeks to further strengthen drug prevention and control by providing legal presumption that will define who will be considered importer, and financier of illegal drugs and protector or coddler of those involved in the trade. The bill had been passed on final reading as early as February but the approval was reconsidered after several solons protested the inclusion of a provision that restored the death penalty. Former president and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was believed to be behind the bill’s recommitment to the committee level in order to delete reference to death penalty of the bill. Arroyo is known to be an anti-death penalty advocate who “sacrificed” her position as deputy speaker when she voted against the bill reimposing the capital punishment in 2017. The speaker and other oppositors of the death penalty were apparently oblivious that HB 8909 contained a provision that reimposed it. Arroyo’s name, together with other death penalty advocates in the Lower House, was included as among those who voted to approve on final reading HB 8909when it was first presented for final reading last February. The plenary voting result then was 172 affirmative and zero negative for approval of the measure on third and final reading. Following a motion made by Asst. Majority Leader and Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Wilter Palma, the House agreed Monday to invalidate the 3rd reading approval of the measure and recommit HB 8909 to the Committee on Public Order and Security and on Dangerous Drugs. Makabayan bloc leaders Reps. Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers Partylist) and Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna Partylist) admitted they were not aware House Bill 8909 proposing amendments to Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, contained a provision reimposing the death sentence in the country’s penal system. Before the motion to recommit the bill, the two opposition lawmakers said they will manifest, either on the floor or by writing the House leadership, that they are against the bill if it contained the death penalty provision. Makabayan bloc solons who are strongly opposed to the death penalty were present during the voting, indicating that they, too, were among those who registered affirmative votes for passage of HB 8909. HB 8909 that sought to amend Republic Act 9165, the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, reimposed the death penalty in the country’s penal system, this time, providing for the capital punishment on persons found in possession of dangerous drugs during parties, social gatherings, and meetings. HB 8909 consolidated many provisions of at least 15 bills seeking to amend the dangerous drugs law. Authors included Reps. Rozzano Rufino Biazon (PDP-Laban, Muntinlupa City); Winston Castelo (PDP-laban, QuezonCity); Alfredo Garbin and Rodel Batocabe (Ako Bicol Partylist) and former president and Speaker
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May 19 SAUDI ARABIAfemale execution Saudi Arabia executes Philippine woman convicted of murder A 39-year-old Filipina was executed this week in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of murder under Islamic Shariah law, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. The woman who was executed on Tuesday worked as domestic help in Saudi Arabia, where around 1 million Philippine immigrants work and often suffer exploitation, abuse and harassment by their employers. “The Department regrets that it was not able to save the life of the Filipina after the Saudi Supreme Judicial Council classified her case as one in which blood money does not apply under Shariah law,” the DFA said in a statement. According to Islamic law, the “blood money” system allows the commutation of a capital sentence for murder if the family of the victim accepts payment in lieu of the punishment. During the trial, the Philippine embassy in Riyadh provided legal assistance to the woman, sent representatives to meet her in prison and kept her family informed of developments. The DFA has not provided information about the identity of the deceased and also withheld details of the crime, following a request for privacy from her family. In November, the Philippines repatriated Jennifer Dalquez, who had been working as a domestic help in the United Arab Emirates, after she was acquitted of murdering her employer and escaped the death penalty. Dalquez allegedly killed her employer in self-defence when he tried to rape her at knifepoint and spent 4 years in prison. The controversy over abuse and exploitation of Filipino workers abroad escalated in February last year when the body of Joanna Demafelis, a 29-year old Philippine maid was found in the freezer of her employers‘ house in Kuwait after she had been missing for a year. The incident led to President Rodrigo Duterte banning Filipino workers from going to Kuwait, which later expelled the Philippine ambassador, although the two countries normalized ties in May and the ban was lifted. According to DFA data, around 3,000 Filipinos leave the country every day on temporary foreign work permits, with many heading to Arab countries, where women tend to work as domestic workers while men are mostly employed in the construction sector. Around 10 million Filipinos are migrant workers overseas and their remittances account for more than 10 % of the country‘s GDP. (source: stockvisionary.com) PAKISTAN: Pakistan death penalty: majority of reviewed convictions overturned study findsA 2-year study of cases found a litany of errors could mean hundreds on death row are innocent Hundreds of innocent people could be languishing on death row in Pakistan after being sentenced to hang in miscarriages of justice, research from human rights groups claims. A 2-year-study of capital punishment cases in the country of 210 million found that when reviewed by the Supreme Court, 78 % of death sentences were overturned and that convictions appeared to be rife with flimsy evidence and flawed verdicts. Delays in the congested court system meant the victims of such miscarriages spent years waiting to be cleared, if the mistakes were ever uncovered at all. The 2 groups behind the research have now called for a moratorium on executions while the system is overhauled and judges are retrained. Researchers from the Pakistan-based Foundation for Fundamental Rights and UK-based Reprieve said a study of hundreds of capital punishment cases showed the system was broken. Their research looked at 310 publicly recorded Supreme Court decisions on death sentence cases between 2010 and 2018. Pakistan's top court overturned the death sentence handed down by lower courts in nearly f4-out-of-5 cases it reviewed, the researchers found. In case after case, Supreme Court judges questioned the strength of evidence used to send people to the gallows as well as the lower courts' reliance on unreliable witness testimony. Lower courts were also failing to follow the Supreme Court's direction and handing down death sentences for crimes that top judges feel no longer merit them, the researchers concluded. “When nearly four-out-of-five cases that reach the Supreme Court are deeply flawed, it is safe to say that the current trial practice is broken – and is wasting an enormous amount of judicial energy and creating a large burden on the criminal justice system,” a 54-page report on their findings concluded. Pakistan has one of the largest death rows in the world, at around 4,700 prisoners. The country is also one of the most prolific executioners, hanging more than 500 people since lifting its seven-year stay on capital punishment in December 2014. Lawyers told The National that a vast case backlog and a chronic shortage of judges were contributing to the miscarriages. The research found the Supreme Court overturned
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May 18 NIGERIA: Yul Edochie Proposes Death Penalty For Rapists Nigerian actor and politician, Yul Edochie has mooted the idea of death penalty for rapists, stating that commercial sex workers are also humans. The actor, who is known for harbouring strong opinion on sundry issues, expressed this view on Twitter a few weeks after 65 women were arrested in night clubs in several parts of Abuja metropolis on allegations of prostitution. The incident drew widespread outrage from all over Nigeria when it was reported that some of the policemen who carried out the raid raped some of those arrested when they could not pay the money demanded in exchange for their release. Reacting to the issue, Edochie, in his Twitter handle wrote; “Ashawo na human being. They do not take nor give by force, they are entitled to their rights. Rape is rape. And there is absolutely no justification for rape. Rape victims live with the trauma forever.I propose death penalty for rapists.” In November 2017, Edochie contested the November 2017 Anambra governorship election on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC), running against 36 other aspirants. (source: independent.ng) BELARUS: PACE calls on Belarus to urgently introduce death penalty moratorium The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has criticized the decision of the Belarusian Supreme Court to uphold the death sentence handed down to the murderer of 2 women in Bobruisk. “This verdict is disappointing because it shows that, despite some abolitionist signals, the Belarusian judiciary continues to apply the death penalty,” the PACE said in a statement. The PACE pointed out that it is planning to stand firmly against any death penalty in Belarus. “The death penalty is cruel and inhuman punishment, which is no longer acceptable in Europe. We reiterate our call to the authorities of Belarus to urgently establish a moratorium on executions and to de facto and de jure abolish the death penalty,” the statement said. On May 14, the Supreme Court upheld the sentence handed down to Alexander Osipovich by the Mogilev Regional Court. During the consideration of his appeal, Osipovich asked to requalify his case as murder in excess of self-defense. As reported, Osipovich, under the influence of alcohol, had an argument while drinking with 2 young women whom he had met by chance and attacked them. The women, fearing for their lives, locked themselves inside a bathroom, trying to escape, but the man, armed with a hammer and a knife, managed to break in. He hammered, stabbed, and punched 1 of them at least 77 times, striking her head at least 48 times with a hammer. The 2nd woman was stabbed and punched at least 16 times, with at least 2 stab wounds to the neck and head. Both women died at the scene. The Mogilev Regional Court handed down the death penalty to Osipovich in a visiting session in Bobruisk on Jan. 9. Belarus remains the only country in Europe and the CIS to maintain the death penalty, which is intended as an exceptional measure of punishment for especially grave crimes in accordance with the Constitution. Executions are carried out by firing squad. 2 new death sentences were pronounced and f4existing ones were carried out in 2018. The EU, the OSCE, and a number of international organizations have condemned the death penalty in Belarus. (source: kyivpost.com) PHILIPPINES: Rights body, Catholic church urge new senators to reject death penalty The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have expressed concern that the new composition of the Senate would just become a rubber stamp for President Rodrigo Duterte’s legislative priorities, including the much-criticized revival of the death penalty. Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III no less has said that the revival of the death penalty for those convicted of high-level drug trade seemed possible with the incoming set of senators. Among those poised to join the chamber is former police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who has a tough stance on drug-related crimes. He was clear during his campaign that he plans to push for the reinstatement of the death penalty. The Duterte administration has been waging a relentless war against drugs where street-level pushers and users have been caught or killed, but major busts have only netted contraband, not suspects. CHR Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit said the body is now preparing to counter any effort to revive the death penalty. It has already formed a coalition that would educate people about the negative impact of such measure through forums and dialogues. In a Social Weather Stations study last year, Dumpit said 7 out of 10 Filipinos are not in favor of imposing the death penalty on a number of serious crimes. Their voices, she said, should be recognized as enough reason not
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May 16 PHILIPPINES: Sotto: Death penalty bill may be marked priority, but passage is uncertain Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Thursday that the proposal to reinstatement death penalty on high level drug trafficking crime may be marked as priority in the coming 18th Congress, but stressed this would not automatically mean passage through the Senate. Speaking at the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Sotto said: “In the 18th Congress, we will ask [Sen. Manny] Pacquiao if it’s still priority to him.” “In the new Senate, there’s a possibility of 13 [votes],” Sotto added. The death penalty has a twisting past in the Philippines, having been outlawed in 1987, reinstated 6 years later and then abolished again in 2006. A capital punishment bill that passed the House in 2017 allowed execution in cases where suspects were caught with 500 grams (about 18 ounces) of marijuana, or 10 grams of cocaine, heroin or ecstasy. 18th Congress composition Of the handful in the Senate minority bloc, the terms of Aquino and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV will end on June 30. The latest partial, unofficial tally of the 2019 election available Thursday noon showed that nine of the 13 candidates fielded by administration backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago slate made it to the Magic 12. Included in the winners’ circle are President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies, his former top cop Ronald Dela Rosa, former political adviser Francis Tolentino and former special assistant Christopher “Bong” Go. This raised fears that the Senate would lose its independence come the start of the 18th Congress, and the immediate passage of bills that Duterte wants, such as the reinstatement of death penalty and shift to federalism. But Sotto said that even if the 18th Congress would mark the death penalty bill as a priority measure, it would not mean its passage. He recalled that the 17th Congress had “long discussions” over the matter. Sotto said that if the bill would remain focused on reinstating the capital punishment on high level drug trafficking, there is possibility that it would hurdle the Senate. But if crimes punishable by reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years of imprisonment would be included in the proposed measure, the number of vote for its passage would dwindle, Sotto added. The Senate president also said: “I think what will be passed by the Senate would be based on its merits, not because it’s being endorsed by the president or not being endorsed.” An independent, transparent Senate Sotto also said that the leadership of the Senate is not from the same party of the president. “I would like to maintain an independent, sincere, transparent Senate.” He also allayed fears that with incoming senators having close ties to the president, this would weigh on the checks and balances of the government. “Outright, I’m saying no. It won’t happen,” Sotto added. The Malacañang earlier allayed fears of the Senate losing its indepedence as it expressed hope that the incoming senators, including former officials of the Duterte administration, to be independent and rise above partisanship when tackling issues involving national interest. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Tuesday that Senate history showed that the members of its chamber have been “independent ever since.” "We expect them (senators) to be fealty to the duties imposed to them by the Constitution and the laws. They have to support the president when the agenda of the president is for the good of the people and they will have to oppose it if they feel in their conscience that it ran counter to the interest of the nation," he added. (source: Philippine Star) *** Architect of Philippines Drug War Elected to Senate on Death Penalty Platform A slate of allies of far-right President Rodrigo Duterte were elected to the Philippines Senate in the country’s midterm elections on May 13. These include former police chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa—the man who strategized the nation’s ongoing murderous drug war. An estimated 27,000 people have been killed without trial since 2016. Dela Rosa, the former chief of the Philippine National Police and Bureau of Correction, raked in the 5th-most votes of any senatorial candidate (more than 18 million) on a draconian platform that promises to further escalate the drug war. In 2018, Dela Rosa campaigned on prioritizing the death penalty for anyone involved with drugs. “Everything pertaining to drugs, we have to end them,” said Dela Rosa in a televised interview. “I also want to end the problem with drugs. It should be that strict when it comes to drugs.” In the final weeks of his campaign, Dela Rosa made use of a brutal rape-murder to further his anti-drug rhetoric. “Can a criminal under the influence of illegal drugs do that? If he wasn’t involved with drugs, he won’t be able to do that. That’s why drug traffickers have to be hanged,” he
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May 15 BAHRAIN: Suspend Death PenaltyCourt Upholds Death Sentence for 2 Men The Bahrain Court of Cassation, the country’s court of last resort, upheld the death sentence against two men on May 6, 2019, Human Rights Watch said today. A court convicted the men, Ali al-Arab and Ahmad al-Malali, of terror offenses in a mass trial on January 31, 2018. Bahrain ended a de facto 7-year moratorium on the death penalty in January 2017, when it executed three men. Under Bahraini law, after the Court of Cassation confirms a death sentence, the decision is sent to the King, who has the power to ratify the sentence, commute it, or grant a pardon. On April 26, 2018, King Hamad commuted the sentences of four men who were sentenced to death in a military trial in December 2017. According to the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, 8 people are currently on death row in Bahrain. “Despite its rhetoric on reform, Bahrain is moving in the wrong direction by reinstating the death penalty,” said Lama Fakih, acting Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “This irreversible punishment is cruel in all cases, but all the more so here amid evidence that the accused were tortured and denied fair trials.” The 2 men were arrested separately on February 9, 2017 and sentenced with 58 other defendants on January 31, 2018, in a trial marred by allegations of torture and due process violations. Al-Arab’s family told Human Rights Watch that interrogators at the Criminal Investigations Directorate beat him severely, used electric shocks on him, and pulled out his toenails, after which they forced him to sign a confession while blindfolded. Al-Arab did not have access to lawyer during his interrogation and saw his lawyer for the first time during his first court hearing, family members said. When al-Arab’s family saw him for the first time at the Dry Dock prison, the 25-year-old man was brought out in a wheelchair due, they believed, to beatings on his legs. In a letter to the Bahraini government on July 6, 2017, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and its special rapporteur on torture expressed “grave concern” about al-Arab’s allegations of torture at the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Dry Dock prison. The Bahraini government responded, claiming that all the allegations were “false,” contending that al-Arab did not report being tortured during the investigation and that neither he nor anyone acting on his behalf had complained to the Interior Ministry’s Ombudsman. However, al-Arab’s family told Human Rights Watch that they had submitted 2 complaints to the Ombudsman. Further, court records Human Rights Watch reviewed indicate that al-Arab’s defense stated that his confession was obtained under torture. On December 11, 2018, three UN human rights experts sent another letter to the Bahraini government expressing extreme concern about the imposition of the death penalty on several defendants, including al-Arab and al-Malali, amid allegations that their confessions were obtained under torture. The letter said that al-Malali, 24, was shot during his arrest, but that doctors did not remove the bullets until 23 days later. The experts also said that al-Malali was prevented from meeting with a lawyer and allegedly tortured at the Criminal Investigations Directorate, then forced to sign a confession. The court documents reviewed state that a forensic examination report found injuries on al-Malali’s right wrist as a result of being hit by shrapnel during his arrest. Human Rights Watch has previously documented torture in the Criminal Investigations Directorate, including the use of electric shocks, suspension in painful positions, severe beatings, threats to rape and kill, and sexual abuse. Many of the detainees interviewed said that interrogators boasted of their reputation for torturing detainees. Many of those abused at the facility reported signing forced confessions. The UN Committee against Torture has raised concerns about Bahrain’s oversight bodies, including the Ombudsman, and said that these entities were neither independent nor effective. Since their establishment in 2012, they have repeatedly failed to investigate credible allegations of prison abuse or to hold officials who participated in and ordered widespread torture during interrogations since 2011 accountable. Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances because of its inherent cruelty. Bahrain’s use of the death penalty is contrary to international human rights law, statements of UN human rights experts, and various UN bodies. Human rights law upholds every human being’s “inherent right to life” and limits the death penalty to “the most serious crimes,” typically crimes resulting in death or serious bodily harm. Bahrain should join the many countries already committed to the UN General Assembly’s December 18, 2007 resolution
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May 14 PAPUA NEW GUINEA: AG to announce how death penalty will be executed The death penalty will be applicable to murder, piracy, treason, rape and other major criminal cases, depending on their severity, says Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Alfred Manase. He told The National that he was still waiting to receive an updated report on it. “Hopefully, the report will be on my desk this week or early next week,” he said. “Once I receive this report, I will issue a statement on what methods will be used in implementing the death penalty and on what crimes will it be applicable to.” According to previous reports in The National, the death penalty was passed in Parliament in 2013 and since 15 people had been placed on death row. However, 2 have died in custody and 2 were recently acquitted by the Supreme Court in Port Moresby last Dec 2017. Father and son Selman and Misialis Amos were acquitted by the Supreme Court on Dec 11, 2017 of the murder charges against them, citing errors by the trial judge who convicted them. Both have since rejoined their families in East New Britain and New Ireland. The 2 who died while in custody were Gregory Kiapkot, 41, from Lokanai in New Ireland, convicted of murder and sea piracy, and Martin Pigit, 39, from New Ireland, also convicted of murder and sea piracy. The remaining 7 on death row are either at the Kerevat prison in ENB or at Bomana in Port Moresby. (source: The National) MALAYSIA: George Clooney: Brunei boycott over gay death penalty 'warning shot' to Malaysia, Indonesia The hotels boycott that forced the Sultan of Brunei to back down from imposing the death penalty for homosexuality will serve as warning for other countries considering this, US actor-producer George Clooney said. Speaking on US talk show Ellen, the Hollywood celebrity singled out Malaysia and Indonesia as among countries purportedly considering such laws. Clooney earlier said that while shaming was ineffective from deterring countries from pushing such laws, going after their finances and business ties have now been shown to work in forcing them to reconsider. “[...] And more important is the reason for this is this is something that is manageable, because it sends a warning shot over to countries like Indonesia and Malaysia who also are considering these laws, that the business people, the big banks , those guys are going to say ‘don’t even get into that business, so that’s the reason you do it,” the Hollywood celebrity said. Brunei controversially announced on April 3 that it was imposing death by stoning for homosexuals as part of the country’s shariah laws. This triggered an international outcry and boycott of hotels Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah owned across the world, leading to the Brunei ruler to announce a moratorium on the penalty this month. “The way you make it difficult is by boycotting his hotels. That doesn't matter so much to a rich guy, you can’t shame the ‘bad guys’, but you can shame the people who do business with them. “And when the banks and financial institutions started saying ‘well, we are out of the Brunei business’, then he backed off, and changed and said ‘put a moratorium’ on it,” Clooney said, referring to Brunei-owned hotels such as the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles and the Dorchester in London. Malaysia does not have laws against homosexuality per se but criminalises unnatural sex in its Penal Code. (source: malaymail.com) CHINA: Canadian officials visit former diplomat Michael Kovrig in custody in China Diplomats have visited a Canadian whose detention in China is believed to be an attempt to pressure Canada to release Huawei executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou. Consular officials visited Michael Kovrig on Monday, the country’s diplomatic service said. Chinese state media have accused Korvig, a former diplomat and Asia expert at the International Crisis Group, acted with Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to steal state secrets. Both were arrested on December 10 after Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1 at the request of US authorities who want her extradited to face fraud charges in connection with US sanctions against Iran. Global Affairs Canada said it was concerned about the men’s “arbitrary” detentions and called for their immediate release. Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, is accused of lying to banks about the company’s dealings with Iran in violation of US trade sanctions. Her lawyer argued that comments by US President Donald Trump suggested the case against her was politically motivated. Washington has pressured other countries to limit use of Huawei’s technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. (source: South China Morning Post) BAHRAIN: Court Upholds Death Sentence For Smuggling Hashish The Supreme Court of Appeals yesterday
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May 13 VIETNAM: Vietnamese arrested for transporting drugs from Cambodia Police and border guards of Vietnam’s southern Long An province on Sunday arrested a local man for transporting 57 kg of crystal meth and nearly 7 kg of heroin from Cambodia to Vietnam, local online newspaper VnExpress reported. The drug trafficker is Truong Quoc Cuong, 41, from Long An. Cuong confessed that he had engaged in cross-border drug transport. According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty. (source: xinhuanet.com) INDONESIA: Prabowo supporter arrested for saying he wants to decapitate President Jokowi during protest, may face death penalty A man has been charged with treason and could face the death penalty after he threatened to decapitate President Joko Widodo in a viral video taken during a demonstration protesting the outcome of the presidential election. Hermawan Susanto was among several hundred supporters of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto who came out to protest at the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) on Friday demanding that the election result — which has been all but officially confirmed as a victory for the incumbent — be overturned due to supposed fraud. During the protest, Hermawan was recorded saying, “Jokowi, be ready to have your head decapitated” several times to somebody who was filming him, while two women chimed in with chants of Inshallah (God willing) and Allahuakbar (God is great). Another man, whose face was covered, repeatedly said “amen”. Throughout the clip, they all held up the 2-finger salute, symbolizing their support for Prabowo’s campaign. On Sunday morning, the Jakarta Metro Police arrested Hermawan at his home in Bogor, West Java. The police have released a video of the arrest, in which Hermawan admitted that he said he wanted to decapitate Jokowi because his emotions got the better of him and that he was ready to face the law. “…Threatening the life of the president of Indonesia, the video of which has become viral on social media, is a violation of Article 104 of the KUHP (Criminal Code) and Article 27 Verse 4 and Article 45 Verse 1 of the UU ITE (Information and Electronic Transactions Act),” Jakarta Metro Police Spokesperson Argo Yuwono said at a press conference for Hermawan’s arrest yesterday, as quoted by Suara. Article 104 of the KUHP says that treason with intent to harm or kill the head of state is a crime punishable by the death penalty or a maximum 20-year imprisonment. The UU ITE violations as stated above could also see Hermawan given a 6-year sentence and a IDR1 billion (US$70,000) fine for his alleged role in disseminating defamatory content online. Police are also searching for others who appeared in the video, including one of the women in the video, who looked like she was holding the camera to film herself with Hermawan. Some on social media speculated that she was a schoolteacher in Sukabumi, West Java based on her likeness, but the police confirmed the teacher’s alibi after she was able to prove she was not in Jakarta on Friday. (source: coconuts.co) PHILIPPINES: PACC chief Jimenez pushes death penalty for plunder President Rodrigo R. Duterte should ensure the passage of “drastic” anti-corruption measures, including capital punishment for convicted plunderers, in the remainder of his term, the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) said in an interview Friday. “It’s now the President’s call. Otherwise, in his second 3 years, if the President fails to neutralize, correct, or solve various issues affecting governance in various institutions in this country, I don’t know what will happen to the Philippines. God forbid. God forbid,” PACC Chairman Dante L. Jimenez said in a phone interview. Mr. Jimenez said the President should be able to “tell” Congress, especially “during his State of the Nation Address (SONA)” in July, to come up with “real” measures that will address corruption in the country. He added: “For me, If he will ask me, I will urge our legislators, I will urge our politicians to study how China started its cultural revolution….Use the pattern of China in changing the attitude of the people.” Mr. Jimenez said the government should revive the death penalty for heinous crimes, especially plunder. “In the Philippines, we don’t have) death penalty for plunderers. We were able to convict a former president for plunder. What happened? I don’t want to name names, but look at [him] now….death penalty (should be revived), especially for corruption. Otherwise nothing will happen.” “You know already that corruption is now institutional…. I hope that in his last 3 years, he will be able to come up with drastic measures to offer to the
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May 12 PAKISTAN: Aasia Bibi’s lawyer will now plead the case of a Christian couple on death-row Saiful Malook, the lawyer who pleaded the case of Aasia Bibi is all set to fight the case of a Christian couple who are now on death row for committing blasphemy. The couple was directed to pay Rs100,000 fine each and in case of default, they would further undergo 6 months’ imprisonment. Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Masih were given death sentence under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with Section 34 of the PPC by the additional sessions judge of Toba Tek Singh on April 4, 2014. Saiful Malook advocate confirmed to a private source that he had submitted his Vakalatnama in the LHC to plead their case, saying that he had already met with Kausar in Multan jail. Malook – who was offered citizenship by EU countries but returned to Pakistan to play his role in human rights matters – said Kausar is lodged in the same death cell, where Bibi was imprisoned before her acquittal in the blasphemy case by the Supreme Court late last year. The couple’s appeal is pending in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and a hearing is likely to be fixed soon. (source: Daily Times.com.pk) IRAN: Ahwazi Arab prisoners at risk of execution, Amnesty warnsAhwazi Arab prisoners were sentenced to death at 'grossly unfair trial'. “Confessions” they have said were obtained under torture and other ill-treatment, were used to convict them. Amnesty International has warned against the imminent execution of 2 members of Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority convicted of “enmity against God”. Abdullah Karmollah Chab and Ghassem Abdullah, Sunni Muslims from Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority, are on death row following a grossly unfair trial. Amnesty says “confessions” they have said were obtained under torture and other ill-treatment, including electric shocks and mock executions, were used to convict them. Their cases are before the Supreme Court. They have been convicted of “enmity against God” (moharebeh) in connection with an armed attack on a Shi’a religious ceremony in Safiabad, Khuzestan province, on 16 October 2015, which left 2 people dead. They have denied any involvement in the attack. Their lawyers have said there is no evidence linking them to the attack and have identified inconsistencies between the “confessions” that led to their convictions and the accounts of eyewitnesses present at the scene of the crime, according to Amnesty International. On 19 October 2015, both men were arrested by the ministry of intelligence and held in solitary confinement in an unknown location for 6 months. They have since been moved to several different detention centres. They have been given extremely limited access to their families through irregular telephone calls and only one visit. On 9 April 2019, they were transferred to a ministry of intelligence detention centre in Hamedan, Hamedan province, where they have been denied access to their families. Both men have said they were subjected to months of torture in detention including by being beaten and given electric shocks. Abdullah Karmollah Chab has said his interrogators hung him upside down for 11 days and subjected him to mock executions, saying they would execute and bury him in an unmarked grave. For three mornings in a row, according to him, they woke him, put a sack over his head and a noose around his neck, and told him that if he “confessed” he would not be executed. He refused, saying he was innocent. On the third day, he said he heard one of the interrogators say: “Just let him go. If he had anything to confess he would have done so by now.” Both men were denied access to a lawyer until the day of their trial, when they were represented by a state-appointed lawyer. During their trial before the Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz on 22 June 2016, they reportedly removed some of their clothes to show torture marks on their bodies to the court. However, no investigation was ordered. Iran’s Supreme Court later quashed the conviction and sentence due to lack of evidence and flawed investigations and ordered a retrial. On 6 July 2017, they were sentenced to death again. The case is now again before the Supreme Court for appeal. (source: iran-hrm.com) BRUNEI: Brunei LGBT community living in fear despite sultan's death penalty reprieve When the Sultan of Brunei last week announced a moratorium on the much-condemned death penalty for gay sex, some hailed the move as a major advance. But inside the tiny South-East Asian nation, members of the LGBT community says there is little reason to celebrate - and much still to fear. In an interview with the Telegraph, one gay man, who asked to be identified only as 'M', warned that the apparent turnaround would only be temporary. The moratorium declared following an international backlash was "for appearances only," he said, a
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May 11 INDIA: Alwar rapists should be hanged: MayawatiA woman was allegedly gang-raped by 5 men while her husband was beaten up in Thanagaji area of Alwar district in Rajasthan on April 26. Coming down heavily on Congress-led Rajasthan state government, BSP chief Mayawati demanded death sentence for the accused in the Alwar gang-rape case and asked the Supreme Court of India to take Suo Motu cognizance of the incident and act against the Rajasthan government and police. “The guilty in Alwar gang-rape case should be hanged till death. Supreme Court should take action against the Congress government, police and the administration in the state. This matter is not just related to Dalits but entire womanhood,” said the BSP chief while interacting with media persons here on Saturday. Mayawati also charged the election commission with inaction against those who were indulging in making derogatory remarks against women during the ensuing polls. The case of gang rape came to the fore in Alwar where a Dalit woman alleged that she was gang-raped by 5 men in front of her husband. The couple was travelling on a bike when they were waylaid by 5 men who beat up the husband and recorded a video of the crime and circulated it on social media. The incident took place on April 26 but a case was registered on May 2 as the victim was being threatened by the accused. Police have arrested all 6 accused -- Indra Raj Gurjar, Mahesh Gurjar, Ashok Gurjar, Hansraj Gurjar, Chhote Lal Gurjar and Mukesh Gurjar -- on charges of gang rape and filming the crime. The Rajasthan government has been facing flak from the opposition BJP after the number of rape and abduction cases shot up in last one month. The BSP chief claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government had proved to be a total failure in ensuring justice to the victim. She also claimed that as per her belief, Congress was incapable of delivering to the gang-rape victim. Mayawati accused the Gehlot government of intimidating the victim's asking them to keep the incident within wraps till the end of the Lok Sabha elections. “There my people mounted pressure on the state government to act and then the authorities moved,” claimed the BSP chief. On Friday, National SC/ST Commission Vice Chairman L Murgan, recommended that an FIR be registered against police officers whose alleged negligence led to delay in action in the Alwar gang rape case. The victim’s husband had claimed that following the incident, he approached the police but the FIR was delayed till May 2. The victim’s family submitted a memorandum for speedy trial, compensation and government job. The Commission has also asked the state government to check how the victim’s husband can be provided compensation under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. (source: newindianexpress.com) BAHRAIN: Prevent Execution of 2 Men (Bahrain: UA 69.17) Urgent Action On 6 May 2019, the Bahraini Court of Cassation upheld the convictions and death sentences of Ali Mohamed Hakeem al-Arab and Ahmed Issa Ahmed al-Malali. The 2 men were convicted of offenses which include “forming and joining a ‘terrorist’ group”, following an unfair mass trial. Both men were tortured. The death sentences will now go to the King for ratification. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them. Sheikh Hamad bin 'Issa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain Office of His Majesty the King P.O. Box 555 Rifa'a Palace, al-Manama, Bahrain Fax: +973 1766 4587 Ambassador Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain 3502 International Drive NW Washington DC 20008 Phone: 1 202 342 -- Fax: 1 202 362 2192 Email: ambsecret...@bahrainembassy.org Twitter: @BahrainEmbDC Salutation: Dear Ambassador Your Highness, On 6 May 2019 the Court of Cassation upheld Ali Mohamed Hakeem al-Arab and Ahmed Issa Ahmed al-Malali’s convictions and death sentences. The Fourth High Criminal Court in Bahrain had convicted the two men of offenses which include “forming and joining a ‘terrorist’ group”, after a mass trial involving 60 people in January 2018. A year later, on 28 January 2019 their sentences were upheld on appeal. Security officers tortured and ill-treated the two men to force them to sign “confessions” they had not read. In a December 2018 letter, a group of United Nations experts stated that they were “extremely concerned by allegations that confessions implicating several defendants were obtained under torture and used as evidence in court.” The defendants in the letter included Ali al-Arab and Ahmed al-Malali. I call upon your Highness not to ratify the death sentences imposed on the two men and ensure they are not executed. I urge you to order a retrial that fully complies with international fair trial standards, excludes
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May 10 PHILIPPINES: Philippine polls could open door to death penalty return Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to strengthen his grip on power in midterm polls next week, experts say, clearing a possible path to restoring the death penalty and advancing his pledge to rewrite the constitution. Duterte has found international infamy for his foul-mouthed tirades, but remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with the country's dysfunction and elite politicians. He has pledged to bring back capital punishment for drug-related crimes as part of a deadly crackdown on narcotics in which thousands of alleged pushers and users have already been killed. Duterte's tough-on-crime platform—which also includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12—was key to his landslide election victory in 2016. Among the 18,000 posts up for grabs on Monday are 1/2 of the seats in the upper house Senate, which has stopped cold some of Duterte's most controversial policy initiatives. Opinion polls suggest administration loyalists are strong favorites to capture the Senate and keep control of the lower House of Representatives. Duterte has also pledged to rewrite the constitution, which would open avenues to prolonging his power beyond a legally-mandated single term that ends in 2022. Any change of the nation's constitution, however, would require lawmakers' backing as well as popular approval in a referendum, a high bar that has stymied reform attempts by earlier presidents. Capital punishment and constitutional reform bills have both sailed through the lower house with little opposition since 2016, but were halted by the Senate's mix of administration opponents and independents. "The Senate has acted as some sort of institutional check on the worst instincts of the president," political analyst Richard Heydarian told AFP—warning, however, that could change in the midterms. An opening for Duterte Historically, the nation's 24 senators—who serve 6-year terms—have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house. The main opinion poll from Pulse Asia, based on face-to-face interviews with 1,800 likely voters, has key administration supporters taking the majority of the 12 open Senate seats. Imee Marcos, daughter of deceased dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is expected to win one and thus extend the family's remarkable political return in the decades since it was chased from power by a 1986 popular uprising. The first enforcer of Duterte's drug war, former national police chief Ronald dela Rosa, is also well positioned despite some of the crackdown's most well-known abuses happening on his watch. Duterte has thrown some of his strongest support behind former presidential aide Christoper "Bong" Go, who could serve as a direct link between the president and Senate if he wins a seat. The death penalty has a twisting past in the Philippines, having been outlawed in 1987, reinstated 6 years later and then abolished again in 2006. A capital punishment bill that passed the House in 2017 allowed execution in cases where suspects were caught with 500 grams (about 18 ounces) of marijuana, or 10 grams of cocaine, heroin or ecstasy. Steven Rood, an expert on Philippine elections, said even taking into account the Senate's individualistic reputation, the current poll numbers point to a runway for Duterte. "I think it makes more likely that some of the president's ideas will get through," Rood told AFP. Duterte has pitched constitutional reform as a way to create a new decentralised federal republic where regions would be empowered to fix local problems and spur economic growth. But the various initiatives launched under Duterte have also included proposals dropping term limits, allowing the president to run for another term and weakening checks on presidential power. Critics have voiced concern the president could be aiming to extend his time in office, although Duterte regularly says he has no desire to stay on past his term. (source: Philippine Star) FALSE: Philippines is 'the only country in Asia' without death penaltyThe Philippines is one of 14 countries in Asia that have abolished the death penalty Claim: The Philippines is "the only country in Asia" that does not have the death penalty. Senatorial hopefuls Raffy Alunan and JV Ejercito made similar claims at the CNN Philippines: #TheFilipinoVotes senatorial debate on April 27. While explaining why he was for the death penalty, Alunan said, "We’re the only country in Asia, I think, that doesn’t have the death penalty." Ejercito, also explaining why he was for the death penalty, said, "We are only 1 of 2 countries in the – in Asia that repealed death penalty." Rating: FALSE The facts: The Philippines is 1 of 14 countries in Asia that have abolished death penalty, contrary to claims by
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May 8 PAKISTAN: Aasia Bibi: Christian acquitted of blasphemy leaves PakistanHeld in protective custody since her acquittal after 8 years on death row, Bibi leaves citing threats to her life. Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman acquitted of blasphemy by Pakistan's Supreme Court last year in a case that has become emblematic of fair trial concerns in such cases, has been granted asylum in Canada, her lawyer says. Bibi, 53, flew out of Pakistan after being held for months in protective custody by Pakistani authorities following her acquittal, Saif-ul-Malook told Al Jazeera by telephone on Wednesday. She joins her husband and 2 daughters, Malook said. "She has gone to Canada, she will live there now as she has been granted asylum by them," he said. Canadian authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case. Bibi spent 8 years on death row after her arrest in the central village of Ithan Wali after an argument with 2 Muslim women who refused to drink water from the same vessel as her, due to her religion. The women and a local cleric accused Bibi of having insulted Islam's Prophet Muhammad during the altercation, a charge that she has consistently denied. Blasphemy is a sensitive subject in Pakistan, where the country's strict laws prescribe a mandatory death penalty for some forms of the crime. Increasingly, blasphemy allegations have led to murders and mob lynchings, with at least 74 people killed in such violence since 1990, according to an Al Jazeera tally. Among those killed were Salman Taseer, then a provincial governor, and Shahbaz Bhatti, then a federal minister, in 2010. Both officials had stood up for Bibi when she was first accused of blasphemy. Incendiary issue In a landmark judgment acquitting Bibi, the Supreme Court noted in October that there were "glaring and stark" contradictions in the prosecution’s case against Bibi. "[There is] the irresistible and unfortunate impression that all those concerned in the case with providing evidence and conducting investigation had taken upon themselves not to speak the truth of at least not to divulge the whole truth," wrote Justice Asif Khosa, now Pakistan’s Supreme Court Chief Justice, in the verdict. Bibi had been convicted and sentenced to death by a trial court in November 2010, with the Lahore High Court upholding her conviction on appeal four years later. Rights groups had long insisted there were numerous fair trial concerns in her case, as well as in blasphemy prosecutions generally. The Supreme Court verdict prompted days of violent protests by the far-right Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a hardline religious group with widespread support that has long pushed for those accused of blasphemy to be executed or murdered extrajudicially. Led by firebrand cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the TLP blocked roads and major intersections across the country following Bibi's acquittal in October. Rizvi was arrested in November and charged with treason for leading the protests. Afzal Qadri, the cofounder of the TLP, released a statement last week apologising for the protests and promising not to engage in further political activity. Rizvi, and scores of other TLP activists, remain in police custody, charged with hate speech and inciting violence. Days after the verdict was announced, Bibi's lawyer Malook sought refuge in the Netherlands, citing threats to his life for having represented her. In February, Bibi told the Associated Press news agency through an intermediary that she was being held by Pakistani authorities in indefinite protective custody and that they would not let her leave the country. On Tuesday, "the long running issue" of her departure from the country was resolved, her lawyer says, and Bibi is now safely in Canada and reunited with her family. (source: aljazeera.com) CHINA: Canadian drug smuggler Robert Lloyd Schellenberg to appeal death sentence in China A Canadian man handed the death penalty for drug smuggling in China will appeal his sentence Thursday, in a case that has deepened the diplomatic rift between Beijing and Canada. The appeal comes against the backdrop of Beijing’s anger over the December arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive at the Chinese tech giant Huawei, who faced a U.S. extradition hearing in Canada on Wednesday. Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death on charges of drug trafficking in January. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced the decision as “arbitrarily” chosen. Schellenberg’s appeal will take place Thursday morning at the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court in northeastern Liaoning province, a source said. The Dalian court declined to comment. The provincial level Liaoning High People’s Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “Canada remains extremely concerned that China has chosen to apply the death penalty, a cruel and
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May 7 GAMBIA: Gambia’s president hinted on serious human rights violations Amnesty International delegates in a meeting with President Adama Barrow in the capital Banjul noted the major progress made in the two years since his inauguration but drew attention to serious human rights violations in Gambia which still need to be addressed urgently. While acknowledging that there is still much to do to improve respect for human rights in Gambia, President Barrow also recognized the challenges the country is facing in what he considers as “a transition period”. Referring to the Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) which began hearings on 7 January 2019, President Barrow told Amnesty International that at the end of its investigations, the government will look at the recommendations and prosecute those who are suspected to have committed grave human rights violations and abuses during former President Yahya Jammeh’s rule and ensure that they face justice. President Adama Barrow also told Amnesty International he is committed to outlaw the death penalty, “as part of his legacies to the country.” “While Gambia has come a long way regarding respect for human rights under President Barrow’s leadership, there are still areas that need improvement to achieve a better human rights record,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry, Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa Director. “We still see security forces using excessive force to disperse peaceful gatherings. Prison conditions are desperately poor, and we have credible evidence that teenagers as young as 15 years old are being held with adults without trial. Arbitrary arrests and detention still occur. If Gambia wants to go way from the poor human rights record it has had for many years, the country must accelerate its reforms and ensure that laws restricting freedom of speech and assembly are changed.” The Anti-Crime Unit in the Police Force which was created in April last year has been accused of arbitrarily arresting and detaining individuals. In January this year, Omar Touray a member of the former ruling party was arrested and detained for five days without being presented before a judge. Other cases of arrests and detentions include the case of Dr Ismaila Ceesay who was arrested in January 2018 after he gave an interview to a newspaper where he reportedly criticized the president. He was later released and charges against him dropped. In June 2017, youth activist and journalist Baboucarr Sey was subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention for leading a community initiative to protest the acquisition of a football field by a private company. Amnesty International also took the occasion of its meeting with President Barrow to underline the need to improve the conditions in prison facilities such as Mile 2 and Janjanbureh, and reform relevant legislation in line with international standards. The situation was especially bad at Mile 2 prison, where Amnesty International documented that young boys of 15 and 16 years old were detained alongside adults for months without being brought to a court. “We asked President Barrow to publicly instruct the Anti-Crime Unit, the army and the State Intelligence Services not to detain people beyond the 72-hour period which is permitted by law,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry. “The President should also provide the leadership needed to ensure that relevant authorities move swiftly to improve the dire conditions in prison facilities across the country and reform relevant legislation in line with international standards.” Peaceful protesters killed by police In an extremely disturbing episode in June 2018, t3 people were killed, and many others injured when armed policemen opened fire on peaceful protesters in the village of Faraba, 40 km outside of Banjul. A commission of inquiry that was set up to investigate the deadly incident recommended that suspected perpetrators should be brought to justice, but they were pardoned by the President. Cases of violations of the right to freedom of expression have been recorded since President Barrow was elected in January 2017. For example, the Occupy Westfield group which was set up to campaign against the numerous power cuts and water shortages in the country, was denied the right to protest. Amnesty International has recommended during its meeting with the President that Gambia repeals laws that restrict the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association. These include the offence of holding a procession without a permit under Gambia’s Public Order Act, and the offence of unlawful assembly under the Criminal Code. Death penalty The authorities publicly spoke about getting rid of the death penalty in the country’s future constitution and has gone further to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and
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May 6 CANADA: ‘Crime of passion’: How a gay man became the last person to be executed in B.C. On, Sept. 6, 1958, Aaron “Bud” Jenkins was stabbed to death as he slept in the barracks at Esquimalt’s naval base. Leo Mantha confessed to the crime. The tugboat operator had been romantically involved with Jenkins and the fatal stabbing came after the 2 had gotten into a violent argument. Jenkins’ death was a textbook definition of a “crime of passion,” says Neil Boyd, criminology professor at Simon Fraser University. “By today’s standards, it probably would’ve been a manslaughter conviction,” he said. Instead, the 30-year-old Mantha received the death penalty and was hanged in 1959, making him the last person to be executed in British Columbia. Mantha’s death came at a time when the federal cabinet commuted most death sentences, but Boyd said Mantha was an exception due to “anti-gay sentiments.” Originally from Quebec, Mantha had been in the navy before working on a tugboat. In the summer of 1958, a bartender at Victoria’s Empress Hotel introduced him to Jenkins. The two had an affair, with Mantha writing love letters to Jenkins that were eventually read aloud in court. “It was all, ‘I love you, Budzie-Wudzie,’” Stan Piontek, a friend of both Mantha and Jenkins, said of the letters read at the trial. Piontek, 88, said the 2 got into an argument the night of Jenkins’ death, with Jenkins saying he planned to marry a female friend. “I saw Jenkins in front of the Empress Hotel and somebody had beaten him up or something,” he said. Piontek said he accompanied Jenkins to Mantha’s apartment on Superior Street so he could retrieve his uniform before returning to the barracks. While in the apartment, Piontek says he spoke with Jenkins about what happened. “Meanwhile, Leo Mantha was in the next room and heard all of this stuff,” he said. Jenkins got a ride back to the barracks where he was later murdered. Following Jenkins’ death, Piontek said there was a “witch hunt” in the military. “I don’t know how many people they hauled out of the navy,” said Piontek, who had served in the navy for much of the 1950s. “I got railroaded out of there.” The story of Mantha, a former military man who dated a gay man in the navy, had a chilling effect, according to Gary Kinsman, a sociology professor at Laurentian University and co-author of the book The Canadian War on Queers. The case played a key role in a purge spearheaded by the Canadian government’s Security Panel, which led to the firing of thousands of Canadians in the military, RCMP and public service because of their sexual orientation. Kinsman said following Jenkins’ death, investigators uncovered his “little black books,” which contained the names of other gay men in the military. “They found a list of lots of people in the merchant marines and in the navy and this initiates the purge campaign on the west coast,” he said. “It feeds into the RCMP and the Security Panel’s feeling that this homosexual threat is actually much bigger than they would have previously thought.” Kinsman notes that Mantha’s case occurred at a time when gay sex was criminalized and homosexuality was considered a psychological disorder. There were also concerns that gays in the military posed a national security threat, since they could be prone to blackmail by foreign agents, although there was never any evidence that anyone was actually compromised. Mantha’s story fit all of those narratives and was used to justify expelling people from public service due to their sexual orientation. “We interviewed lots of people who were involved in the Victoria gay scene who said that prior to this murder things were pretty open,” Kinsman said. “But after that, people had to go underground and people were purged and people had to leave.” In 2017, the Canadian government issued a formal apology to the LGBTQ community, one that Kinsman characterizes as “remarkably limited.” Full speech: Justin Trudeau gives formal apology to people affected by gay purge Mantha’s case came to the attention of the federal cabinet. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, a former defence lawyer, opposed capital punishment and his cabinet commuted around 75 per cent of death sentences, according to Boyd. The justice who presided over Mantha’s trial wrote to the federal justice minister asking for leniency. Boyd said memos to cabinet, which referred to Mantha as “the homosexual,” indicate that his sexual orientation was a factor in the decision to deny clemency. “Most of the death sentences were being commuted, but sexual orientation was something of a motivation for cabinet in deciding this was an especially heinous crime,” he said. “Today, 2 people who are intimately involved who get involved in a very serious argument that leads to the death of the other without any evidence of planning — that would normally be a manslaughter
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May 5 VIETNAM: Vietnam arests 3 drug traffickers Police of Vietnam's northern Son La province have detained 3 local people who traded and possessed nearly 1.5 kg of heroin and over 3,000 pills of lab-made drug. The detainees include a 19-year-old woman, and two men aged 26 and 29, all from Son La, Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday. According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty. (source: globaltimes.cn) PAKISTAN: District Court Hyderabad Upholds Death Penalty In A Murder Case The District and Session Court here Saturday upheld the death penalty awarded by the same court earlier to Muhammad Faheem who was accused of stabbing a man to death in April, 2012. The court of Additional District and Session Judge III recorded statement of Faheem and the witnesses in the case and found the accused guilty of committing the murder. The case was referred to the court by Sindh High Court on April 2, 2019, with the order to pass judgment in the matter in a month's time. Faheem had earlier challenged the District and Session Court's order which had convicted him with capital punishment in the SHC. (source: urdupoint.com) TAIWAN: EU to push for end to death penalty in Taiwan: official The death penalty is expected to be discussed by Taiwanese and EU officials at the annual Human Rights Consultations this month. Taiwan and the EU are to hold the 2nd Human Rights Consultations in Brussels, which is to be attended by high-ranking representatives from both sides, said an EU official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The EU would raise the issue of the death penalty and gender equality, the official said, adding that the EU aims to ask Taiwan to put a moratorium on capital punishment, with the ultimate goal of abolishing it. The first meeting was in Taipei in March last year. The death penalty and gender equality were also on the agenda. However, the Ministry of Justice executed a man convicted of murdering his ex-wife and daughter just 5 months after that. In response, the EU issued a statement expressing its concerns over the execution. In the statement, the EU described the death penalty as a “cruel and inhumane” form of punishment that does not act as a deterrent and was an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity. Some Taiwanese rejected the EU statement, saying that European countries should not impose their values on Taiwan. Nonetheless, the EU said it would continue discussing the issue. It has consistently advocated abolishment of the death penalty, even making it a requirement for countries to join the regional bloc. (source: Taipei times) MALAWI: Killer of albino sentenced to death in Malawi Malawi’s high court has sentenced to death a man who murdered a young albino, an unprecedented penalty in a country which has seen a surge in attacks and killings of people with albinism. Willard Mikaele, then 28, was convicted of killing 19-year-old Mphatso Pensulo in the southern district of Thyolo in 2017. “He planned to kill an albino so as to get rich fast as advised by the herbalist,” judge Maclean Kamwambe said in handing down the sentence on Friday in Thyolo. “It has been reiterated that there will be times when death sentence shall be unavoidable due to the circumstances and that it should be reserved for such occasions,” the judge said. Malawi has not carried out any executions since 1994, with death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. The verdict suggests a growing awareness by the Malawian authorities of the attacks on albinos, said Ikponwosa Ero, the UN independent expert on albinism. “I am watching with keen interest, what seems like an awakening on the part of the government of Malawi vis-a-vis the terrible crime spree that has been going on in the country against persons with albinism,” she told AFP Saturday, while expressing strong opposition to the death penalty. Malawi, one of the world’s poorest and most aid-dependent countries, has experienced a surge in violent attacks on people with albinism since late 2014. In many cases those with albinism are targeted for their body parts to be used in witchcraft rituals meant to bring wealth and luck. In a June 2018 report, rights group Amnesty International said that since November 2014 there had been 148 crimes reported against people with albinism, with at least 21 deaths. Just 30 percent of those attacks have been properly investigated, according to official statistics, with only 1 murder and 1 attempted murder case successfully prosecuted. President Peter Mutharika in March appointed a commission of inquiry to investigate the spate of attacks on people with albinism after coming under mounting
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May 4 NIGERIA: 20 Condemned Convicts Escape Death as Ambode Commutes Sentences • Frees 14 who had spent 20 years in prison No fewer than 20 condemned prisoners in Lagos were saved from the hangman when the state government commuted their death sentences to life imprisonment just as it freed 14 inmates who had spent 20 years in prison. This was sequel to the recommendations of the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy which toured the prisons to review cases in the drive to decongest prisons. This was made known when the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem (SAN) was handing over the order for the release of the inmates signed by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to prison authorities. Kazeem explained that the development was pursuant to Constitutional provision for the constitution of an Advisory Council and empowered the Governor power to grant clemency to convicted persons on the advice of the Council. “Prerogative of Mercy is a right recognised under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); Section 212(2) of the Constitution provides that the powers conferred on the Governor under Section 212(1) shall be exercised by him after consultation with the Advisory Council of the State on the Prerogative of Mercy as may be established by the Law of the State,” Kazeem explained. According to him, the inmates were considered to benefit from the prerogative of mercy after due examination of their case files, which revealed that they had been reformed and ready for re-integration into the society. Kazeem congratulated the freed inmates, and advised them to be of good conduct outside the prison. Also speaking, Chairman of the Council, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo said aside its power under the Constitution, the setting up of the Council also served as a way of de-congesting the prisons. He equally congratulated the beneficiaries of the clemency by the Governor, and urged them to avoid acts that led them into prison in the first place. The Controller of Prison in charge of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, DCP Emmanuel Oluwaniyi commended the State Government for the efforts to decongest the prison. Oluwaniyi, who was newly deployed to the state, said it was gratifying that he was commencing his stewardship in the state on a good note with the release of inmates who were due to be re-integrated into the society, just as he equally admonished them to be of good conduct outside the prison. Aside Oyewo and Kazeem, other members of the Lagos State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy are Mr. Adedotun Adetunji, Mrs. Musili Onasanya, Mr. Olumide Oniyire, Mr. Chris Okoye, Mrs. Bolatumi Animashaun, and Mrs. Yemisi Ogunlola (Secretary). (source: This Day Live) MALAWI: Malawi gives personal 'emergency alarms' to albino citizens The Malawian government is handing out some 1,600 personal security alarms to its albino citizens, in an attempt to stop deadly attacks on the community. "The gadgets will be distributed to persons with albinism in all the regions in Malawi," Cecilia Chazama, minister for Gender, Children and Disability, said Friday. Albinos are targeted in Malawi and some other African countries because of the superstitious belief that their body parts are magic and can make people rich. Francis Masambuka, an albino activist, welcomed the project but stressed it wasn't a cure-all solution to attacks on people with the condition - which causes lack of skin pigmentation. "The gadgets are connected to the network of nearest police stations...and once a person with albinism is under threat, they can press it and the police can rush to the scene," he said. Some 24 people with albinism have been killed and 160 attacks reported to police since 2014, according to figures from the Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi. The emergency buttons - which will be distributed Saturday - are being introduced amid continued attacks. Since December, 1 man has been reported killed and 2 children abducted. Despite the Malawian government's promise to tackle the problem, rights groups have complained that few suspected of crimes against albinos are successfully prosecuted. However, on Friday a Malawi court sentenced a man found guilty of murdering an albino to death. The death penalty has not been carried out in Malawi for years, usually meaning life imprisonment instead. Willard Mikaele, a 28-year-old barber from Thyol district, was found guilty of strangling to death 19-year-old Mphatso Pensulo. He said he had been advised by a witchdoctor to kill a person with albinism if he wanted to get rich. "The motive behind the killing was as devilish as it is primitive. I want to agree with the state that death sentence is appropriate as it reflects a sense of justice in the circumstances," said Justice Maclean Kamwambe. (source: iol.co.za) TAIWAN: Death penalty on
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May 3 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Bring back death penalty It is sad and unfortunate to read about the 3 Quintero family members from Palmiste who were found all shot dead in their vehicle along the Solomon Hochoy Highway. I don’t believe the police are capable of being everywhere at any given time. They are doing their best but the murderers and the gang leaders are reaping havoc throughout the country. The Government and especially the Attorney General have not yet stepped up to condemn the killings. They are the ones that said in their manifesto that crime will be number 1 on their agenda, which is evidently all hogwash. Both the UNC and the PNM made promises to eradicate crime during their terms in office. They have both failed our people as nothing significant is being done to abate the killings. They are both guilty and it will be no surprised to hear them preach the same sermon prior to the election. The death penalty is not the ideal answer to crime but it has proven time and again that it has the potential to be a deterrent, having the chilling effect that those who commit murder will be executed. It is not barbaric, nor is it inhumane or merciless. In fact, 30 states in the US have the death penalty and it is proving to be very effective. Time to bring back capital punishment in TT. JAY G RAKHAR, New York (source: Letter to the Editor, newsday.co.tt) GAMBIA: Key human rights concerns highlighted in a meeting with President Barrow During a meeting with President Adama Barrow in the capital Banjul Thursday, Amnesty International delegates noted the major progress made in the 2 years since his inauguration but drew attention to serious human rights violations in Gambia which still need to be addressed urgently. While acknowledging that there is still much to do to improve respect for human rights in Gambia, President Barrow also recognized the challenges the country is facing in what he considers as “a transition period”. Referring to the Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) which began hearings on 7 January 2019, President Barrow told Amnesty International that at the end of its investigations, the government will look at the recommendations and prosecute those who are suspected to have committed grave human rights violations and abuses during former President Yahya Jammeh’s rule and ensure that they face justice. President Adama Barrow also told Amnesty International he is committed to outlaw the death penalty, “as part of his legacies to the country.” “While Gambia has come a long way regarding respect for human rights under President Barrow’s leadership, there are still areas that need improvement to achieve a better human rights record,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry, Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa Director. “We still see security forces using excessive force to disperse peaceful gatherings. Prison conditions are desperately poor, and we have credible evidence that teenagers as young as 15 years old are being held with adults without trial. Arbitrary arrests and detention still occur. If Gambia wants to go way from the poor human rights record it has had for many years, the country must accelerate its reforms and ensure that laws restricting freedom of speech and assembly are changed.” The Anti-Crime Unit in the Police Force which was created in April last year has been accused of arbitrarily arresting and detaining individuals. In January this year, Omar Touray a member of the former ruling party was arrested and detained for five days without being presented before a judge. Other cases of arrests and detentions include the case of Dr Ismaila Ceesay who was arrested in January 2018 after he gave an interview to a newspaper where he reportedly criticized the president. He was later released and charges against him dropped. In June 2017, youth activist and journalist Baboucarr Sey was subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention for leading a community initiative to protest the acquisition of a football field by a private company. Amnesty International also took the occasion of its meeting with President Barrow to underline the need to improve the conditions in prison facilities such as Mile 2 and Janjanbureh, and reform relevant legislation in line with international standards. The situation was especially bad at Mile 2 prison, where Amnesty International documented that young boys of 15 and 16 years old were detained alongside adults for months without being brought to a court. “We asked President Barrow to publicly instruct the Anti-Crime Unit, the army and the State Intelligence Services not to detain people beyond the 72-hour period which is permitted by law,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry. “The President should also provide the leadership needed to ensure that relevant authorities move swiftly to improve the dire conditions in prison facilities
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May 2 SAUDI ARABIA: The Execution of Mujtaba al-SweikatA Saudi student who gained admission to Western Michigan University was beheaded last week for charges associated with his participation in a pro-democracy protest. He was 17 years old, at the airport to catch a flight to the U.S., where he planned to visit colleges and hoped to attend Western Michigan University, where he subsequently gained admission. But he was arrested for crimes related to participation in a pro-democracy protest before he could board the plane. Last week Saudi Arabia announced Mujtaba al-Sweikat was one of 37 people executed for terrorism-related crimes. The human rights group Reprieve says al-Sweikat, who was arrested in December 2012, was convicted on the basis of a confession obtained by torture. CNN reported on court documents it obtained regarding al-Sweikat’s prosecution. According to the documents obtained by the broadcaster, al-Sweikat’s father, who served as his lawyer, portrayed his son as a diligent student, loyal to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who completed his final high school exams with a score of 94 %. Although al-Sweikat confessed to throwing Molotov cocktails at security forces and running a chat group to help organize demonstrations, his father claimed in reality he joined the demonstrations just twice, for 5 minutes each time. "He was subjected to psychological and physical abuse, which drained his strength," his father reportedly said. "The interrogator dictated the confession to Sweikat and forced him to sign it so that the torture would stop. He signed it." United Nations human rights officials had previously written to Saudi officials regarding al-Sweikat’s case, using an alternative spelling of his name. In November 2016, they wrote in regard to information they had received that he “was routinely subjected to torture including suspension from his hands and feet, sleep deprivation, severe beatings with cables and shoes, cigarettes burns and pouring of cold water on his body during winter. He was put in solitary confinement for 3 months. As a result, Mr. Suwaiket suffers from a broken shoulder, sustained pain in back and knees and blood deficiency due to insufficient nutrition. He has been deprived of any medical care. Mr. Suwaiket was reportedly subjected to acts of torture until he confessed to armed disobedience against the king and to attacking, shooting and injuring security forces, civilians and passers-by … On 1 June 2016, after several hearings, Mr. Suwaiket was convicted and sentenced to death by the [Specialized Criminal Court], on the sole basis of the confession extracted under torture.” The letter from the U.N. officials said that while they did not want to prejudge the accuracy of the accusations regarding al-Sweikat’s treatment, they were concerned about the decision to impose the death penalty in light of international human right conventions related to fair trials, due process, torture and protection of the rights of children (as al-Sweikat was a juvenile at the time the alleged crimes were committed). A subsequent letter from U.N. officials, sent in July 2017 in relation to multiple cases, including al-Sweikat’s, faulted judges for failing to investigate the allegations of torture and forced confessions. “While it was raised in court that the confessions were forced and had been obtained under torture, no investigation was initiated by the judges. Instead the forced confessions were admitted as evidence and used as the basis for their convictions,” they wrote. In a written response, Saudi Arabia’s mission to the U.N. said that al-Sweikat was not subjected to torture or ill treatment. They said the claim his shoulder was broken was false and that he suffered from shoulder-related pain for 5 years prior to his arrest due to “sports-related activities.” Saudi government officials also denied that his confession was extracted through torture and said he confessed “of his own free will.” They said that the judge "did not rely solely on the confession as evidence in his judgment but on the evidence provided, including the arrest and investigation records, witness statements, and the deliberations and statements made during the judicial proceedings." The Saudi mission wrote, “The lower court judgment sentenced Mojtaba Suwaiket to death after convicting him of committing crimes such as: manufacturing firebombs (Molotov cocktails) and supplying them to others for use against law enforcement officers; throwing firebombs at law enforcement officers and their vehicles; involvement in the targeting of a security patrol by opening fire on it; monitoring police officers, their location and their movements and transmitting the information to members of another cell who used it to implement one of their operations; concealment of wanted individuals charged with opening fire on security patrols and persons
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May 1 SOMALIA: A court in S0malia slaps 3 with death penalty for murder over love match A regional court in Mogadishu, the Somali capital on Tuesday, April 30 has sentenced 3 people, including a woman, to death for "burning man alive" last year, Garowe Online reports. < The 3 defendants, 2 from the same family and a woman were all found guilty of brutally killing Ahmed Mukhtar Salah "Ahmed Dowlo" last September after his nephew married their daughter secretly. Ahmed Dowlo from ethnically dicriminated Bantu clan was torched to death by a lynch-mob from in-laws after his nephew married to a different so-called "high-ranking" clan in a Garage in Yaqshid district. The court has acquitted 4 others convicted for involvement in the murder case while 1 of the 3 people sentenced to death on Tuesday is at large, according to the victim's family. Mohamed Mukhtar who is the brother of the victim, said still justice has not been serviced, arguing that others involved the case, including the bride's mother who allegedly orchestrated the killing, are free. The father of the bride had accepted the marriage and give the couple his blessing but, the mother's side protested according to a relative and subsequently committted the heinous killing. Unfortunately, the couples were on their honeymoon in somewhere in Mogadishu at the time of the murder which caused shock and outrage in the country, triggering calls from the public for justice. (source: garoweonline.com) MALDIVES: High Court upholds death penalty for Hussain Waheed’s killer The High Court on Tuesday upheld capital punishment for 1 of 2 culprits convicted of murdering Hussain Waheed with a sharp weapon in capital Male', in December 2013. The Juvenile Court passed the death sentence in 2015 on the two individuals, who were minors at the time of the crime. The High Court upheld the verdict for one of the culprits in November 2017. While the two were of age at the time of their sentencing, their identities are protected as per the Child Protection Act. Following the appeals, the High Court read the verdict for the 2nd culprit on Tuesday, upholding the Juvenile Court's death sentence. The court stated that witness testimonies proved that the individual had driven to the crime scene on the back of a motorcycle and stabbed Hussain Waheed. It also noted that doctors' testimonies and Waheed's death certificate showed that his passing was caused by the injuries he sustained from the attack. Highlighting that the weapon was a knife, the High Court stated that such an object could be used for murder, and that the attacker's murderous intention could be deduced from the fact that Waheed was stabbed in the chest. The verdict also stated that intentions, crime scene, and the manner in which the crime is carried out must be taken into account in murder cases, as per Islamic Sharia. Touching upon the witnesses put forward by the prosecutors, the verdict stated that the testimonies of 2 witnesses were rejected as they had criminal records. However, the verdict read that there were no grounds to doubt the integrity of the rest of the witnesses, and that their testimonies proved that the defendant had stabbed Waheed. The sentence also noted that Islamic law holds everyone who has reached puberty accountable for their actions despite being minors, and that anyone aged fifteen is regarded as having reached puberty. While the defendant was 17 years old at the time of the crime, the court stated that Maldivian law holds individuals above the age of 15 accountable for any criminal offences they commit. The court further noted that all inheritors of Hussain Waheed have declared for the death penalty. Hence, the judges bench comprising Hussain Shaheed, Abdul Rauf Ibrahim and Shujau Usman, declared to uphold the Juvenile Court's verdict of capital punishment. Chief Judge Shujau Usman presided over the case. As per Maldivian law, capital punishment can be executed only after exhausting all the stages of the appeal process. (source: edition.mv) INDIA: Bombay HC sets aside man's death penalty for killing woman, child The Bombay High Court Tuesday set free a Nashik man who was sentenced to death last year by a court here for killing a 32-year-old woman and her 6-year-old child. A bench of justices BP Dharmadhikari and P D Naik held that the police failed to carry out proper investigation and build a watertight case against convict Ramdas Shinde. The bench, therefore, dismissed the Maharashtra government's plea seeking confirmation of the death penalty, and upheld Shinde's appeals challenging his conviction and sentence. On April 26 last year, the court in Nashik had convicted and sentenced Shinde for stabbing to death the woman and her child, who stayed as tenants in his father's property. The prosecution had claimed that the victim woman had snubbed Shinde's sexual
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April 30 TRINIDAD: The death penalty in the region The year 2018 was a year of many firsts when it came to the death penalty in the Caribbean. For the first time since Amnesty International began its monitoring in 1979, no new death sentences were known to have been imposed by courts in Trinidad and Tobago, leaving Guyana and the US as the only countries that imposed such punishment in the Americas. While hanging to death is still a punishment under the laws of all English-speaking Caribbean countries, for the 1st time, the number of Caribbean countries whose death rows sat empty has risen to 9, after St Kitts and Nevis commuted its last known death sentence. For the 1st time, in December, the Americas passed a decade without any executions outside the US. And in the same month, for the 1st time, a country from the English-speaking Caribbean—Dominica—supported and co-sponsored a UN call for a global moratorium on executions, receiving record-high support from 121 out of 193 UN member states, with 32 abstaining at the vote. These were in addition to some other positive news at the global level. Excluding the thousands of executions believed to have been carried out in secretive China, the total number of executions that Amnesty International recorded was the lowest it has been in at least a decade, after Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia—all countries that have historically accounted for many of the world’s executions—reported significant drops in their yearly totals. While some countries including the US, Japan, South Sudan and Vietnam bucked this trend by increasing executions, overall state killings were down by over 30 per cent. The global figures on the use of the death penalty from last year tell a clear story: it is just a matter of time before the death penalty is consigned to the history books. In the Caribbean, the number of people on death row dropped by over 70 % in the past 25 years, as a result of judicial standards set by regional and international bodies as well as progressive decline in the resort to the death penalty as a sentencing option. With 80 people left on death row in just 5 countries, there is no doubt that the death penalty is on its way out in this region, too. The decline in the death penalty, in a region with constantly high murder rates, comes at a time when it is abundantly clear that it does not work as a deterrent. Studies have consistently shown that the death penalty has not had a unique deterrent effect and has in many ways been a false “solution’’ to crime rates in the Caribbean. In St Kitts and Nevis, the number of murders increased from 23 to 27 in the year following the execution of Charles Elroy Laplace in December 2008. A study carried out in Trinidad and Tobago also found that over a span of 50 years neither imprisonment nor death sentences nor executions had any significant relationship to homicides. Experts have pointed out that certainty of punishment has a greater deterrent effect than its severity, and the fact that just 83 out of 517 murders were classified as “detected’’ by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in 2018 provides a damning commentary on a criminal justice system that has failed to get a grip on crime. The figures speak volumes about failed crime investigations; of ready-available weapons, abandoned communities and broken trust in the state institutions; of the backlog of cases before courts and of overworked officials—just to name a few concerns that are frequently shared. While this cruel and inhumane punishment is put behind us, we must look for long-term solutions that can effectively deliver the justice crime victims deserve. More and more governments around the world are coming to the realisation that the death penalty and its proponents have failed us in their promise of safety. Last year, Burkina Faso removed the death penalty from its Penal Code; the death penalty was declared unconstitutional in the US state of Washington; and Gambia and Malaysia declared moratoriums on executions. Just a few weeks ago, the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, followed suit. In explaining his decision, Newsom noted that: “Our death penalty system has been—by any measure—a failure. It has provided no public safety benefit or value as a deterrent. It has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars. But most of all, the death penalty is absolute, irreversible and irreparable in the event of a human error.” It now is time for the Caribbean to pull down the curtain on the death penalty and oversee the long-overdue changes in the criminal justice systems across the region to improve safety in the region and deliver justice for all. • Chiara Sangiorgio is an adviser on the Death Penalty at Amnesty International (source: trinidadexpress.com) PAKISTAN: Lawyer of Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi Nominated For Rights Award Lawyer Saif-ul-Malook, who prevented the
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April 29 HONG KONG: Suspect in Taiwan Valentine's murder jailed in Hong Kong A Hong Kong man wanted in Taiwan for strangling his pregnant girlfriend in a case used by the city to justify controversial changes to its extradition laws was jailed Monday, but not for murder. Chan Tong-kai, 20, confessed to Hong Kong police that he killed Poon Hiu-wing and dumped her body on the outskirts of Taipei last year. Poon, who was 20 and was five months pregnant, was strangled during a Valentine's holiday to the island by Chan who fled back to Hong Kong which has no extradition agreement with Taiwan. The killing sparked sympathy for Poon's family and was used by the Hong Kong government to advocate changing the financial hub's laws to allow extraditions on a case-by-case basis to Taiwan, Macau and mainland China. But the decision to include the mainland in those proposals sparked huge protests and a major backlash within the city's business and legal communities who fear it will hammer Hong Kong's international appeal and tangle people up in China's opaque courts. With Hong Kong prosecutors unable to charge Chan for murder, he was instead charged with money laundering related to his possession of Poon's phone, camera and money he withdrew from her account. On Monday a judge sentenced him to 29 months in jail. Judge Anthea Pang said "great frustration and a serious sense of unfairness" should not overshadow the fact that the case was a money laundering prosecution, not a murder trial. She said sentencing someone for a crime they are not convicted of would mean "short circuiting" the justice system. Having been in custody since March last year, Chan has already served 13 months. The length of the sentence means Chan would likely not be freed until after the extradition law change -- now winding its way through the city's legislature -- comes into effect. The government have pointed to the murder as a reason for why the law must be swiftly changed. But opponents fear the city's pro-Beijing establishment is using the killing to push through the deeply unpopular extradition move. They argue Hong Kong should cooperate with Taiwan directly or consider trying homicide cases involving Hong Kong permanent residents at home. Historically Hong Kong has baulked at mainland extraditions because of the opacity of China's criminal justice system and its liberal use of the death penalty. But the current administration of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam argues it is time to bring some form of extradition parity with the mainland. The planned changes sparked a huge protest Sunday, the largest Hong Kong has seen since mass pro-democracy protests in 2014. In response to the backlash Lam's administration has excluded some economic crimes from the extradition proposals and says political dissidents will not be at risk. But they have vowed to press ahead with the law change. Critics say they have little faith in the administration's assurances at a time when the city's leaders have cracked down on dissent, jailed protest leaders and banned opponents from standing for election. (source: france24.com) MALAYSIA: Thai national, 19, charged with murdering countryman in Seremban A 19-year-old Thai man who works at a restaurant here was charged with murdering another Thai national on Monday (April 29). The accused, Alsu Nichi, was charged with murdering 24-year-old Abdul Rosah Jaru behind the restaurant in Taman Bukit Emas here at 9.30pm on April 21. No plea was recorded from the accused. Nichi allegedly stabbed the victim in the neck with a knife after he was punched in the face, following an argument. Restaurant patrons then caught the suspect and handed him to the cops, who arrived minutes later. He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the death penalty upon conviction. Magistrate Mahyum Yusof then fixed May 31 for re-mention, pending the post-mortem and chemistry reports. She also ordered the accused be sent to the Puncak Alam correctional facility, since he is aged below 21. (source: The Star) PHILIPPINES: SC affirms guilty verdict vs. suspect in Tacurong car bomb attack The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) convicting the suspect in the car bomb attack in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat 4 years ago. In a 9-page resolution dated March 6 penned by Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang, the SC’s Third Division said Datu Karim Masdal’s acts constituted the complex crime of double murder, warranting the imposition of the maximum penalty for murder. The blast which targeted Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu's vehicle convoy also killed Maguindanao provincial board member Datu Russman Sinsuat Sr. and civilian Raffy Pareñas. The Court also affirmed the appellate court’s order for Masdal to pay PHP300,000 as civil, moral and exemplary damages
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April 28 CHINA: Of life and death: Xiao Yang, former head of China’s Supreme People’s Court, dies at 80 Legal scholars and lawyers have been mourning the death of Xiao Yang, the former president of China’s Supreme People’s Court who is best remembered for his reforms on capital punishment and efforts to increase transparency within the judiciary. The country’s top judge for a decade until 2008, Xiao died on April 19 at the age of 80 after a period of illness. A photograph shared on social media of him laughing at the 2008 National People’s Congress in Beijing – China’s rubber-stamp parliament and an event not normally associated with joviality – has provided a backdrop for people to pay their last respects. “[Xiao] was fairly open-minded and well recognised by people inside and outside the government,” said Xu Xin, a law professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology, who represents people involved in politically sensitive legal cases. “His efforts to reform the death penalty system saved numerous lives and his push for judicial openness is still being implemented … [His work] has become part of the basis for building a fairer judicial system.” Xiao initiated a series of reforms while head of the top court, the most significant being the restoration of its right of review cases where the sentence is capital punishment. He also openly slammed the decades-long tradition of holding trials in secret, effectively paving the way for public access to almost all courtrooms. As the first formally trained judge to hold the most senior position in China’s judicial system, Xiao pushed to have the entry requirements for judges raised – as many incumbents had little or no professional education – and called for greater independence for the judiciary. In another, symbolic, move in 2000 he introduced black robes as the official garb for all Chinese judges, replacing their former military-style outfits. China risks ‘legitimacy of Party’s regime’ without changes While the boldness of Xiao’s reforms is noted to this day, the fact he was able to make them reflects the political situation at the time, according to Jerome Cohen, a professor at New York University and an expert in Chinese law. “Xiao Yang’s era allowed him more scope than in the current, Zhou Qiang, era,” he said, referring to the Supreme People’s Court incumbent president who worked under Xiao. “In both cases, statutory, institutional and procedural reforms always have to be cloaked in obeisance to the [Communist] party line and, more sinisterly, adherence to the line in handling concrete cases,” he said. Zhou, who has been China’s top judge since 2013, sparked huge controversy with his rejection of the Western model of judicial independence and constitutional democracy. Criticism of him peaked in 2017, when dozens of Chinese law scholars and lawyers called for his resignation. Despite their protests, in its annual work report for that year, the top court actually boasted how it had upheld China’s national security with the jailing of rights activists and the lawyers who represented them. Tian Feilong, a law professor at Beijing’s Beihang University, said that while most of the reforms initiated by Xiao more than a decade ago were still being implemented, their impact had been lessened by greater party controls on the judiciary. “The things he started haven’t been put on hold, but they are under greater scrutiny by the political system and look less convincing … the party plays a bigger role in all aspects of public life now, not just the legal system,” he said. (source: Yahoo News) PHILIPPINES: Death for drug pushers – Jinggoy Drug pushers should be subjected to the death penalty while drug users should be rehabilitated, according to candidate for senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada. “If the death penalty will be a deterrent, I am 100 % in favor of the death penalty, but it should only be for drug traffickers. Don’t include drug users,” he said at the Kapihan sa Quezon City on Saturday. Estrada added that there was still hope for drug pushers to stay away from drugs and change their lives. On the other hand, he said drug pushers could not be reformed anymore because they were driven by money. “Those drug users, they can still be reformed… Some underwent rehabilitation and now, they have jobs,” Estrada added. He said, “Drug Traffickers? How can you reform drug traffickers?… They are driven by money. For me, drug users can still change while it is impossible for drug pushers.” He is part of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP) slate for the Senate. The HnP is a group of candidates for senator who are in favor of President Rodrigo Duterte’s policies and programs. One of President Rodrigo Duterte’s programs was the crackdown on drugs that saw the death of more than 5,000 alleged drug users and drug pushers. Despite insisting that there were no
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April 27 MIDDLE EAST: Al-Qaeda vow to avenge beheadings carried out by Saudi Arabia earlier this week - claiming the men were executed 'to appease America' Al Qaeda's Yemen branch is vowing to avenge victims of a mass execution carried out by Saudia Arabia this week. The group's declaration is an indication that some of the 37 Saudis executed on terrorism-related charges were members of the Sunni militant group. Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as the branch is called, posted a statement on militant-linked websites on Friday, accusing Saudi of offering the blood of the 'noble children of the nation just to appease America.' The statement says they will 'never forget about their blood and we will avenge them'. US ally Saudi Arabia executed 37 suspects convicted on terrorism-related charges on Tuesday. Most were believed to be Shiites but at least one was believed to be a Sunni militant. His body was pinned to a pole in public as a warning to others. The victims of the mass execution pleaded with judges before being killed, saying that their confessions were false and obtained under torture, trial documents revealed. Of the 37 men beheaded on Tuesday, many had attempted to convince the courts they had been tortured and even pledged their loyalty to King Salman in desperation. The body of one of was crucified after his execution and put on public display, according to local media reports. Some of those executed on terror charges included men who were just teenagers when they were arrested for attending protests. Court documents obtained by CNN from trials for 34 of the men showed many had repeatedly denied the veracity of their 'confessions.' Fourteen were convicted of forming a 'terror cell' in the city of Awamiya after anti-government demonstrations in 2011 and 2012. One of the condemned - Munir al-Adam - is recorded as saying: 'Those aren't my words. I didn't write a letter. This is defamation written by the interrogator with his own hand.' Al-Adam was just 23 when he was arrested at a government checkpoint in April 2012. He was beaten on the soles of his feet and had to crawl on his hands and knees for days. As a 5-year-old boy he had lost his hearing in one ear following an accident, but after torture he lost hearing in the other and was left totally deaf. The 27-year-old was executed on Tuesday. Two of those beheaded were just 16 and 17 when they were arrested - including one who was set to start a new life in the US at Western Michigan University. Mujtaba al-Sweikat, then 17, was severely beaten all over his body, including on the soles of his feet, before 'confessing' to crimes including attending protests in 2012. In 2017, staff at the university said the English language and pre-finance studies student showed 'great promise' and called for him to be released. Abdulkarim al-Hawaj, 21, was the youngest executed, 4 years after being arrested in the country's Shia-majority Eastern province for spreading information about protests on WhatsApp. Under international law, putting to death anyone who was under 18 at the time of the crime is strictly prohibited. Human rights charity Reprieve said al-Hawaj was beaten, tortured with electricity and chained with his hands above his head until he 'confessed' to his crimes. Reprieve said both men were sentenced to death at the end of 'sham trials' when they were denied access to lawyers. It claimed they were held for months in solitary confinement and their convictions were solely based on their 'confessions' which were extracted under torture. At his trial, al-Hawaj was convicted on cyber crime charges including spreading information on WhatsApp 'as proscribed by the cyber crime bill' and sentenced to death. Another victim, Hussein Mohammed al-Musallam, said in court: 'Nothing in these confessions is correct and I cannot prove that I was forced to do it. But medical reports ... show the effects of torture on my body.' State-run media said on Tuesday those executed had 'adopted extremist ideologies and formed terrorist cells with the aim of spreading chaos and provoking sectarian strife'. The U.N. human rights chief condemned the beheadings, saying most were minority Shi'ite Muslims who may not have had fair trials and at least three were minors when sentenced. The sentences were carried out in Riyadh, the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, central Qassim province and Eastern Province, home to the country's Shiite minority. Three other prisoners who were under 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher, remain on death row. Al-Marhoon told Reprieve he was tortured and made to sign a blank document, to which Saudi officials then added his 'confession'. Those who were executed on Tuesday had been sentenced 'for adopting terrorist and extremist thinking and for forming terrorist cells to
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April 26 UNITED KINGDOM: A third of Tory MPs want to bring back the death penalty 1/3 of Tory MPs support the reintroduction of capital punishment in the UK, Yahoo News can reveal. An exclusive poll of MPs carried out by YouGov found that 18% of Conservative MPs strongly support bringing back the death penalty and 13% somewhat support doing so. The poll has shocked activists, who have condemned MPs for “hankering after the return of a grotesque and cold-blooded ritual”. Not a single Labour MP said they support bringing back capital punishment. In November, Conservative MP John Hayes urged the Government to consider bringing back hacking for perpetrators of violent crimes in response to the Westminster Bridge attacked carried out by Khalid Masood. Mr Hayes said the option “should be available to the courts” in cases such as Masood’s, and it would have been “appropriate” to hang him if he had survived the attack. Amnesty International condemned the MPs who support the reintroduction of the death penalty. Commenting on the poll, Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK’s Director, told Yahoo: “The vast majority of countries in the world have stopped using the death penalty in recognition of its cruelty and the ever-present danger of miscarriages of justice. “We would urge any MP still hankering after a return of the grotesque ritual of cold-bloodedly condemning people to be hanged to consult our latest global report on the death penalty. “It shows in case after case how people around the world are still being sentenced to death arbitrarily, after unfair trials - sometimes involving false confessions - and even for political reasons. “Do we really want the UK to join China, Saudi Arabia and Iran in the dwindling band of countries that still execute their citizens? “The death penalty is a cruel relic of the past and there should be no place for it in the modern world.” The last execution in the UK took place in 1964 when Gwynne Evans and Peter Allen were hanged for murder. The Government’s policy is to oppose the reintroduction of the death penalty. The most recent official briefing paper, published in 2015, says: “It is the longstanding policy of the UK to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. “There is a growing international momentum towards abolition of the death penalty - in the past two decades we have seen a significant rise in the number of countries becoming abolitionist, and we are keen to see this trend continue.” YouGov’s most recent poll of the public, carried out in 2014, found 45% of Brits support the reintroduction of the death penalty. (source: Yahoo News) INDIA: HC upholds death sentence for murder of family The Punjab and Haryana high court has upheld death sentence of Fatehgarh Sahib resident for killing 4 members of a family, including 2 children, in 2004. The convict, Khushwinder Singh, had killed Kulwant Singh (40), his wife Harjit Kaur (38), their daughter Ramandeep Kaur (16) and son Avrinder Singh (14) in June 2004 by pushing them into the Sirhind canal. Khushwinder had revealed details of the 2004 murders during interrogation after his arrest for murders of another 6 people in similar fashion in 2012. He is already on death row for the 2012 murders. “The present case falls within the ambit of rarest of rare cases. The appellant has killed 4 persons, including 2 minor children. Whether the extreme penalty of death sentence is to be awarded, a balance sheet of aggravating and mitigating circumstances has to be drawn up,” said the high court division bench, comprising Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill, after dismissing the appeal filed by Khushwinder challenging his death sentence. The high court said the prosecution has proved its case against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt and the trial court had correctly appreciated the oral as well as documentary evidence. “The case though based on circumstantial evidence, the chain is complete. The motive attributed to the appellant is that he wanted to grab money of Kulwant Singh, who had recently sold land. The appellant had taken Kulwant and his family to Bhakra canal on the pretext of receiving blessings from some “Baba.” He pushed them into the canal on June 3, 2004 while they were offering prayers. Bodies of Kulwant and his daughter Ramandeep were recovered. However, the bodies of his wife and son were never recovered,” the high court observed while upholding the sentence. Special CBI court in Mohali had on August 28, 2018 ordered that Khushwinder should be hanged by the neck till he is dead for the murders and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him. (source: The Times of India) *** HC sends death penalty ruling back to trial court 3 years after a Thane cour awarded death penalty to a man for raping and murdering a 7-year-old girl, the Bombay
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April 26 SAUDI ARABIA: Will the Saudi Crown Prince's legacy only be executions and imprisonment? The execution of 37 prisoners in Saudi Arabia is a scathing indictment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's 'liberalising reforms'. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia put 37 of its citizens to death in the single largest mass execution the Kingdom has ordered since January 2016 when 47 people were beheaded, including a prominent Shia cleric, Nimr al Nimr, who was well-liked by Iran for his anti-establishment rhetoric against their Arab rival. While the death penalty is a punishment still practised by many developing and developed countries around the world, including the United States, what is most concerning about these executions is that they occurred during the reign of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, better known as MBS, a man already infamous for jailing dissidents and ordering extrajudicial killings. Crushing dissent, sending a message Again, this time, the majority of those executed appear to be from the Shia minority. Interestingly, however, the executions swiftly followed an attack by 4 Sunni Daesh extremists who died after attacking a security installation north of the capital Riyadh. While it is tempting to frame these executions as being motivated by sectarianism, this is highly unlikely as the most shocking display of state violence was reserved for a Sunni death row inmate. It, therefore, appears clear that Riyadh wanted to send a general message. Khalid bin Abdulkarim al Tuwaijiri was beheaded, and his headless body was crucified and put on display for several hours as a grim message designed to deter anyone else from following in his footsteps. According to Saudi-funded and Emirates-based Alarabiya, Tuwaijiri has been on death row since 2007 after he killed and then beheaded his uncle who was an officer in the Saudi security establishment on behalf of Al Qaeda. His accomplice, Aziz al-Umari, was also beheaded during the same mass execution. While their rhetoric is rooted in sectarian division, the analysis of some, including human rights organisations, that Saudi Arabia’s bloody executions are motivated by sectarianism is incorrect. We cannot ignore the fact that the majority of the most prominent political dissidents currently languishing in Saudi dungeons are conservative Sunni clerics who opposed MBS’ “liberalisation” reforms. These reforms are laughable considering the sheer body count MBS has amassed since deciding Saudi needed to relax its more hardline tendencies. Amongst those who have died at the altar of MBS’ liberalisation drive was the vicious extrajudicial slaying of columnist Jamal Khashoggi that shocked the world last year. Riyadh is now also seeking the death penalty against prominent Saudi Sunni cleric Salman al-Awda, who was imprisoned after a mild-mannered social media post which shows absolutely no one is safe from MBS’ cruel grasp. It is a mistruth peddled by the Saudi Arabian regime that they are the defenders of Sunni Islam against a growing Shia threat emanating from Iran. The Saudi royal family and their army of pro-regime scholars who issue fatwas, or religious edicts, at the whim of their masters, use their Sunni identity and custodianship of Islam’s two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, in order to silence critical voices and to gather and maintain support amongst the Sunni majority across the Arab and Islamic world who are rightly concerned about Iranian expansionism. However, Saudi Sunni protectionism is a myth and cannot be farther from the truth. Days before the executions, the Saudi authorities granted one of the highest honours in Islam to a radical Iraqi Shia cleric and pro-Iran militia leader, Sami al Masoudi, by allowing him to enter the Kaabah in the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Aside from running the Iran-linked Promise of Allah militia, Masoudi currently serves as an advisor to the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) whose litany of sectarian murders against Sunnis has been well-documented. He also famously threatened vengeance against the Saudi regime after they executed Shia cleric Nimr in 2016. Despite all this, he was allowed to enter the sacred building that is the focal point of 1.8 billion Muslims’ daily prayers. All of this proves that Riyadh does not care about what sect or religion someone follows, as long as that someone does not interfere with their ambitions, which right now, appear to be the complete reversal of the Arab Spring and fomenting closer ties with Israel at the expense of the long-standing plight of the Palestinian people. A bloody legacy MBS and, let us never forget, his father King Salman bin Abdulaziz, have accomplished very little that is positive since coming to power and will leave behind a legacy of mass imprisonment, unfair trials, dubious executions, and failed wars – the humanitarian disaster that is now Yemen is a case in
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April 25 PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Death penalty debate finds new life The debate on the implementation of the death penalty is timely and should be encouraged, outgoing Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Davis Steven says. “The question is whether it’s available, whether it can be enforced,” he said after explaining that it was part of the country’s laws. “The judges say it can be because they have imposed judgments with penalties reflecting the death penalty. The executive arm of the Government under the prime minister did what it could to help our authorities, mainly the commissioner for correctional institutions, to decide on the method that should be employed in executing death penalty orders.” Steven said the delay became one of a mixture of political will and also the implementation and the resourcing constraints. “One of the final National Executive Council submissions I’ve signed is to give the NEC an information paper, an update on where this issue is with a strong recommendation that we begin to enforce the death penalty. “The current government has recognised the importance of this particular law or provision of law as a deterrent to the rising crime situation. That’s now before Cabinet again as one of my final submissions which I will not be there to deliberate on. “In one of the amendments that we have made to the criminal code in the last term of parliament is to make death penalty applicable to thefts, of cases of stealing of public monies that exceed the amount of K10 million.” Steven said this Government had tried to push some of the amendments as part of its commitment to fighting corruption. He said the national coordination mechanism had the death penalty matter as an agenda in the next meeting. “I have requested for the report to the law and justice sector ministerial committee meeting because I find two years of inaction totally unacceptable at the bureaucratic level,” Steven said. “Somebody has to tell me why we are delaying this, especially when the National Executive Council and this Government had spent money for some high-level official enquiry or visit throughout the world and they came up with reports.” (source: The National) NORTH KOREA: North Korea ‘executed 4 officials’ after failed US summit, report claims North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the execution by firing squad of 4 foreign ministry officials after the failure of his Hanoi summit with Donald Trump, a report has claimed. The officials were reportedly executed after the February talks between North Korea and the US came to an end without any deal being made. Pyongyang had accused the 4 officials of selling information to Washington before the Hanoi summit, according to a Japanese news agency. The executions, which included a diplomat from North Korea’s embassy in Hanoi, have not been verified. Asia Press claimed its reporter spoke to a trade official who was told the rumour about the executions. It is claimed that the executions were watched by members of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and Korean People’s Army. The Hanoi summit had the aim of achieving denuclearisation on the Korean Peninusla and North Korea was hoping to have its sanctions lifted. When the talks failed, Washington insisted that dialogue with North Korea would continue and that the collapse was not a major disappointment. Following the summit, President Trump said: “Kim is a person I’ve gotten to know very well, and respect and hopefully, and I really believe over a period of time, a lot of tremendous things will happen. “I think North Korea has a tremendous potential.” Kim arrived in Russia on Wednesday, April 24 to discuss bilateral ties with President Vladimir Putin. North Korea’s leader has said he was hoping for a “successful and useful” visit where he hopes to discuss the situation in the Korean Peninsula. (source News) BANGLADESH: Death penalty for 2 war criminalsTribunal convicts them of committing genocide in Netrakona in 1971 The International Crimes Tribunal-1 Tuesday handed down death penalty to 2 Netrakona men after holding them guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War. They were members of local Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force of Pakistan army, and directly took part in crimes like confinement, torture, killing and an act of genocide that left 7 Hindus dead. “Both the accused are found to have collaborated with the Pakistan occupation army in conducting attacks with extreme aggression and antagonism that resulted in barbaric crimes like crimes against humanity and genocide,” the tribunal said. The convicted criminals are -- Hedayet Ullah Anju, 80, and Sohrab Fakir, 88. Of them, Sohrab is now in jail while Hedayet is on the run. The 3rd accused -- Enayet Ullah Manju, 70, a brother of Anju, died of old age complications in custody on January 25, 2017 and
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April 24 SINGAPORE: Indonesian faces death penalty A month after starting work for a family in Telok Kurau, an Indonesian maid became so homesick and filled with longing for her lover in Hong Kong, that she hatched a “ruthless plan” to kill her employer. Daryati, 26, wanted to get her passport that was kept in a safe and to steal money from a locked drawer so that she can return home, prosecutors told the High Court yesterday on the first day of her murder trial. She is facing the death penalty for stabbing and slashing Seow Kim Choo, 59, on June 7, 2016, leaving Seow with 98 knife wounds, most of which were on her head and neck. In opening its case against Daryati, the prosecution cited her own words that she had written in her diary. The translated entry read: “I must carry out this plan quickly. I have to be brave even though (a) life is at stake. I am ready to face all risks/consequences, whatever the risk, I must be ready to accept it.” Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Kok Weng said these chilling words were in effect an “ex-ante” (before the event) confession of the “brutal and cold-blooded” killing which she would eventually perpetrate. He said the prosecution will rely on Daryati’s police statements, in which she confessed to, among other things, slitting Seow’s neck and stabbing her multiple times. Seow lived in the 3-storey house with her husband, 2 adult sons, daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren. Daryati started working for the family on April 13, 2016. Her passport was kept in a safe in the master bedroom and only Seow and her husband, Ong Thiam Soon, had the keys. The DPP said Daryati devised a plan to kill Seow as early as May 12 so that she can retrieve her passport, steal money and return to Indonesia. Daryati roped in the 2nd maid in the household to help, but did not say that the plan involved murder. In the days before she stabbed Seow, whom she later described to police as “a very nice person”, Daryati hid weapons on the second floor of the 3-storey house, said the DPP. On June 7, hiding a knife in her clothing, Daryati went up to the master bedroom with a pair of trousers she had ironed for Seow. In the room, Daryati whipped out the knife and demanded the return of her passport. When Seow shouted, Daryati dragged her into the toilet, closed the door and repeatedly slashed and stabbed her neck, head and face until Seow collapsed on the floor. To ensure she was dead, Daryati retrieved the short knife she had hidden under the sink and repeatedly stabbed Seow in the neck, said the DPP. By this time, Ong had entered the master bedroom and used a screwdriver to open the toilet door. When the door opened, Daryati attacked Ong by stabbing his neck. He managed to disarm her but when he went to check on Seow, Daryati retrieved the knife and stabbed him on the neck a 2nd time. Ong eventually restrained Daryati and tied her hands with cable ties. A psychiatric report said Daryati was suffering from adjustment disorder at the time but this did not amount to a major mental disorder that would diminish her responsibility for her actions. (sources: The Straits Times/Asia News Network) INDIA: Convicts’ mental status and gallows Can a convict on death row, subsequently developing mental illness of one form or the other, be justified to be hanged all goes against the basic tenets of the justice as such a state of one’s health must, as a natural corollary, save one from going to gallows. In a landmark judgment, a 3 Judges Bench headed by Justice NV Ramana came in as a messiah for a condemned prisoner due to his suffering from such an ailment and was instead awarded a jail term for the remainder of his life. It therefore has set precedence and a legal guidance in respect of such people who were condemned but developed severe mental disorders post conviction as they would now be spared from the hangman’s noose. Such an illness would be a sufficient ground as mitigating factor in respect of the capital punishment. The entire issue raised complex and intricate legal, social and health related questions which connects such illness and the crime and how culpability could be established. The Supreme Court, therefore has clarified and explained the issue without any ambiguities to guide the interpreters of law over the subject. Now, it is again an academic issue whether even life imprisonment was justified to such a person as the very purpose of awarding punishment was to make the convict realise the consequences of the violation of the law. How could a mental patient realise that? That could be merely more of an academic nature rather than of a legal one. (source: Daily Excelsior) SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia executes 37 people, crucifying one, for terror-related crimes Saudi Arabia has executed 37 men convicted of terror-related crimes, the kingdom's official news agency said Tuesday.
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April 23 BANGLADESH: Nusrat murder: Relatives of accused seek capital punishment for murderMadrasa student and Alim examinee Nusrat lost her battle for life, 5 days after she was set afire on April 6, an incident that touched off outrage all over the country Relatives of the accused in the murder case of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi, demanded exemplary punishment of the killers. Shahidul Islam, the father of Umme Sultana Poppy, who was directly involved in the killing, said his daughter fell in the trap of the institution's jailed principal SM Siraj-ud-Daula. He said on Monday his daughter should be punished for committing the crime. He added though Siraj is his brother-in-law, he hates him for the incident. Fatema Begum, the mother of Shahadat Hossain Shamim, one of the prime accused in the murder case of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, said : "I want capital punishment of my son." "I am feeling shame being a mother of a culprit son, " she added. Rahmat Ullah, father of Javed Hossain alias Sakhawat Hossain Javed, who was directly involved with the murder, said his son was very simple in character. He alleged that the madrasa principal used him as a tool to commit the crime. "I also demand punishment of my son as he has committed the crime," he added. Meanwhile, demonstrators under the banner of several organizations in Feni organized protest rally demanding a judicial inquiry into the role of police over the Nusrat murder. Madrasa student and Alim examinee Nusrat lost her battle for life, 5 days after she was set afire on April 6, an incident that touched off outrage all over the country. A group of 5 people poured kerosene on the 18-year-old girl and set her afire allegedly for refusing to withdraw a case against the principal of the madrasa over sexual assault on her late last month. (source: Dhaka Tribune) IRELAND: 65 years ago today, Ireland executed a person for the last time On April 20, 1954, Michael Manning, a 25-year-old man from Limerick, became the 29th and last person to be legally executed in Ireland. By 1964 the death penalty was abolished for all cases apart from the murder of police, diplomats, and prison officers. It was abolished by statute for the remaining offenses in 1990 and was expunged from the Constitution of Ireland by referendum in 2001. The Limerick man, the last man executed at the hands of the state, was found guilty of the rape and murder of Catherine Cooper (65) who worked at Barrington’s Hospital, in the city. The crime took place in February 1953. He was found by police because he left a distinctive hat at the scene of the crime. He had been married just the year before the crime and his only child was born just weeks before his execution. Manning blamed his actions on “too much drink.” The statement in police files describes Manning movements on the day of the crime, November 18, 1953. It lists the pubs that served him drink and recounts how he had been refused by the barmaid at the Munster Fair Tavern. His trial opened on February 15, 1954, and lasted only 3 days. The trial was widely attended and hundreds of people gathered outside the courthouse. The defense team had claimed insanity and claimed the charges should be dropped to manslaughter as Manning had not planned the attack ahead of time. However, the prosecution said that Manning had changed his routine to give himself more time to commit the crime. While there was a history of mental health issues in his family the judge sided with the prosecution and told the jury to discard the argument, as he claimed the fact that Manning has shoved clods of grass into the victim’s mouth to stop her screaming showed he was aware of the crime he was committing. After just 3 hours of deliberation, he was sentenced to death despite the fact that the victim’s family had petitioned to court to show him mercy. When he was found guilty he is said to have “paled visibly.” Manning was the 1st person to be condemned to death since 1948. The Limerick man wrote a letter to the Government begging for a reprieve. He wrote: “I ask the Minister for Justice to show his mercy upon me as it is so near to Easter and Good Friday and it is our Holy Mother’s year. I am not afraid to die as I am fully prepared to go before my God, but it is on behalf of my wife as she is so young and so near the birth of our baby. “Instead of one life being taken there could be three as it would be a big shock to my wife if the execution will be carried out on the date mentioned [April 20]. So I would be grateful to you if you showed your mercy toward my wife and me.” After Mass and Holy Communion on Sunday before his execution, Manning played handball with other inmates. They noted that he seemed completely normal. A fellow inmate of Manning's recalled later, “Friends of mine who worked with me, I was serving my time at the time, went up to visit
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April 23 INDONESIA: 'Homesick' Indonesian maid faces death penalty for murdering employer A month after starting work for a family in Telok Kurau, an Indonesian maid became so homesick and filled with longing for her lover in Hong Kong, that she hatched a "ruthless plan" to kill her employer. Daryati, 26, wanted to get her passport that was kept in a safe and to steal money from a locked drawer so that she can return home, prosecutors told the High Court on Tuesday (April 23) on the 1st day of her murder trial. She is facing the death penalty for stabbing and slashing Madam Seow Kim Choo on June 7, 2016, leaving the 59-year-old woman with 98 knife wounds, most of which were on her head and neck. Daryati is the 1st foreign domestic worker to be tried for murder since Filipina Flor Contemplacion was hanged in 1995 for murdering a fellow maid and her 4-year-old charge. In opening its case against Daryati, the prosecution cited her own words that she had written in her diary. The translated entry read: "I must carry out this plan quickly. I have to be brave even though life is at stake. I am ready to face all risks/consequences, whatever the risk, I must be ready to accept it. I hope that this plan succeed and run smoothly. "My employer's family is my target DEATH!!!" Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Kok Weng said these chilling words were in effect an "ex-ante" (a Latin phrase meaning "before the event") confession of the "brutal and cold-blooded" killing which she would eventually perpetrate. He said the prosecution will rely on Daryati's police statements, in which she confessed to, among other things, slitting Madam Seow's neck and stabbing her multiple times. Madam Seow lived in the 3-storey house with her husband, 2 adult sons, daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren. Daryati started working for the family on April 13, 2016. Her passport was kept in a safe in the master bedroom and only Madam Seow and her husband, Mr Ong Thiam Soon, then 57, had the keys. Madam Seow also held the keys to a drawer on the 1st floor, where cash was kept. The DPP said Daryati devised a plan to kill Madam Seow as early as May 12 so that she can retrieve her passport, steal money and return to Indonesia. Daryati roped in the 2nd maid in the household to help, but did not say that the plan involved murder. She told the other Indonesian, Ms Don Hayati, 27, to distract Mr Ong and then turn off the closed circuit TV and electricity supply, so that they can steal money and escape while he was trying to restart the power. She also told Ms Hayati to alert her when Madam Seow's brother came to the house, having observed that he would bring large amounts of cash whenever he visited. In her diary on June 2, Daryati drew a map of the house, plotting the path she would take to get her passport and her escape route. In the days before she stabbed Madam Seow, whom she later described to police as "a very nice person", Daryati hid weapons on the 2nd floor of the 3-storey house, the DPP told the court. She hid a Kukri knife at the walk-in wardrobe of the master bedroom, a hammer in a study table on the 2nd floor, and a short knife in a basket under the sink of the master bedroom toilet, said the DPP. The knives were intended to be used to attack Madam Seow and the hammer to hit daughter-in-law Rowena Yeo if she came down from the 3rd floor, said the DPP. On June 7, Daryati carried out the plan after she verified that Madam Seow's brother came by and was counting cash on the 1st floor. She made her move only after Madam Yeo, then 24, and her 2 children had gone up to the 3rd floor, and after Madam Seow's brother and 2 sons had left the house, said the DPP. Hiding a knife in her clothing, Daryati went up to the master bedroom with a pair of trousers she had ironed for Madam Seow. On her way up, she said "jaga bawah", or guard downstairs, to Ms Hayati, who has not been charged over her involvement. After handing Madam Seow the trousers, Daryati whipped out the knife and demanded the return of her passport. When Madam Seow shouted, Daryati dragged her employer to the toilet, closed the door and repeatedly slashed and stabbed her neck, head and face until the older woman collapsed on the floor. To ensure Madam Seow was dead, Daryati retrieved the short knife she had hidden under the sink, squatted down and repeatedly stabbed her employer in the neck until she was motionless, said the DPP. "The accused had clearly intended to cause the death of the deceased by her vicious attack," said the DPP. By this time, Mr Ong had entered the master bedroom and was calling out for his wife. As there was no response, he became worried and used a screwdriver to open the toilet door. When the door opened, Daryati attacked Mr Ong by stabbing his neck. He managed to disarm her but when he went to check on Madam Seow, Daryati retrieved the knife and
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April 22 IRAQnew death sentences Iraqi court sentences 4 Daesh terrorists to death An Iraqi court has sentenced 4 members of Daesh organization to death by hanging over their participation in terrorist attacks in Iraq and Syria. The Karkh Criminal Court in Baghdad handed Daesh terrorists the death penalty for conducting a number of terrorist attacks against security forces and civilians in Iraq and Syria with the purpose to destabilize the security situation there, Alghad Press website quoted the Supreme Judicial Council media center as stating in a press statement on Sunday. The statement emphasized, "Despite their arrest in Syria, the terrorists were tried in Iraq after having been handed over by the Syrian Democratic Forces for being wanted by Iraqi judiciary". Iraqi courts have sentenced a number of Daesh terrorists, including a big number of female members, to death over participating with the terrorist organization. (source: menafn.com) ___ 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
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April 20 SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka interviews dozens of aspiring hangmen after restoring death penaltyFormer recruits have failed to show up to work or quit after one look at the gallows, but Sri Lanka's President is determined to find two hangmen to send thousands of prisoners to their deaths. Sri Lanka wants to start executing convicted drug traffickers as soon as possible, but it is having trouble hiring a hangman. The job was traditionally handed down from father to son, but during a 42-year moratorium on the death penalty, it has been harder to keep someone in the job. A recently employed executioner resigned in shock after seeing the gallows for the 1st time. His replacement never showed up to work. But the moratorium is due to end any day now, with President Maithripala Sirisena vowing to start hanging drug traffickers. Nearly 50 men have been interviewed this month for 2 positions as hangmen. President Sirisena said he has been inspired by Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drug crime. On a visit to the Philippines in January, he hailed Mr Duterte's violent crackdown as "an example to the world". "Drug menace is rampant in my country and I feel that we should follow your footsteps to control this hazard," Mr Sirisena said during a meeting with Mr Duterte. Mr Duterte's policy has seen more than 5,000 people killed in police anti-drug raids since 2016 and prompted widespread condemnation over extrajudicial killings. The illicit drug trade is a problem in the island nation of Sri Lanka, which is used as a South Asian transit point for traffickers. Earlier this month, police publicly destroyed 770 kilograms of seized drugs as President Sirisena looked on. More than 100 men apply to be Sri Lanka's hangmen The Government began its recruitment drive for hangmen with an advertisement in the local papers in February. More than 100 people applied for the job — including 1 American. He was immediately excluded because foreigners are not eligible. Only men between 18 and 45 are eligible for the position, which pays about $280 a month. The ad stated that applicants must have "excellent moral character" and "mental strength" to be considered for the job. Prisons Commissioner TM Jayasiri Wijenath, who only took on the job last month, said applicants will undergo psychological testing. He also noted that because it has been so long since the death penalty was used, Sri Lanka will have to import training for the hangmen. "We have to take consultancy and professional training from a foreign country. We have no preferences, but we have identified many countries, like Pakistan," Mr Wijenath said. The Government imported a hangman's rope from Pakistan several years ago, but it's never been used. "Already we have a rope, but we have to check whether it's ok or not," Mr Wijenath said. Sri Lanka's death row prisoners face an unclear future Despite the decades-long moratorium, Sri Lankan judges have never stopped handing down the death penalty for serious crimes like murder. Until now, the sentence has been commuted to life in prison. But President Sirisena wants to resume executing criminals on death row as soon as possible, and his top priority is drug traffickers — murderers will have to wait their turn. About 1,300 prisoners are on death row in Sri Lanka, and 17 convicted drug traffickers including one woman have been earmarked for the first round of executions. Sri Lanka has quietly decided not to execute any of the foreign nationals, mostly Pakistani, on death row for drug trafficking. Human rights advocates want to know why the identities of the condemned are being kept secret. "All we have is a number; we don't know their names, we're not in touch with their families," said Amnesty International South Asia director Biraj Patnaik. "We have no idea whether they had a fair trial, we have no idea whether these trials took place under circumstances where the evidence was obtained under torture," Mr Patnaik said. "Sri Lanka has been criticised for its track record of using torture for extracting confessions." Some Asian countries follow Duterte's lead Mr Sirisena's decision to lift the moratorium on the death penalty is at odds with his own Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe's stance on the issue, and has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights groups. A statement issued by the European Union and also signed by Australia and Canada called on Sri Lanka not to reinstate capital punishment. "The death penalty is an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity," the statement said. President Sirisena has promised that the first executions will be carried out soon. "Because of the fact that there's so much secrecy surrounding these executions, we have absolutely no idea of the timeline," said Biraj Patnaik. "Which is really extraordinary because it denies the people on
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April 19 GLOBAL: The death penalty? Kill it off, around the world Newspaper columnist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing is the latest high-profile example of a sovereign meting out extreme justice and capital punishment. CIA analysts concluded that Khashoggi was brutally killed last October inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey. And, shockingly, it was legal. One reason the Saudis have not faced international retribution in the courts or official diplomatic blowback for the killing is simple: Death is a legal form of punishment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Like it or not, the sentence was handed down, perhaps by Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself, and the cruel execution was conducted within the consulate and on what is arguably Saudi Arabia’s diplomatically sovereign territory. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan argues that the murder was committed on territory that is physically and geographically in Turkey, a NATO ally that gave up its own death penalty in a 2004 bid to join the European Union. But the reality is that Erdogan will respect the conventional inviolability of a foreign embassy and consulate in a centuries-old tradition that gives safe passage and protection to diplomatic missions. To act otherwise would be to breach not only diplomatic protocol — it would also put at risk the protections of Turkey’s own diplomatic missions overseas. Instead of seeking to overturn a generally accepted and mostly desirable practice afforded to foreign missions, there is really only one way to make future Khashoggi-type killings infrequent and universally unacceptable: Outlaw capital punishment. Make it illegal now. Here, there and everywhere. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is now in the national spotlight for using his powers to call for a death penalty moratorium. (Disclosure: My wife is California’s lieutenant governor and opposes capital punishment.) In 2016, a little over 1/2 of California voters decided to keep capital punishment. That referendum focused on the enormous moral, judicial and penal costs of capital punishment. Newsom sees his recent election as a popular affirmation of his strong and highly personal opposition to the death penalty. I have long argued against capital punishment on national-security grounds. Some of the most heinous criminals residing overseas never get extradited to the United States for punishment unless America is willing to cut a deal and spare these extreme criminals from the ultimate punishment. And it’s not just murderous terrorists who escape extradition. Edward Snowden remains out of reach, and it may keep Julian Assange off U.S. soil. Most recently, it was El Chapo who got immunity from the death penalty. In contrast, 737 individuals on California’s death row received no such deal by dint of getting caught for their horrific crimes within United States. This 2-tier system of justice is bad enough. For criminals, the lesson is simple: If you plan on hurting Americans, do it overseas. It’s not just geography that defines legal differences. It’s the crimes themselves. What’s legal in one place is punishable by death in another. Florida’s rules are not the same as Saudi Arabia’s. In some countries, political dissent or being gay is punishable by death. As a result, differences in legal norms and reasonable punishment cause diplomatic tension. It puts stress on relations between allies and strategically friendly nations. In America, it created absurd conditions for President Trump, who had to contort American policy and stretch to justify the inhumanity of Khashoggi’s death. Only one approach can harmonize global legal policies, stop cavalier killing and make the consequences of such actions palpable and universally accepted. Outlaw the death penalty. Everywhere. Not just in California and around the United States, but in capitals around the world. The good news is that the medieval practice is commonplace in only a few nations outside the United States: Iran, China, Pakistan, India, North Korea, Saudi Arabia for example. Clearly, this is not the best company for the United States to keep. Abolishing the death penalty globally would allow countries to join together in a common cause that does not threaten their sovereignty, but, rather, reinforces their global responsibility, shared humanity and respectable membership in a civilized community of nations. It won’t even require a massive legal movement or shift in policy. All these nations have already signed onto the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which rejects capital punishment. From a policy perspective, Trump has already recognized the unfairness of an unbalanced American justice system. That’s why he has commuted sentences and signed an important criminal justice bill. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, in his current role, can also apply sovereign mercy on a case-by-case basis today. An accepted and
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April 18 AFGHANISTAN: 2 sentenced to death for 2018 killing of Afghan journalist Abdul Manan Arghand The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the Afghan government to deliver justice through a fair and transparent process after 2 suspects were sentenced to death for the killing of Kabul News journalist Abdul Manan Arghand. The verdict was announced on April 16 by the Afghan attorney general's office, following the court's decision on April 6, according to local independent broadcaster TOLO News and Jamshid Rasooli, a spokesperson for the attorney general's office, who spoke to CPJ. The names of the 2 suspects have not been released, and the trial was not open to the public, according to Rasooli. "We applaud the government's efforts to end impunity in the murder of journalists in Afghanistan, which is one of the deadliest places in the world to be a journalist," said Robert Mahoney, CPJ's deputy executive director. "But justice delivered in darkness is not justice, especially when the state decides upon capital punishment. We urge the Afghan authorities to try suspects in open court in accordance with international human rights standards." The primary court's decision will be reviewed by a secondary court and by the Afghan supreme court, Rasooli told CPJ. Arghand, a reporter with the privately owned Kabul News television channel, was shot and killed by 2 unknown gunmen on April 25, 2018, while he was driving to work, according to CPJ reporting. He had previously received anonymous death threats and the Interior Ministry said the Taliban had marked Arghand as a target for assassination, CPJ reported. The 2 men who were sentenced to death were associated with the Taliban, Rasooli said. A court also convicted 3 men for killing Ahmad Shah, a reporter with the BBC's Afghan service who was killed in 2018, the BBC reported in January; one man was handed a death sentence, and the other 2 were sentenced to 30 years and 6 years in prison. The motive for Shah's killing remains unclear, according to the BBC and CPJ. CPJ is continuing to investigate the case. Afghanistan was the deadliest country for journalists last year and ranked 6th on CPJ's Impunity Index, which highlights states with the worst records of prosecuting the killers of journalists. (source: cpj.org) THAILAND: Couple may face death penalty for 'sea home' off Thai coast An American bitcoin investor could face the death penalty after Thailand's navy accused him of violating the country's sovereignty by building a "seastead" home off the coast, which he insisted was simply in pursuit of a vision of freedom. Chad Elwartowski and his Thai girlfriend, Supranee Thepdet, known as Bitcoin Girl Thailand, are facing charges of threatening the kingdom's independence after the authorities found their ocean-based home about 12 nautical miles from shore. But Elwartowski told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that their home was 13 nautical miles out, which he said is just outside Thailand's territorial waters. An official complaint was filed at a Phuket police station, Police Colonel Nikorn Somsuk confirmed yesterday. Col Nikorn told AFP: "The navy and its team... found a concrete tank floating on the sea but there was no one on it. So they filed a charge, citing Criminal Code Article 119." If the couple are officially charged and found guilty, the maximum sentence Elwartowski and Supranee could face is the death penalty. Col Nikorn said the navy would have to meet provincial officials "to consider what to do next". The Royal Thai Navy said on Facebook the couple "did not seek permission from Thailand" before constructing their home. Putting a call out to other interested investors also shows "they do not care about Thailand as a sovereign state". But Elwartowski, who worked as a software engineer for the US military in Afghanistan, Germany and South Korea, told AFP that he and Supranee just wanted to live somewhere free. "I like the idea of being able to vote with your home. If you don't like how your community is being run, you just float to a new one," he said. The bitcoin-rich couple are part of Ocean Builders, a community of entrepreneurs who aim to build permanent homes in waters outside of government territory. They had recently called for 20 interested investors for new seasteads to be built around their maiden platform, which is "just outside of Thailand's territorial waters", said Elwartowski. On April 10, he put out a call for people to invest in an Initial Seastead Offering (ISeaO), which would have launched last Monday. The ISeaO is now postponed, and Elwartowski said he and Supranee, whose English name is Nadia, just want to live together in peace. "We didn't do anything on the seastead that was not legal on land but the feeling of being free is just amazing." Some advocates of seasteading believe in creating "competing
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April 17 INDONESIA: UK surfer faces death penalty in Bali for medicinal cannabis possession A British man has revealed the sheer terror of facing time inside one of the world‘s most notorious prisons and the death penalty after his arrest in Bali last week. Pip Holmes, a 45-year-old father from Cornwall in England‘s southwest, was arrested on December 3 as he went to pick up a package sent from Thailand which contained bottles of cannabis oil. Indonesian police said he received nearly 31g of cannabis oil in the mail and could face the death penalty if convicted. Indonesia has strict drug laws and dozens of convicted smugglers are on death row. Mr Holmes, who describes himself as an artist and surfer, claims he was caught with just a tiny amount — around 3g — of medicinal THC oil, which he uses to treat his arthritis. “Marijuana makes a considerable difference to the pain — it‘s not a leisure activity for me,” he told the . “I knew what I was getting into … I knew there were very strict laws, but I chose to come here anyway because the surf is the best in the world. “It feels like a great injustice, but I‘m not in the UK, I‘m in Bali, so it‘s my own fault … I‘m afraid because I don‘t know how long it‘s going to be before I can hug my children again. They are the only thing keeping me going right now.” Pip Holmes said he went to Bali 2 months ago for the surf. Mr Holmes was 1 of 5 detained foreigners paraded by officials at a news conference in Denpasar, Indonesia last week. In a written statement, Mr Holmes said he had already been moved from a cramped police cell in Bali to a rehabilitation centre. He told supporters that “for the last few days, each morning I have woken up in a terrible nightmare” and asked for them to donate money to cover his legal fees. “I still can‘t believe that I‘m here and I feel sick with fear,” he wrote. “As it stands, I don‘t know if I‘m about to spend a few months in a rehabilitation or if I‘m about to face 5 to 15 years in Kerobokan — one of the toughest prisons on earth.” Pip Holmes was arrested on December 3 He said he wants to be able to hug his children for their future birthdays and Christmases In his desperate plea for help, Mr Holmes said he had been “very stupid” and that he “knew what (he) was getting into”. “This is Asia, it‘s not like the west. I am guilty under Indonesian law of possession of narcotics, there‘s no denying that,” he wrote. “Even though medicinal THC is something so widely accepted elsewhere and it was such a small amount, I foolishly crossed the line in a very strict country. “The only way now to ensure my sentence is something I will survive is to invest in the right legal representation and rehabilitation.” Mr Holmes said he was hoping to serve a short sentence in rehabilitation before being deported to the UK. Pip Holmes‘ full statement Thank you for taking time away from Christmas shopping and making plans for the holidays. I so wish I could spend this Christmas exchanging gifts and pulling crackers with my loved ones too but as I write these words, I have recently been moved from a cramped Balinese police cell to a rehab facility and although things are looking up, I have no idea what is going to happen to me next. My children have been sending me pictures and voice messages telling me about all the things they want to us do for their birthdays next spring. My family, friends and loved ones are constantly telling me that everything is going to be OK and that they‘re going to get me the help I need. They keep on saying I‘m the strongest person they know and I can get through this. But the truth is, I‘m afraid. I‘ve never been so afraid. It‘s hard to be strong when you read the words “death penalty” in the paper in relation to your story. I‘m also afraid because I don‘t know how long it‘s going to be before I can hug my children again. They are the only thing keeping me going right now. What I‘d give to read them a story. To surf … to paint … or even just to be able to have a shower. For the last few days, each morning I have woken up in a terrible nightmare. I still can‘t believe that I‘m here and I feel sick with fear. (source: clarksburgcaller.com) SRI LANKA: 13 prisoners at risk of 'imminent execution' in Sri Lanka warns Amnesty International At least 13 prisoners in Sri Lankan prisoners are “at risk of imminent execution” warned Amnesty International, as they launched an urgent action appeal this week. “After 43 years without using the death penalty, the President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, is reportedly planning to execute prisoners on death row,” said Amnesty. “There is completely secrecy around the dates identities of the prisoners who are expected to be imminently executed. No information about their case histories has been shared. It is unknown whether the individuals had fair trials, access to lawyers
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April 17 PAKISTAN: Murderer Get Death Penalty In Islamabad An Additional District and Sessions court Tuesday awarded death sentence to an accused involved in a murder case of Koral police limits. The Koral police produced the Challan of an accused Zaheer Ahmed s/o Muhammad Bakhsh resident of Attock in the court who allegedly murdered Yahya Hussain in February last year over a dispute. The court after listening to the arguments of both parties declared the accused guilty and awarded death sentence to him. The court also released an accomplice giving the benefit of doubt. (source: urdupoint.com) INDIA: Man gets capital punishment for raping, killing 3-yr-old The court of additional session judge Lolark Dubey under district on Wednesday awarded to a man for raping and strangulating a three-year-old minor in Gumla district. Police said on September 23, 2018, the child was playing outside her house at Hesaguttu-Kohlutoli village under Puso police station in Gumla district when 20-year-old Bandhan Oraon lured her to his house. A police officer said, “Her mother, Etwari Oraon, went out to look for her across the village when a girl told her that she saw the minor playing with Bandhan outside his house. When she approached Bandhan, he told Etwari that her daughter was sleeping inside his house and that he would bring her home once she wakes up.” He added, “Etwari went back to his house after half-an-hour and Bandhan said the child’s body had become cold. When the mother went inside the house, she found her daughter dead and covered in a bloody bedsheet.” Notably, the judgement came within two-and-a-half months after cognizance of the case, in which 13 witnesses appeared. The court awarded the death penalty under the Indian Penal Code’s Section 376 AB and 302 and also imposed a fine worth Rs 10,000 on Bandhan. (source: doverdailynews.com) *** SC stays death sentence of Theni manWarrant has left no time for the convict to file an appeal, says Bench led by Chief Justice The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the execution of a 30-year-old man convicted for killing a college girl and her lover after raping her near Suruli Hills in Theni district in 2011. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi set aside the warrant of execution issued by the Theni principal sessions judge after the Madras High Court upheld the conviction of Diwakar for murder, and confirmed the death penalty on March 13. The date of execution of the convict, as per the warrant, was April 22. The CJI-led Bench noted that the warrant of execution left no time for the convict to file an appeal in the Supreme Court. If implemented, the convict would be executed even before the time allowed under law to file an appeal was exhausted. “The period for filing of a special leave petition/an appeal against the order of conviction and sentence passed is yet to be over, we are of the view that the warrant for execution of death sentence, dated March 27, 2019, 27.3.2019, is contrary to the law,” the apex court held. The Supreme Court further recorded: “We are also told that the petitioner is in the process of filing an appeal. The same as and when filed, will receive due attention of the court”. In its judgment, the High Court had termed the murder as a “brutal act on the helpless young couple, that too after raping the girl”. “The savageness of the act was shocking and such a person will be a menace to the society,” it had observed. The trial court had sentenced Diwakar to death in March 2018, saying the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. (source: The Hindu) EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Presidential announcement a welcome step towards abolishing the death penalty Reacting to the news that Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema will propose a draft law to abolish the death penalty, Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry, Amnesty International West and Central Africa Director said: "This presidential announcement is a welcome move and, if the death penalty is abolished in Equatorial Guinea, the country will join more than half of the countries in the world that have consigned the cruel punishment to history – where it belongs. "Now that the announcement is made, we hope that President Teodoro Obiang Nguema will immediately take necessary steps to ensure his announcement is implemented without delay. Abolishing the death penalty will be a positive step in improving Equatorial Guinea’s human rights record, particularly the protection of the right to life. “We would also like this positive announcement to be followed by others in favour of the protection of freedoms of expression, opinion, association and assembly and for Equatorial Guinea to respect its human rights obligations. “Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature of the crime
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April 16 TAIWAN: Drunk Drivers Who Kill People To Be Punished With Death Penalty In This Country Some countries believe that the death penalty is the right way to go for certain reprehensible crimes. Whether they are the sexual assault of a child or murder, every country has its own rule. Kenya, recently, for example, has decided to institute the death penalty for poachers caught killing the country’s most beautiful animals. Taiwan has decided to increase the penalty for convicted drunk drivers to be death by lethal injection – and most people are cheering at the change. In Taiwan, the government wants people who get behind the wheel while intoxicated to be fierce. Because people put other lives at risk when they drive drunk, Taiwan wants its motorists to understand the risk – to their own lives. If someone kills another person while driving drunk, then they will face the death penalty. In late March, Taiwan’s cabinet has approved a draft of an amendment to the Criminal Code that would allow prosecutors to pursue the death penalty for any person who killed another while driving drunk. The change to the law would make it possible for homicide by drunk driving to be indictable as a murder offense and not just manslaughter or something less dangerous in the courts. If the deed is found to be “intentional,” which most drunk driver cases are, then the death penalty could be the punishment. Although the death penalty for drunk driving position has not yet been approved – it is pending final say by the parliament, it has been met with a lot of support, and just as much resistance. The maximum penalty that people can get for killing someone while drunk driving is only ten years behind bars. That’s not enough many people believe. Residents of the Asian country want perpetrators to face the wrath of the government, especially since they put people at risk when they get behind the wheel drunk. The new law would not just institute the death penalty. It would also increase the length of jail sentences and have stricter punishments for repeat offenders – those who commit another offense within 5 years. “Cases of drunk driving leading to death are rampant… drink drivers recklessly caused accidents that took lives and destroyed families to result in irreparable regret,” the Justice Ministry said in a statement. In January, a 40-year-old man got behind the wheel while intoxicated. He smashed his car into a taxi. He killed three people and injured three others, including himself. Taiwan believes that men like him deserve to face the death penalty. The people want drunk drivers to know how serious their actions are. Few countries seek the death penalty for such cases. China and the United States have been known for putting murderous drunk drivers to death. Texas, for example, does not hesitate to use lethal injection to punish people indicted on “capital murder” if they do something truly heinous while behind the wheel of their car drunk. In 2014, one Texas man plowed his vehicle into a crowd, killing four. But prosecutors instead sought life in prison for him. (source: opposingviews.com) PAKISTAN: K-P cabinet approves draft bill proposing death sentence for possessing over 1kg of meth-ice The provincial cabinet on Monday cleared the draft of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Control of Narcotics Substances Bill 2019 which proposes death penalty or life imprisonment for people found possessing more than 1 kilogramme of methamphetamine, popularly known as ice. K-P Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai and CM’s Adviser on Merged Districts Ajmal Wazir said this at a press conference in Ghalnai. It was for the 1st time that a meeting of the provincial cabinet was held at Ghalanai, the district headquarters of Mohmand. Chief Minister Mahmood cired the meeting attended by provincial ministers and chief secretary and administrative secretaries of various departments. After the meeting, K-P Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai and CM’s Adviser on Merged Districts Ajmal Wazir told a press conference that K-P Control of Narcotics Substances Bill 2019 proposes severe penalties for those involved in the business, trafficking and use of narcotics with special focus on methamphetamine popularly known by street name of ice. They said that in order to eliminate the use of ice in educational institutions, the law proposed a penalty of two-year imprisonment and fine or both if ice up to 50 grammes was found in someone’s possession, for more than 50 grammes and less than 100 grammes, three-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs500,000 to 100,000, for more than 100 grammes and less than 1 kilogramme, 7-year imprisonment and a Rs100,000 to Rs300,000 fine. Similarly, judges could award death sentence or life imprisonment if the accused was found in possession of more than one kilogramme besides fine of Rs0.5 million to Rs1 million. A special
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
April 15 GLOBAL: China remains the world’s top executioner-Amnesty International Global executions fell by almost one-third last year to the lowest figure in at least a decade, Amnesty International said in its 2018 global review of the death penalty published today. The statistics assess known executions worldwide except in China, where figures thought to be in their thousands remain classified as a state secret. In Southern Africa, Botswana resumed executions after a break in 2017. In March 2018, Zimbabwe commuted the death sentences of prisoners who had been on death row for more than 10 years. The country has not carried out any executions since 2005. Following a change to its anti-narcotics laws, executions in Iran – a country where the use of the death penalty is rife – fell by a staggering 50%. Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia also showed a significant reduction in the number they carried out. As a result, execution figures fell globally from at least 993 in 2017, to at least 690 in 2018. “The dramatic global fall in executions proves that even the most unlikely countries are starting to change their ways and realize the death penalty is not the answer,” said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. “Despite regressive steps from some countries, including Botswana, the number of executions carried out by several of the worst perpetrators has fallen significantly. This is a hopeful indication that it’s only a matter of time before this cruel punishment is consigned to history, where it belongs.” Reinstating the death penalty However, it wasn’t all good news. Amnesty International found increases in executions in Belarus, Japan, Singapore, South Sudan and the USA. Thailand carried out its first execution since 2009, while Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena declared he would resume executions after more than 40 years, posting an advert seeking executioners in February 2019. “The positive news of 2018 has been marred by a small number of states who are shamefully determined to buck the trend,” said Kumi Naidoo. “Japan, Singapore and South Sudan reported their highest levels of executions in years, and Thailand resumed executions after almost a decade; but these countries now form a dwindling minority. To all the countries that still resort to the death penalty, I challenge you to act boldly and put a stop to this abhorrent punishment now.” Noura Hussein, a young Sudanese woman, was sentenced to death in May 2018 for killing the man she was forced to marry as he tried to rape her. After global outrage, including major campaigning efforts from Amnesty International, her death sentence was over-turned, and she was instead given a 5-year prison sentence and asked to pay financial compensation, customarily known as Diya or “blood money” of 337,500 Sudanese pounds (around US$8,400) to the victim’s family. Noura told Amnesty International: “I was in absolute shock when the judge told me I had been sentenced to death. I hadn’t done anything to deserve to die. I couldn’t believe the level of injustice – especially on women. I’d never imagined being executed before that moment. The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘How do people feel when they are executed? What do they do?’. My case was especially hard as at the time of sentencing, my family had disowned me. I was alone dealing with the shock.” The world’s top executioners China remained the world’s top executioner – but the true extent of the use of the death penalty in China is unknown as this data is classified as a state secret. Amnesty International believes thousands of people are sentenced to death and executed each year. In an unprecedented move, death penalty figures were made publicly available by authorities in Viet Nam, who reported that at least 85 executions took place in 2018. This tally confirms its place within the world’s top five executing countries: China (1000s), Iran (at least 253), Saudi Arabia (149), Viet Nam (at least 85) and Iraq (at least 52). H? Duy H?i, convicted of theft and murder after he says he was tortured into signing a “confession”, was sentenced to death in 2008. He remains at risk of execution on death row in Viet Nam. The stress of a pending death sentence has had a hugely detrimental impact on his family. His mother, Nguy?n Th? Loan, told Amnesty International: “It has been 11 years since he was arrested and our family was torn apart. I can no longer bear this pain. Just thinking about my son suffering behind bars hurts me so much. I would like the international community to help reunite my family. You are my only hope.” Despite a significant decrease in the number of executions it carried out, Iran still accounted for more than 1/3 of executions recorded globally. Amnesty International was also concerned about a sharp spike in the number of death sentences that were imposed in some countries over the
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide----IRAN/IRAQ, PHILIP., SING.
April 14 IRAN/IRAQ: Iran, Iraq still among world’s top 5 executioners: Amnesty Iran and Iraq remain among the world’s top 5 executioners despite an overall drop in the number of death sentences, according to a new report by human rights monitor Amnesty International. Although the number of executions worldwide fell from at least 993 in 2017 to at least 690 in 2018, Iran and Iraq are still among the world’s most prolific executioners, Amnesty’s 2018 global review of the death penalty revealed Wednesday. Although Beijing does not publish its death penalty figures, China tops the list with an execution rate estimated in the thousands each year. Amnesty excludes China from its global count because of lack of data. Iran has the world’s second highest rate for 2018 with at least 253 executions. Saudi Arabia meanwhile executed 149, Vietnam at least 85, and Iraq at least 52. “The dramatic global fall in executions proves that even the most unlikely countries are starting to change their ways and realize the death penalty is not the answer,” said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. “Despite regressive steps from some, the number of executions carried out by several of the worst perpetrators has fallen significantly. This is a hopeful indication that it’s only a matter of time before this cruel punishment is consigned to history, where it belongs.” Amnesty did however acknowledge increases in Belarus, Japan, Singapore, South Sudan, and the US. Iran’s execution rate has fallen by 50 % in the past year as a result of changes to its drugs law, Amnesty says, but the Islamic Republic still accounts for more than 1/3 of executions recorded globally. Human rights monitors have also said Iran could be executing more people in secret and Amnesty has previously reported that the number of death sentences handed down in Iran has risen. Four Kurds were executed by the Iranian government late last year. Iraq has drawn criticism for its execution of alleged Islamic State (ISIS) members after trials that rights agencies have condemned as rushed and unfair. Kurdistan Region authorities imposed a de facto moratorium on the death penalty in 2008, which essentially blocks its use except for terror-related charges or “exceptionally heinous crimes.” Kurdish law requires the president to sign death sentences before they can be carried out. Since 2008, the death penalty has been carried out in just 4 cases. Most recently, a Kurdish man and his 2 wives, convicted of abducting and murdering 2 schoolgirls, were hanged in November 2016. Human rights groups have urged the Kurdistan Region to abolish death penalty permanently and commute them to life in prison. ()source: rudaw.net) PHILIPPINES: Bring back death penalty to stop drugs – poll bets AT least 2 senatorial candidates of Hugpong ng Pagbabago want the revival of the death penalty for drug trafficking and possession. Both Francis Tolentino and Maguindanao Rep. Zajid “Dong” Mangudadatu believe that capital punishment can help stem the drug trade particularly the operation here of international syndicates. Tolentino, the former presidential political adviser and chairman of MMDA, proposed the execution not only of drug traffickers but also of the source of narcotics and those involved in facilitating drug smuggling into the country. “Nakakabahala nga na dumadami ang high value entries ng illegal drug sa atin. Siguro dapat ibalik na ang death penalty,” Tolentino said in an interview. Reacting to the recovery of large narcotics shipments in Siargao and Dinagat, Tolentino said the “high value entries of illegal drugs” should prompt the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine Coast Guard to step up their operations and be more vigilant. “Not just the traffickers pati yung source, pati ang nag-facilitate, they are considered traffickers, nagpalusot ka trafficker ka na din,” he added. For his part, Mangudadatu expressed disappointment that Mindanao is now being used as entry point of illegal drugs. Mangudadatu said the non-imposition of the death sentence in the Philippines has given narcotics sources the boldness to operate here. “No death penalty, no problem. That’s how drug traffickers see the situation here,” he said in a separate interview. The Death Penalty Bill was approved in the House but is still pending in the Senate. A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey found that if there are other alternatives, fewer people agree with reinstating the death penalty for those who commit serious crimes related to illegal drugs. Results of the March 2018 SWS survey showed that less than 40 % of Filipinos believe that the death penalty should be the punishment for people convicted of crimes related to illegal drugs. (source: journal.com.ph) SINGAPORE: Delivery driver given death penalty for drug trafficking A delivery driver, who
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April 13 BANGLADESH: 5 teachers arrested over death of Chattogram madrasa boy The father of Md Habibur Rahman, an 11-year-old boy whose body was recovered from a mosque inside a madrasa in Chattogram, has initiated a murder case. Police showed 5 people, including the madrasa's teacher Tarekur Rahman and Principal Abu Darda, arrested in connection with the case on Friday. The 3 other arrestees are madrasa teachers Md Zubayer, Md Anas Ali, and Md Abdus Samad. Habibur's father Anisur Rahman started the murder case under Section 302 of the Penal Code, Bayezid Bostami Police Station OC Ataur Rahman Khondaker said. The accused face maximum death penalty if found guilty. Anisur named Tarek and Abu Darda along with 7 others as suspects in the case. "We had brought 5 suspects, including the madrasa's principal and Tarek, to the police station for questioning. We have arrested all 5 of them after recording the case," the OC said. Habibur's body was found hanging from the grills of a window at a mosque inside Omar Faruk al-Islamia Madrasa and Orphanage in Wazedia area of the port city on Wednesday. Some injury marks were found on his knees, police said. The madrasa authorities claimed the boy had taken his own life, but the family allege he was murdered and later his body was hanged. His father Anisur pulls rickshaw in Chattogram City. The family from Dighinala in Khagrhachharhi live in Shershah area of the port city while Habibur was a residential student of the madrasa. (source: bdnews24.com) THAILAND: Businessman could face death penalty for DUI murder of policeman A leading Bangkok businessman faces the death penalty after being charged with murder for the death of a top Crime Suppression Division policeman and his wife last Thursday night. Pol Col Jatuporn Ngamsuwitchakun died at the scene in his Suzuki Swift. His 44 year old wife Nutchanat died later in hospital. Their 16 year old daughter Piyapha remains in a serious condition. They were involved in a collision with a Mercedes Benz driven by 57 year old Somchai Werotphiphat, the owner of a major automotive parts factory. Daily News reports than he had been playing golf not far from the scene of the collision and had consumed 4-5 bottles of beer before farewelling his friends and driving home at around 11pm. He allegedly told police he was so drunk that he couldn’t remember anything until he was surrounded by airbags in his car. Gen Wirachai said that this was not just a case of drink driving and negligence causing death. He said the charges carry anything from 15 years to life imprisonment or even the death penalty. Somchai remains in custody in Taling Chan, western Bangkok. Gen Wirachai said that the Thai police nationwide are set to charge anyone with murder who causes death while drink driving. “If people are injured in DUI cases drivers will face attempted murder charges instead.” (source: The Thaiger) NORTH KOREAexecutions Fortune tellers executed in North Korea to ‘maintain social order’ North Korea have publicly executed 2 women and jailed another for life because they were fortune tellers. The trio had allegedly formed a collective named the Seven Star Group and claimed a ‘spirit oracle’ could be channelled through 2 children, aged 3 and 5, to tell the future. A source within the country told Radio Free Asia that the execution was ordered to ‘maintain social order’ over fears fortune telling had become too widespread. They added: ‘Even high-ranking officials and the families of judicial authorities often visit fortune tellers before arranging weddings or making business deals.’ Thousands of people reportedly attended the execution of the 2 women in Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province. In 2013, Kim Jong-un ordered the execution of his own uncle, Jang Song-thaek, a high ranking government official, after accusing him of trying to increase his own power. The full extent of the use of capital punishment in North Korea is not fully known, but its criminal code states the death penalty can be applied for vaguely defined offences such as ‘crimes against the state’ and ‘crimes against the people,’ according to the a report published by the UN. It added: ‘The policy of regularly carrying out public executions serves to instil fear in the general population.’ An amendment to the law in 2007 extended the death penalty non-violent offences such as smuggling, and authorities are able to order a person’s execution if they deem the crime to be ‘extremely serious’. North Korean defector Gim Gyu Min previously told Metro.co.uk about being forced to attend public executions from the age of 6. He said: ‘Officials would usually announce an execution was taking place about a week before it happened and notices would be put up in the neighbourhood. ‘Everyone had to attend and workers would be rounded up and brought as a group to the execution
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April 12 GLOBAL: People Do Not “Deserve to Die”: Injustice of Death Penalty Persists While figures have dropped, the “inhuman” use of the death penalty still remains too common worldwide, a human rights group said. In a new report, Amnesty International found that global executions fell by almost 1/3 last year, making it the lowest rate in at least a decade. “The dramatic global fall in executions proves that even the most unlikely countries are starting to change their ways and realise the death penalty is not the answer,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General Kumi Naidoo. “This is a hopeful indication that it’s only a matter of time before this cruel punishment is consigned to history, where it belongs,” he added. For instance, Burkina Faso abolished the death penalty in 2018, while both Malaysia and the Gambia declared an official moratorium on executions. In Iran, where the death penalty is an all too common form of punishment, executions fell by a whopping 50 %. Despite the positive news, the use of the death penalty has continued, violating basic human rights including the right to a fair trial and the importance of ensuring dignity and respect. According to Amnesty International, there were 2,531 death sentences globally in 2018, just a slight decrease from 2,591 reported in 2017. Though there was some progress, Iran still continues to account for more than one third of all recorded executions. In fact, approximately 78 % of all known executions were carried out in just four countries: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Iraq. H? Duy H?i is among 600 people under the death sentence in Vietnam, and still remains at risk of execution. Convicted of theft and murder, H? Duy H?i said he was tortured and forced to sign a “confession” which he later retracted. In 2015, the Committee on Judicial Affairs of the National Assembly found serious violations of criminal procedural law in the handling of H? Duy H?i’s case. “It has been 11 years since he was arrested and our family was torn apart. I can no longer bear this pain. Just thinking about my son suffering behind bars hurts me so much,” his mother Nguy?n Th? Loan told Amnesty International. “I would like the international community to help reunite my family. You are my only hope,” she added. While exact figures are unknown, China is still the world’s top executioner with potentially thousands of people sentenced to death each year. The death penalty is applied in a range of offences including non-violent offences which violates international law and standards as they do not classify as the “most serious crimes.” In June 2018, authorities in Lufeng city in southeastern China conducted a “mass sentencing rally” where 10 people were charged for drug-related offences and executed. Elsewhere, the use of the death penalty has been reintroduced which, in some cases, is happening in countries that have had a decades-long moratorium. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said he would reinstate executions after more than 40 years and apply death sentences to those convicted of drug offences, like the Philippines. The government even posted a job advertisement seeking an executioner with “excellent moral character” and a “very good mind and mental strength.” Sudan resumed the implementation of death sentences after a hiatus in 2017, including the sentencing of Noura Hussein. Hussein, a young Sudanese woman, was married against her will to Abdulrahman Mohamed Hammad at the age of 16 and was raped when she refused to consummate the marriage. When Hammad tried to rape her again, Hussein defended herself and in the struggle, he sustained a fatal knife injury and died. Despite evidence of self-defence, Hussein was convicted and sentenced to death, prompting global outrage. “I was in absolute shock when the judge told me I had been sentenced to death. I hadn’t done anything to deserve to die. I couldn’t believe the level of injustice – especially on women,” Hussein told Amnesty International. “My case was especially hard as at the time of sentencing, my family had disowned me. I was alone dealing with the shock,” she added. Though the death sentence was overturned, it has only been replaced with a five-year prison sentence and financial compensation of 8,400 dollars. Still, prosecutors are pushing to reinstate the death sentence in her case. The global struggle is still far from over, Naidoo noted. “Slowly but steadily, global consensus is building towards ending the use of the death penalty…from Burkina Faso to the U.S., concrete steps are being taken to abolish the death penalty. Now it’s up to other countries to follow suit,” he said. “We all want to live in a safe society, but executions are never the solution. With the continued support of people worldwide, we can – and we will – put an end to the death penalty once and for all.” (source:
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April 11 PHILIPPINES: Admin candidates seek to reimpose the death penalty to curb drug smuggling With the recent seizure of nearly P800 million worth high grade cocaine off the coast of Siargao and Dinagat Islands, Hugpong ng Pagbabago candidates are convinced that the bill reimposing the death penalty should be ratified by the 18th Congress. Former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino and Maguindanao Rep. Zajid “Dong” Mangudadatu have expressed support for death penalty measure that has been approved in the House of Representatives but remained pending in the Senate. On the other hand, former Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” De la Rosa noted that his disclosure in campaign sortie to pursue the enactment of a measure for the execution of drug traffickers is among his legislative plans that have been drawing huge public approval. Asked to react on the recovery of large narcotics shipment in Siargao and Dinagat, Tolentino said the “high value entries of illegal drugs” should prompt the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine Coast Guard to step up operations and be more vigilant. Tolentino called for the execution not only of drug traffickers but also of the source of narcotics and those involved in facilitating drug smuggling into the country. However, the former presidential adviser said the imposition of the death sentence should be dependent on the frequency of the commission of the offense. Reacting to the large-scale drug smuggling operations, Mangudadatu said the non-imposition of the death sentence in the Philippines has given narcotics sources the boldness to operate here. “No death penalty, no problem. That’s how drug traffickers see the situation here,” the Muslim lawmaker said. Earlier, Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers aired fears that the world-famous tourist attraction has become a transshipment venue for illegal drugs of international cartels based in Latin America. Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Drugs, warned public officials and law enforcers against dipping their fingers in illegal drug trade even as he urged authorities to impose stricter measures that would put an end to drug smuggling and illicit narcotics trade in Siargao and other tourism areas in the country. He said there is a strong possibility that narcotics smugglers have local contacts in Siargao who repackage the drugs. “Maybe residents of Siargao, I believe are their contacts. These contacts may be engaged in repacking, or in the wholesale distribution of the dope,” he said. The senior administration solon pointed out that smugglers have no local contacts who are knowledgeable of the island’s security. Last week, 40 bricks of cocaine were discovered by local residents floating in the sea off Burgos town in Siargao island. On February 14 and 15, a total of 70 abandoned cocaine bricks worth nearly half a billion pesos were seized by the police in Siargao and Dinagat. All cocaine bricks bore “3B Bugatti” markings, indicating that they belonged to the same group of drug smugglers. Barbers did not discount the possibility that the foreigners and even locals in Siargao provide a ready market for the recovered cocaine. However, he noted that such large amount of drugs may also be seen as an indication that Siargao is being used as a transshipment venue for narcotics that are being distributed to other parts of Asia. (source: Manila Bulletin) INDONESIA: 15 foreigners among 48 handed death penalty in Indonesia last year: Amnesty Indonesia sentenced to death 48 people last year, including 15 foreigners convicted of drug crimes, according to the latest global report on capital punishment by human rights organization Amnesty International. In its annual report released on Wednesday, Amnesty explained that of the 48 death sentences, 39 were in drug-related cases, 8 were for murder and 1 for terrorism. In 2017, 10 foreigners were among 47 individuals sentenced to death. At least 308 convicts were on death row by the end of last year, awaiting their execution without a clear date. Despite its stance on capital punishment, Indonesia has positioned itself as a human rights pioneer in Southeast Asia. But in 2018, the country observed a moratorium on executions for the second year in a row after the government under President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo executed 18 inmates convicted of drug-related offenses, including foreigners, in 3 batches between 2015 and 2016. Nonetheless, Amnesty’s records show that Indonesia has not taken any steps toward abolishing the death penalty, much to the frustration of activists who point out that Indonesia is an initiator of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). The country is currently also seeking a fifth term on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). “As a pioneer of human rights in Southeast Asia, Indonesia
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April 10 MIDDLE EAST: Iran and Iraq lead way in reducing executions in the Middle EastExecutions fell by 41 percent from 2017 to 2018, but Amnesty International says practice still taking place The Middle East saw far fewer executions in 2018 than it did the previous year, driven largely by sharp reductions in the number of people being put to death in Iran and Iraq, according to Amnesty International. A report from the human rights group released on Tuesday found that the number of executions in the Middle East fell by 41 percent in one year, from 847 in 2017 to 501 in 2018. That's the lowest number of executions the region has seen in almost a decade. "We're encouraged by the reduction in executions, which suggests that even the countries that are the most adherent to the death penalty are beginning to change their ways," Oluwatosin Popoola, one of Amnesty's death penalty experts, told Middle East Eye. "A 50 percent drop in Iran shows that when legal reforms take place, executions can fall. However, we must also note that, overall, the region continues to use the death penalty heavily and against international law." Only Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen were known to have carried out executions in 2018. That's half the number of countries that used what Popoola called the "ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment" in 2017. While Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine and the United Arab Emirates had carried out executions in 2017, none were recorded in those countries a year later, according to Amnesty's 55-page report. The methods of execution ranged from beheadings in Saudi Arabia to shootings in Yemen. Hangings were used in Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Sudan, while stoning to death is kept on the books in some countries, but is seldom used. Meanwhile, the chaos of Syria's war made it impossible to collect data in that country, said Popoola. Beheadings, crucifixions and other punishments carried out by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group were not viewed as judicial executions and were not counted, he added. Decline in Iran, Iraq Supporters of the death penalty say that it deters would-be killers and drug dealers from wrongdoing. Abolitionists say it is cruel, outdated and typically punishes poor and minority groups, while people who are well-connected get lighter sentences. Iran has long been among the world's top users of the death penalty, with courts battling epidemics of heroin and opium abuse - and levying the punishment against drug addicts and drug dealers making money from the illicit industry, among others. Still, recorded executions there have fallen by half, from 507 in 2017 to 253 in 2018, Amnesty International found in its report. This followed a shift in November 2017, when Iranian lawmakers re-wrote the country's anti-drug rules so that only kingpins, armed dealers and those convicted of smuggling large quantities of narcotics would face the punishment. Hadi Ghaemi, director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, a campaign group, described a long struggle to change attitudes in the country, which at one time executed some 1,000 drug dealers and other convicts every year. "It's a remarkable decline and a major accomplishment for a 10-year campaign, by activists both inside and outside Iran, aided by international pressure, against the senseless use of the death penalty in Iran," Ghaemi said. "It was overused, too frequently against poor and illiterate individuals but not the cartel kingpins. It did nothing to address Iran's drug epidemic, and slowly public opinion and even the hardliners wised up to this." Neighbouring Iraq saw even bigger reductions between 2017 and 2018, with a 58 percent drop in recorded executions - from 125 to 52 - in that one-year span. This may reflect a slowdown in executions of IS members, many of whom were rounded up and convicted under anti-terror laws as their self-declared caliphate was beaten back and eventually defeated in Iraq during 2017, said Popoola. But the report did not suggest a wholesale shift away from executions in the Middle East. Although Iraq and Iran recorded big reductions, they still rank among the world's top 5 countries that carry out executions. The others are Saudi Arabia, with 149 recorded executions, Vietnam (at least 85) and China (more than 1,000). In Iran, for instance, justice is often imposed more harshly against members of minority groups, such as Mohammad Salas. A Gonabadi Dervish, Salas was executed in June after being found guilty in a "grossly unfair" trial for the murder of 3 police officers, the Amnesty report said. Iran too frequently executes those who were aged under 18 at the time of their crimes, the group also found. Saudi Arabia executes a large number of foreigners, mostly for murder and drug crimes, while defendants in such trials often lack legal safeguards and sometimes don't get a translator
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April 10 GLOBAL: Death penalty in 2018: Facts and figures Amnesty International recorded at least 690 executions in 20 countries in 2018, a decrease of 31% compared to 2017 (at least 993). This figure represents the lowest number of executions that Amnesty International has recorded in the past decade. Most executions took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Viet Nam and Iraq – in that order. China remained the world’s leading executioner – but the true extent of the use of the death penalty in China is unknown as this data is classified as a state secret; the global figure of at least 690 excludes the thousands of executions believed to have been carried out in China. The authorities of Viet Nam indicated in November that 85 executions had been carried out during 2018, placing the country among the world’s top 5 executioners. Excluding China, 78% of all reported executions took place in just four countries – Iran, Saudi Arabia, Viet Nam and Iraq. Botswana, Sudan, Taiwan and Thailand all resumed executions last year. Amnesty International did not report any executions in Bahrain, Bangladesh, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Palestine (State of) and United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite having done so in 2017. Executions in Iran dropped from at least 507 in 2017 to at least 253 in 2018 – a decrease of 50%. Executions in Iraq decreased from at least 125 in 2017 to at least 52 in 2018, while in Pakistan, executions fell from at least 60 in 2017 to at least 14 in 2018. Somalia halved its executions, down from 24 in 2017 to 13 in 2018. Burkina Faso abolished the death penalty in its new penal code in June. In February and July respectively, Gambia and Malaysia both declared an official moratorium on executions. In the US, the death penalty statute in the state of Washington was declared unconstitutional in October. At the end of 2018, 106 countries (a majority of the world’s states) had abolished the death penalty in law for all crimes, and 142 countries (more than 2/3) had abolished the death penalty in law or practice. Amnesty International recorded commutations or pardons of death sentences in 29 countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Botswana, China, Egypt, Guyana, India, Iran, Kuwait, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco/Western Sahara, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, South Korea, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, UAE, USA and Zimbabwe. 8 exonerations of prisoners under sentence of death were recorded in four countries: Egypt, Kuwait, Malawi and USA. Amnesty International recorded at least 2,531 death sentences in 54 countries, a slight decrease from the total of 2,591 reported in 2017. At least 19,336 people were known to be under sentence of death globally at the end of 2018. The following methods of execution were used across the world in 2018: beheading, electrocution, hanging, lethal injection and shooting. Two new death sentences by stoning were known to have been imposed in Iran. Reports from 2018 indicated seven people were executed in Iran for crimes committed when they were younger than 18 years of age. At least 98 executions were known to have been carried out for drug-related offences in 4 countries – 14% of the global total and down from 28% in 2017. At least 226 of such death sentences were known to have been imposed in 14 countries. Death sentences were known to have been imposed after proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards in countries including Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Viet Nam. Regional death penalty analysis Americas For the 10th consecutive year, the USA remained the only country to carry out executions in the region. The number of executions (25) and death sentences (45) reported in the US slightly increased compared to 2017. The state of Texas nearly doubled its figure compared to 2017 (from 7 to 13), accounting for just over 1/2 of the country’s total. Nebraska carried out its 1st execution since 1997; South Dakota since 2012; and Tennessee since 2009. Only 2 countries, USA and Guyana, imposed death sentences – the lowest recorded number since Amnesty International began keeping records in 1979. The death penalty statute in the US state of Washington was declared unconstitutional in October. Asia-Pacific At least 136 executions in countries were known to have been carried out throughout the region in 2018, compared to at least 93 in 2017. This increase was mostly due to the rare 9 disclosure of a figure from the authorities of Viet Nam. It does not include the thousands of executions that Amnesty International believed were carried out in China. Thailand resumed executions for the 1st time since 2009. Japan more than tripled its annual figure (from 4 to 15), after the hanging of 13 men involved in a high-profile
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April 8 SOUTH AFRICA: CapeTalk callers debate the return of the death penalty According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's (UNOCD), South Africa had the 5th highest murder rate in the world in 2015. The rate of crime in the country sparked a discussion between CapeTalk listeners and hosts Africa Melane and Lester Kiewit. Should government bring back the death penalty to stop these criminals from killing ask callers? This follows a shooting of a 46-year-old man at a filling station in Kenilworth over the weekend. The man was gunned down by 4 suspects who were later arrested in Goodwood and will appear in the Wynberg Magistrate court on murder charges. Most listeners seem to agree that the death penalty should be brought back. Guys caught in an act like this should get a death penalty, not long drawn out court cases where we as taxpayers should pay for their food and accommodation. You get caught in the act, you face death penalty finish and klaar. — Caller Enshrined in the Constitution is the right to life but what about the victims right to life? I think it is time the government listened to the call of the people who are becoming victims. — John, Caller The death penalty is coming back like it or not. Either the government catches up and bring it back or the people of South Africa will bring it back. Justice is being done in the street by vigilante groups already brings back the death penalty. — Sam, Caller We don't need a death penalty if we have a proper police force. — James, Caller When are we actually going to take criminals to task? We have criminals in our government and we don't know who to actually vote for. Our justice system is completely failing us...— Lauren, Caller (source: capetalk.co.za) ASIA: Lethal Fluctuations: The Death Penalty in Asia The Malaysian government last year expressed a surprise change of heart on a policy long held dear; it would reconsider the death penalty. The case of Muhammad Lukman, sentenced to death in August for the purchase and sharing of medicinal marijuana, did much to stimulate outrage. On October 10th, law minister Liew Vui Keong announced that it would be abolished. Doing so would leave such last bastions as Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. In other parts, capital punishment is either continuing its grim dance (in Singapore, usage is on the rise; in Vietnam, it remains consistently high) or getting back in business, singing its deadly siren song. Killing people in the name of state vengeance is becoming vogue even as it retreats in other contexts. The Kingdom of Brunei, despite having it on the books since the days of being a British protectorate, is only now contemplating, in all seriousness, putting people to death who have a liking, or find themselves, committing sodomy. (Lesbian reverie will see a penalty of 40 lashes and a potential prison sentence of 10 years.) In the Philippines, an aggressive, insistent President Rodrigo Duterte has proven something of a trail blazer, scorching his way through human rights quibbles and filling the morgues. In July 2017, he explained the rationale for using capital punishment without mercy in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA). “It is time for us to fulfil our mandate to protect our people. Tapos na’yan. For so long we have to act decisively on this contentious issue. Capital punishment is not only about deterrence, it’s also about retribution.” Duterte’s view of the penal code is stripped of ornate reasoning. It is one of vengeance and pessimism, marshalled against any hope of restorative justice or therapeutic reform. The law, a legacy of the Spaniards and then translated into English, with revisions, “is the essence of retribution.” The attitude there involved “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. You took life, you must pay with it. That is the only way to even. You can’t place a premium on the human mind that he will go straight.” The result has been one of carnage: over 5,000 deaths between July 1, 2016 and November 30, 2018, if you believe the official figures, or the greater number of 12,000, if you believe in activist assessments. This pool drew on a total of 164,265 arrests (“drug personalities”, no less) as part of 115,435 anti-drugs operations. In Sri Lanka, the interest has also been rekindled, inspired, in no small part, by the blood lust of the Philippines leader. The Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena felt moved by Duterte’s efforts to combat drug trafficking, a true “example to the world”. “I hope to carry out the first hanging within a month or 2. I appeal to human rights organisations not to try to pressure us on this decision.” From a prison population of 1299 facing capital punishment, 48 are convicted drug offenders. The Sri Lankan case had a twist. While Sirisena had announced an end to the 43-year moratorium on capital punishment for
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April 7 INDIA: BJP promises 'New Odisha', capital punishment to sexual offenders in its manifestoReleasing the New Odisha Sankalpa Patra, BJP national president Amit Shah said Odisha is one of the worst performing states in the country due to all-round failures of BJD government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday sought to end the 19 years of "misrule" of BJD government by promising employment to one person of a family, interest free farm loan to small and marginal farmers, capital punishment to offenders of sexual crime on minor girl child and slew of other sops to realise its vision of "New Odisha." Releasing the New Odisha Sankalpa Patra, the party's manifesto for the state four days ahead of the 1st phase election, BJP national president Amit Shah said Odisha is one of the worst performing states in the country due to all-round failures of BJD government. "I have come here to appeal the people of the state to elect a government which does not clash with the Centre and stonewall the process of development. The people have lost hope on BJD government which has failed to deliver in the last 19 years. Give BJP a chance and I assure you we will bring a rapid transformation of the state," Shah said. With the farmers issue taking centre stage of 2019 election and the state government not cooperating the centre for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kishan Saman Nidhi Yojana (PM-Kisan), the BJP promised to implement the farmers income augmentation scheme if voted to power. The BJP which crowdsourced inputs for its manifesto said that the party will provide irrigation to all agricultural land in 5 years time with a dedicated fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. It promised to extend the Pradhan Mantri Shram Mandhan Yojana to the farm sector by covering all agricultural workers under the pension scheme after they tuned 60 years of age. Coming down heavily on the BJD government for the increasing atrocities on women especially sexual attack on minor girls, the saffron party promised to implement the central law which will provide capital punishment to offenders of sexual assault on girls below 15 years of age. As the Narendra Modi government is under fire from the opposition for its failure to keep promise of providing 2 crore job to unemployed youth per annum, the BJP manifesto said it will provide job to one person of a family. "The BJP will fill up all the existing vacancies in the state government within 2 of coming to power," said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. On creation of self-employment opportunity, the BJP manifesto said it will create a "Skill Odisha Fund" with a corpus of Rs 3,500 crore which will be utilised in skill development programmes for 20 lakh youths in 5 years. This apart, a revolving fund of Rs 3000 crore will be set up for extending loan upto Rs 3 lakh per head with nominal interest of Rs 1 %. The election manifesto committee headed by senior BJP leader Biswa Bhusan Harichandan said the party will urge the people to elect a government which understated their language and free from bureaucratic control. (source" newindianexpress.com) *** Koli gets 11th death sentence in Nithari murder case A CBI court awarded death sentence -- 11th -- to Surender Koli in the Nithari serial killing case, here on Saturday. CBI Prosecutor J.P. Sharma said it was the 11th case in which Koli has been ordered to be hanged till death. But the court acquitted the co-accused Maninder Singh Pandher, due to lack of evidence. According to Sharma, a 10-year-old girl went missing after she had gone to deliver 'ironed' cloths at D-5, residence Pandher, where his domestic help Koli was living, on June 21, 2005. When the girl did not return home for 2 days, her parents lodged a complaint at Sector 20 police station on June 23, 2005. The case was handed over to the CBI on June 11, 2007 and the agency submitted chargesheet on April 9, 2008. The court of special judge Amit Vir Singh held Koli guilty on Friday. On Saturday, the court awarded a death sentence to Koli and imposed a penalty of Rs 1.10 lakh on him. The court, however, acquitted Pandher for lack of credible evidence. On December 26, 2006 the Noida Police had recovered scull from the back of the house. In a DNA test, it was established that the scull was of the missing girl. The DNA report became most crucial evidence against Koli. 38 witnesses testified in the case. (source: business-standard.com) SOUTH AFRICA: NFP calls for referendum on death penalty With fewer than 33 days left before elections, the National Freedom Party (NFP) says a referendum should be called on the death penalty for violent crimes including murder and rape. The party this week invited media houses to a detailed presentation of its election manifesto, titled “Giving power back to the people”, and also called for another referendum, on a gun-free
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April 6 ABKHAZIA: Breakaway Abkhazia to reintroduce the death penalty for drug crime from 2020 Breakaway authorities in Abkhazia plan to lift its moratorium on capital punishment in 2020 as tougher sentences are brought in against drug crime. The de facto parliament of breakaway Abkhazia has adopted a new law which imposes tougher punishments for selling large quantities of drugs, including life sentence and even death penalty. The law also provides for other draconian measures against drug-related crimes, including abolishing the right to pardon and the rule of early release, as well as barring the person’s from occupying public offices within 3 years of release. Under the new law, driving a car while high also qualifies as a criminal offense. The sentence for this will be a fine of 600,000 rubles (USD 9,200) and being stripped of the right to occupy a public office for 1 year. The moratorium on the death penalty in Abkhazia was introduced in 2007. (source: Democracy & Freedom Watch) TAIWAN: Drink Drivers In Taiwan Face Death Penalty Under Proposed New Law Drink drivers in Taiwan who cause fatal accidents could face the death penalty under a new proposed law. A draft amendment to the Criminal Code in the country would make death by drink driving an indictable murder offence. For the most egregious cases, it could be punishable by death if the court finds the action to have been intentional. According to Channel News Asia, the cabinet approved the draft amendment earlier today (March 28), which is now awaiting parliamentary approval. Currently in Taiwan, the maximum sentence for causing a fatal accident while drink driving in 10 years in prison. The proposed law would increase this for repeat offenders who commit a new offence within 5 years of their 1st conviction. They would face 12 years for causing grave injuries, and a life sentence for causing a death. The proposal comes after a series of deaths caused by drink driving generated widespread outrage in the country. In January, a 40-year-old man killed 3 people after crashing his van into a taxi while drink driving. Announcing the proposed new law, the Justice Ministry said in a statement: Cases of drunk driving leading to death are rampant… drink drivers recklessly caused accidents that took lives and destroyed families to result in irreparable regret. Very few countries use the death penalty for drink driving cases. Some states in the United States use capital punishment, while China has previously vowed to execute those who cause a fatal accident while drink driving. In 2014 in Texas, a man was indicted on capital murder after he drove his car into a crowd while intoxicated, killing 4 people. Prosecutors ended up not seeking the death penalty, so the man was sentenced to life in prison. The proposed new law has sparked an outcry in Taiwan, as several rights group criticised the amendment, issuing a joint statement calling for ‘rational legislation for irrational drunk driving’. The statement, which was written by groups including the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, added: There is a lack of evidence and research that seeking grave penalties and legislation would truly prevent drunk driving. After a 5-year hiatus, Taiwan started using capital punishment again in 2010, despite several rights groups calling for its abolition. The public have shown their support for keeping the death penalty though in various surveys which have been conducted over the past few years. (source: unilad.co.uk) SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi govt adamant over execution of Nigerian woman The Saudi Arabian government has insisted that the execution of Mrs Kudirat Adesola Afolabi, a widow and mother of 2, was carried out after exhausting all legal procedures. The government also said it is determined to apply the law on any person against whom evidence is established in order to combat drug trafficking and protect its citizens from drug menace. The Saudi Arabian government’s position was made known after the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nigeria, Adnan Bostaji, said in Abuja on Thursday after a closed- door meeting with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mustapha Suleiman, that the execution was in compliance with the laws of the country. Recall that Afolabi was on Monday executed in Saudi Arabia alongside two Pakistan nationals and a Yemeni for trafficking in drugs. The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Abuja, while reacting to media reports credited to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Afolabi was accorded every legal right before the death sentence was carried out on her. Dabiri-Erewa was reported to have said that the execution of Afolabi was pathetic and tragic, adding that the news of the tragedy was painful. The embassy however said death sentence is only carried out in
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April 5 SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka seeks international assistance in training new hangmen The Sri Lankan government will seek international assistance in training new executioners, reports AFP, as the government gears towards re-implementing the death penalty. A reported 47 applicants are being interviewed by the government, with Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena stating this week that a date had been set to restart the death penalty. However, the new recruits will need some foreign assistance, according to an official who spoke with AFP. “Since there is no living person in Sri Lanka who has carried out an execution, we need to send the new recruits abroad for training,” said the official, who asked to remain anonymous. “The rope (used for hangings) has not been used at all since it was imported (in 2015),” the official added. “It will have to be tested and certified.” The latest announcement comes as organisations around the world have slammed plans to reinstate the death penalty, with Amnesty International warning this week that “racial, ethnic or religious minorities, are disproportionately vulnerable to being sentenced to death”. Sirisena though has been staunch in his stance, pledging that capital punishment will return. (source: The Tamil Guardian) THAILAND: Brit tourists threatened with DEATH PENALTY for taking selfies at Phuket airport as Thai officials say photos are distracting pilotsHolidaymakers pose for shots on the popular beach as planes take-off from the neighbouring airport BRIT tourists snapping selfies while planes take off in Phuket have been warned they could face the death penalty for distracting pilots. They then post their photos - featuring planes in the background - to Instagram and Facebook. But furious airport bosses have vowed to close off the entire section of beach amid concerns it could cause an accident. The executives have not explained how taking pictures of the aircraft could pose a danger, but it is believed to relate to the potential to distract pilots in the same way that drones and laser pens can. 'DISTRACTING PILOTS' Officials told local media that the maximum punishment for distracting pilots with such devices is the death sentence. Holidaymakers who breach the planned restricted area preventing pictures would be punished under the same law. Wichit Kaewsaithiam, director of Phuket International Airport, said: "We want both the income from tourism and the aviation safety to co-exist.” He said anyone found guilty of deliberately distracting the pilots could be punished under the Air Navigation Act. Kaewsaithiam told the Bangkok Post: "The maximum penalty is the death sentence." Less severe punishments include a fine of up to 40,000 baht (£950) or a jail sentence of up to 20 years. Despite the warnings, footage taken this week at the popular selfie spot shows bikini clad women and men in their swimming trunks taking pictures while planes take off. Officials said holidaymakers will be forced further down the beach with the area used by tourists for pictures being sealed off. PLANE SELFIES Vijit Keawsaitiam, the airport’s Deputy General Manager, said a "safety zone’’ was in the process of being put in place under the flight path to prevent tourists from taking pictures too close to the planes. He said: "We are setting up a safety zone which will be categorised as a strictly prohibited area that does not allow people and tourists to take pictures. "Aside from this area, local people and tourists can still come to take pictures as usual." Airport bosses have also warned tourists about flying drones in the area and shining laser pens, which a report found had caused disturbances to pilots. Monrudee Gettuphan, a director at the Phuket International Airport, previously told The Phuket News, that officials were ''concerned about the safety of residents and tourists'' who use the area while taking selfies near the planes. The airport official said: ''People need to stay away from the restricted zone. We want to prevent any unknown object or material injuring people, or even their hearing being damaged by the noise of the aircraft’s engines. ''The penalty for anyone failing to comply with this regulation includes the death penalty, a life sentence, or a jail term of between 5 to 20 years, as per the Air Aviation Act 1978.'' (source: thesun.co.uk) CHINA: Family Worried Ethiopian Woman Detained in China Faces Death Penalty Friends and family are fearing for the life of a 28-year-old Ethiopian woman who has spent more than three months in a Chinese prison on drug charges. In December, Nazrawit Abera, a civil engineer, flew from Addis Ababa to Beijing to pursue a job opportunity and learn about home building materials, according to her older sister, Abby Abera. But when she landed at Beijing Capital Airport, officials detained Nazrawit
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April 4 PAKISTAN: Killer gets death in Faisalabad The court on Wednesday awarded death sentence to an accused involved in a murder case of Samanabad police station. According to the prosecution, accused Naseemullah along with his brother Asghar and sister Sughran Bibi had killed Khalid Hussain, husband of his sister, over a domestic dispute in 2014. After observing evidences and witnesses, Additional District and Sessions Judge Imran Javaid Gill awarded the capital punishment to Naseem and ordered for paying Rs 200,000 as compensation. However, the court acquitted Asghar and Sughran Bibi by giving them the benefit of doubt. (source: urdupoint.com) ** Killer Gets Death Sentence In Sialkot The Model Criminal Trial Court on Wednesday decided a murder case and awarded death penalty to an accused and life imprisonment to the other. Additional District and Session Judged Naeem Abbas awarded death sentence to Ali Raza and life imprisonment to his father Zulifqar. The court also ordered for paying Rs 1000,000 as compensation money to heirs of the deceased. According to the prosecution, Ali Raza and his father Zulifqar shot dead Ghualm Hiader over a minor dispute in Headmirala police limits. According to an official of the court, the Model Court has decided the murder case in 5 days. (source: urdupoint.com) SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka interviews 47 potential executioners as rights groups slam return of death penalty Sri Lankan authorities have reportedly begun interviewing 47 candidates for 2 positions as hangmen, even as rights groups slammed the country’s move to bring back the death penalty after a decades-long moratorium. The island nation hasn’t executed a criminal in 43 years, but President Maithripala Sirisena revealed last year that hangings would be brought back as part of a renewed war on drugs — Sirisena is a noted admirer of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The country began advertising the grim career opportunity in newspapers in February. The ad called for applicants with “excellent moral character” and “mental strength.” In March, the state-run Daily News reported that 102 applications had been received for the 2 available positions. An American national was among the applicants, even though the ad said Sri Lankans only need apply. Now, AFP reports that the candidates have been whittled down to 47. But there’s a catch — with no executions having been carried out since 1976, the chosen candidates will need to be sent abroad so they can learn the ropes from seasoned hangmen, an official told AFP. Rights groups condemned the imminent restoration of the death penalty, saying that executions won’t make a dent in drug-related crime and that they bring the risk of innocent people being killed. “There is no evidence that implementing the death penalty will end drug-related crime. Executions are never a solution,” said Biraj Patnaik, South Asia director at Amnesty International. “Indeed, they may result in people being put to death following unfair trials. The death penalty is also a punishment that disproportionately affects people from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds.” Patnaik said that torture and forced confessions are a routine occurrence in Sri Lanka’s justice system, meaning there’s a high likelihood that convicts will be put to death following unfair trials. “No criminal justice system is capable of deciding fairly who should live or who should die,” he said. Human Rights Watch said the fact that Sirisena’s push for the death penalty was inspired by Duterte’s “murderous” drug war makes it all the more clear that the death penalty has no place under international law. “President Sirisena’s decision to restore the death penalty because he was inspired by the Philippines’ murderous ‘drug war’ may be the worst possible justification and would violate international law,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch noted several studies that found no evidence that the death penalty deters criminals, even for crimes like murder. “The Sri Lankan government should publicly recommit to its moratorium on the use of the death penalty with a view to permanently abolishing the practice,” Ganguly said. “Executions, whether imposed by a judge or carried out unlawfully by the police, are not the way to address drug offences.” On Sunday, Sirisena said a date had been set for the death penalty’s comeback, although he didn’t reveal the date, The Hindu reported. Nearly 1,300 people are on death row in Sri Lanka, according to Human Rights Watch, although the state-run Daily News put the figure at 400. The country’s Ministry of Justice has completed “administrative procedures” for the execution of 5 drug offenders, the Daily News reported. (source: globalnews.ca) INDIA: HC confirms capital punishment for killing
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April 3 BRUNEI: Brunei will implement the Sharia laws from Wednesday, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with the death penalty The United States on Tuesday criticized Brunei's decision to implement Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality and urged it to ratify and implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture. "Brunei's decision to implement Phases 2 and 3 of the Sharia Penal Code and associated penalties runs counter to its international human rights obligations, including with respect to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement. Brunei, a Muslim-majority former British protectorate with a population of around 400,000, will implement the Sharia laws from Wednesday, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with the death penalty, including by stoning, and theft with amputation. Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has called for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by Brunei, including the Beverly Hills Hotel, because of the country's plans to impose the punishments. "We continue to encourage Brunei to ratify and implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which it signed in 2015, and to sign, ratify, and implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights," Palladino said. (source: Reuters) ** Brunei enacts new penal code as sultan calls for 'stronger' IslamNew penal code imposes death penalty for rape, adultery, sodomy, robbery and introduces public flogging. Brunei is enacting a strict new penal code that imposes death by stoning for adultery and gay sex, as well as amputations as punishment for theft, despite widespread criticism. An absolute monarchy, ruled for 51 years by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, oil-rich Brunei first announced the new penal code in 2013, but full implementation has been delayed. Bolkiah, 72, is the world's 2nd-longest reigning monarch and ranks as one of the world's wealthiest people. The new law mostly applies to Muslims, though some aspects will also apply to non-Muslims. It stipulates the death penalty for a number of offences, including rape, adultery, sodomy, robbery and insulting or defaming the Prophet Muhammad. It also introduces public flogging as punishment for abortion as well as amputation for theft and criminalises exposing Muslim children to the beliefs and practices of any religion other than Islam. The sultan first announced plans for the code in 2013. The small Muslim-majority island had introduced penalties in stages, all of which come into force on Wednesday. The laws will make Brunei the first country in East or Southeast Asia to impose the new penal code at the national level, joining several mostly Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia. 'Barbaric to the core' The decision to push ahead with the implementation of the laws come after a long line of politicians, rights groups and celebrities, including actor George Clooney and musician Elton John, condemned the new laws. Clooney and John are among those calling for a boycott of hotels owned by the sultanate, which include the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Dorchester in London and the Plaza Athenee in Paris. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for the Human Rights Watch, said the code was "barbaric to the core, imposing archaic punishments for acts that shouldn't even be crimes". Robertson also said there was "no place in the 21st century" for this kind of penal code. Governments have also weighed in with the United States saying the punishments run counter to Brunei's "international human rights obligations". "The United States strongly opposes violence, criminalisation and discrimination targeting vulnerable groups," said deputy State Department Spokesman Roberto Palladino. France and Australia also called on Brunei to renounce the measures, with both governments expressing concern. (source: aljazeera.com) * Brunei implements stoning to death under anti-LGBT laws Brunei is introducing strict new Islamic laws that make anal sex and adultery offences punishable by stoning to death. The new measures, that come into force on Wednesday, also cover a range of other crimes including punishment for theft by amputation. The move has sparked international condemnation. Brunei's gay community has expressed shock and fear at the "medieval punishments". "You wake up and realise that your neighbours, your family or even that nice old lady that sells prawn fritters by the side of the road doesn't think you're human, or is okay with stoning," one Bruneian gay man, who did not want to be identified, told the BBC. The sultan of the small South-East Asian nation on Wednesday called for "stronger" Islamic teachings. "I want to see Islamic teachings in this country grow stronger," Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
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April 3 VATICAN CITY: Sanctuary of truth or brothel of error? More papal controversy on the death penalty Pope Francis aroused more controversy this week, making even more explicit his apparent belief that the death penalty is always and everywhere wrong, while frankly acknowledging that the Church has not taught this in the past. He sought to justify this change by invoking the ancient theologian, St. Vincent of Lérins, and his doctrine of development in the Church. During the inflight press conference on his return from Morocco on Sunday, March 31, a journalist asked the Pope if he were concerned that Muslims who convert to Christianity thereby “risk” imprisonment or even death in some Muslim countries. In Morocco, as in many Muslim countries (such as the United Arab Emirates which the Pope also recently visited), conversion to Christianity is banned. “I can say that in Morocco there is freedom of worship, there is freedom of religion, there is freedom to belong to a religious creed. Then freedom always develops, it grows,” the Pope responded. “Think about us Christians, 300 years ago, if there was the freedom that we have today. Faith grows in awareness, in the ability to understand itself.” The Pope expounded on the point, invoking the ancient saint whose thought played a pivotal role in Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman’s classic work, On the Development of Christian Doctrine. He told journalists aboard the papal plane: A 5th-century French monk, Vincent of Lérins, coined a beautiful expression to explain how one can grow in faith, explain things better, and also grow in moral [understanding] but always being faithful to the roots. He said 3 words but they indicate the road: he said that growth in the explaining [esplicitazione] and awareness of faith and morals must be ut annis consolidetur, dilatetur tempore, sublimetur aetate, that is, growth must be strengthened through the years, expanded over time, but it is the same faith that is exalted over the years. “This is how we understand, for example, that today we have removed the death penalty from the Catechism of the Catholic Church,” he said. “300 years ago, heretics were burned alive. Because the Church has grown in moral understanding, and in respect for the person,” he added. This is not the first time Pope Francis has invoked St. Vincent of Lérins. In an interview with the Jesuit-run La Civiltà Cattolica 6 months into his pontificate (September 2013), the Pope argued on the basis of the aforementioned statement from the 5th-century monk that “the thinking of the Church must … understand how human beings understand themselves today, in order to develop and deepen the Church’s teaching.” In November 2016, he cited the same passage as he questioned why young Catholics would be drawn to the traditional liturgy. And in his ‘God of surprises’ homily, on May 8, 2017, he again had recourse to St. Vincent’s words, inviting Catholics to pray for the “grace of discernment” so as not to “fall into immobility, rigidity and a closed heart.” Inflight press conferences have no magisterial weight. Nonetheless, LifeSite asked one of leading experts on the Catholic Church’s teaching on the death penalty to weigh in on the Pope’s latest remarks and invocation of St. Vincent of Lérins. An expert weighs in Renowned Catholic philosopher Edward Feser, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California, is one of the foremost contemporary writers in the Thomistic tradition, and a leading expert on the Church’s teaching on the death penalty. He is the author of numerous works, including By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed (with Joseph Bessette) and the forthcoming Aristotle’s Revenge. By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed is a study and defense of the perennial Catholic teaching on the death penalty as legitimate in principle and often advisable in practice even in contemporary social conditions. In comments to LifeSite, Feser said: It is odd for the pope to cite St. Vincent of Lérins in defense of the recent change to the Catechism, because St. Vincent was the opposite of sympathetic to innovative and ambiguous theological formulations of the kind represented by the new language. Indeed, his major theme was precisely to condemn, in harsh and unmistakable terms, all ‘novelties’ in doctrine, by which he meant teachings that were not true developments but reversals of what the Church has taught in the past. Feser then explained that development is only legitimate if it logically follows what has already been taught in the deposit of faith. It is therefore is a legitimate development if it’s a logical conclusion of what the Church has taught in the past. If a given teaching is not a logical conclusion, it cannot be legitimate. He said: “Suppose, to take an artificial example, that the Church had taught that ‘All men are mortal’ and ‘Socrates is a
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April 2 BRUNEI: Brunei sultan seeks conservative support with hardline sharia laws Brunei's imposition of harsh sharia laws, including death by stoning for gay sex and adultery, is a bid by the country's ruler to boost support among conservatives and highlights a steady drift away from the West, observers say. The tough punishments, which also include amputation of a hand and foot for theft, will come into force Wednesday when a new penal code is fully implemented after years of delays. The decision to move ahead with the laws has sparked a global outcry, with the United Nations branding them "cruel and inhumane" and actor George Clooney leading calls for Brunei-owned hotels to be boycotted. By making his country the first in East or Southeast Asia to introduce a sharia penal code on a national level, analysts believe all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah is seeking to burnish his Islamic credentials among conservative supporters at a time the economy is weakening. Brunei, a resource-rich former British protectorate on Borneo island with a population of about 400,000, was plunged into recession in recent years as oil prices plummeted and its crude reserves declined. "Brunei is becoming Southeast Asia's Saudi Arabia," Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert from John Cabot University, told AFP. "The regime has increasingly been relying on religious legitimacy, appealing to a conservative Islamic ideology. The weakening economy in Brunei as well as concerns about possible erosion of support underscore this increasing reliance on religion." Shift to China The Muslim-majority nation's implementation of punishments that may scare off Western businesses also signals a shift towards investment from China, which typically refrains from criticising trading partners on human rights, observers said. As in many other parts of Asia, Chinese companies are investing huge sums in the absolute monarchy, part of an infrastructure drive aimed at extending Beijing's economic and geopolitical clout. Initiatives include a multi-billion-dollar oil refinery -- Brunei's biggest ever foreign investment project -- a dam and a highway. Xi Jinping visited the country in November last year, the 1st trip by a Chinese president in 13 years. Experts say it is hard to gauge the level of public backing for sharia law in Brunei, as most citizens would not publicly voice criticism of the sultan. But it is believed to have substantial support among the country's Muslim ethnic Malays, who make up some 70 percent of the population. Those who speak publicly generally welcome it. "I'm proud, because implementing the law feels like it solidifies the Islamic identity of Brunei," Muhammad Antoni, a 27-year-old oil and gas company worker, told AFP. Others were irritated at the calls for a boycott of nine Brunei-owned hotels in Europe and the United States. "Regarding celebrities calling for a boycott, it's not their place," said Haziah Zainal, a 36-year-old civil servant. "These actions seem ignorant as they have not even been here to experience what it's like." There was some unease online, however, where people can comment more freely. "This worries me so much for Brunei’s economy," one user posted on social media platform Reddit, adding that it would mean "losing more business overseas". Global alarm In reality, it is not yet clear if the toughest punishment -- death by stoning -- will be implemented. Brunei has long had capital punishment, and any execution should be carried out by hanging. But the last known instance of someone being put to death in the country was in 1957, according to Matthew Wolfe of human rights group The Brunei Project. While condemning the new penal code, Amnesty International said the country was "abolitionist in practice" when it comes to the death penalty. The burden of proof is high before someone can be sentenced to death by stoning. An accused person must either confess to the offence, or it must be witnessed by at least four people who have to then testify. The sultan, the world's second-longest ruling monarch, has weathered controversies before -- the monarchy was deeply embarrassed over revelations the ruler's brother Jefri allegedly embezzled billions of dollars -- and is unlikely to back down. In a weekend statement, the government defended its right to introduce the new penal code, saying that sharia law "aims to educate, respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals". (source: The jakarta Post) ** Brunei’s new penal code would enshrine ‘cruel and inhuman punishments’ UN rights chief warns Proposed changes to Brunei’s penal code to incorporate punishments under a strict interpretation of Islamic law - including death by stoning - should be halted, the UN’s top human rights official, Michelle Bachelet, said on Monday. In an appeal to the Bruneian Government to stop
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April 1 PAKISTAN: Pakistan scraps trials before military courts after 4 years Pakistan scrapped terrorism trials before special military courts after the tribunals’ mandate expired on Monday, ending a measure that had been in place for over four years to help authorities curb militant attacks, a government minister said. The country resumed military trials for terror suspects in 2015 and lifted a moratorium on the death penalty after a Taliban attack in December 2014 on a school in Peshawar killed more than 150 people, mostly young students. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the courts were re-introduced under special circumstances and “performed well.” “We were near to eliminating terrorism,” he added. Chaudhry said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government could not bring the matter of extending the courts before parliament, where opposition parties challenge his every move. The measure had to be backed by 2/3 of lawmakers in the 342-seat chamber to pass. Terrorism cases will now be handled by regular courts, notorious for their bureaucracy and slow justice. Khan came to power after elections last summer, promising to clean house and do away with rampant corruption. He has repeatedly demanded that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former President Asif Zardari return “looted money.” Sharif is currently serving a 7-year prison sentence for corruption and Zardari is facing an investigation for money laundering. Zardari’s aide Farhatullah Babar said the opposition Peoples Party would not support extending the military courts. “The government should strengthen the regular court system instead,” Babar said. Analyst Zahid Hussain said that while the closure of the special military courts might not have a direct impact on Pakistan’s fight against terror, it’s unclear how the remaining cases of those held on terrorism charges would be handled. “The regular courts lack the capability to handle terrorism cases,” Hussain said. “We either have to strengthen the legal system or they need to find a way to extend the military courts.” Rights groups have criticized the military courts and have campaigned against the death penalty in Pakistan, which was largely used to execute common criminals. According to Pakistani officials, the special military tribunals over the past 4 years decided 478 cases and sentenced 284 people to death. Of those, 56 convicted militants have already been executed. Also, 192 other suspects were sentenced to various prison terms. (source: Associated Press) SRI LANKA: President affirms death penalty for convicted drug traffickers President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday said he has already decided on a period of time to execute capital punishment for convicted drug traffickers who carry out large scale drug smuggling operations while in detention. He was speaking at a mass protest against drugs organised by religious leaders led by Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith at the Vystwyke Park in Kotahena. President Sirisena said the Government has taken a number of steps to strengthen laws relevant to curbing illicit drug trade. The President stressed that whatever the challenges or obstacles his battle to eradicate the narcotics problem will continue until it achieves a successful conclusion. “My aim is to ensure a drug free future for the next generation.Whatever the challenges, I will continue this fight until a successful conclusion is achieved” he added. President went on to say that all sections of the society irrespective of differences have come together in the battle against drugs today and achieving the goal of a ‘Drug Free Nation’ was not far away. A silent protest march began from a number of Catholic Churches yesterday after the Sunday services where participants carried placards with slogans against illicit drugs.A rally was held at the Vystwyke Park, Kotahena where 3 processions coming from different directions merged together. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and all religious leaders participated at the rally. (source: dailynews.lk) ** President says date set to implement death penalty President Maithripala Sirisena says the date has been set to implement the death penalty. Speaking at an event today, the President said that tough action will be taken against those involved in drug trafficking. He said that the country needs to have strong laws and tough penalties and that punishment must be implemented. As a result he said that the death penalty will be implemented on repeat offenders involved in drug trafficking. Human rights groups and the UN have raised concerns over the President’s decision to implement the death penalty. (source: Colombo Gazette) MALAYSIA: Jong-nam murder: Vietnamese escapes death sentence A Vietnamese woman accused of killing the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un escaped the death penalty
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March 31 PHILIPPINES: VACC: Road-rage crimes call for revival of death penalty The founding chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Saturday again pushed for the reimposition of the death penalty in the Philippines over the recent spate of road-rage crimes in different areas in the country. Dante Jimenez cited the killing of road-rage victim Larry Fortaleza, 54, who was gunned down in Pasay City last March 17. Police identified the suspect, who is still at large, as Rey Dongon, aged between 24-26 years old, and a resident at Upper Narra Street, Barangay Payatas B in Quezon City. Jimenez, who was at the victim’s wake at the Santa Rita de Cascia Chapel on Quirino Avenue, Baclaran in Parañaque City on Friday, decried the apparently unchanging trend in violent crimes committed by perpetrators. The victim will be interred at Providence Park in Dasmariñas, Cavite on March 30, after a Mass at the same chapel at 1:30 p.m. Having just attended the burial of 16-year-old Christine Silawan, who was violently murdered in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu also this month, Jimenez expressed serious concern over the killing of Fortaleza, and aired his urgent appeal for legislators, especially those running for reelection in the midterm elections on May 13, to seriously consider the implications of the incident in terms of law and order and public safety. “I hope that legislators, especially during this election season, will give particular attention to the reimposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes. We believe that since there is no clear substitute that would give justice to victims’ lives, the death penalty is the closest we can muster to get justice for victims of heinous crimes,” he said in a statement. Jimenez exhorted the public to support the crusade for the reinstatement of capital punishment, saying the murder of Fortaleza exposes a looming breakdown of law and order. “This outrageous incident should now send the message for government to draw the line and put an end to such heinous crimes. It is now time to reinstate the death penalty and restore public order and sanity in society,” he said. (source: The Manila Times) MALAYSIA: Malaysia urged to abolish death penalty by inmates’ families Malaysia-urged-to-abolish-death-penalty-by-inmates’-familiesFamilies and friends of death row inmates petitioned the Malaysian government to repeal its mandatory death penalty on Friday. Earlier this month, the government backtracked on its decision to scrap capital punishment in the country. Friends and kin of more than 20 death row inmates gathered in Putrajaya and sent a memorandum to the Malaysian Home Ministry, calling on the government to repeal mandatory capital punishment, and to pardon the inmates, some of whom have been in jail for decades. “They are feeling very sad,” one friend of a death row inmate told Arab News. “Every family member was expressing their feelings about living without a child or a husband (to the government).” The man, who asked to remain anonymous, is a friend of Mainthan, a death row inmate convicted of murder who has served 14 years in jail. Mainthan has maintained his innocence throughout his sentence and exhausted multiple avenues of appeal. “I’ve known him for the past two years,” his friend said. “I was really heartbroken — nobody should live like that. We are in 2019, not the 1990s.” “The family is getting worse day by day,” he continued. “It’s a family without a father. Even though the father is alive, he is not there to guide the family. It’s like there’s food in front of you, but you are not allowed to taste it. The kids are there (at the prison), but they are not able to hug … their father.” In October last year, the Malaysian government announced it would abolish the mandatory death penalty for 33 offenses. However, in early March, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, told Parliament that the government would instead push for the abolishment of the mandatory death penalty for 11 offenses. Those offenses include nine that fall under the Penal Code involving terrorism and serious crimes, including murder, hostage-taking, organized crime, offenses against the constitutional monarch, and the use of firearms. Friends and kin of more than 20 death row inmates gathered in Putrajaya and sent a memorandum to the Malaysian Home Ministry Hanipa Maidin said that courts would be authorized to decide whether a person who had committed a serious crime should face capital punishment. The March announcement met with criticism from human rights groups. The Malaysian Coalition Against the Death Penalty released a statement acknowledging the progress made by the government in abolishing the death penalty for 11 offenses, but expressing its concern over Malaysia’s justice system. “We are concerned that, at the moment, there is still
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March 30 BRUNEI: OutrageMike Pompeo and Trump Administration ‘Concerned’ About Brunei’s Law to Stone LGBT People to Death On April 3, Brunei will legalize the stoning to death of LGBT people. A new law in the southeast Asian country imposes death by stoning or whipping for sodomy, adultery or rape, and amputation of a hand or foot for theft. Global outrage has greeted news of the introduction of the new law under the Syariah Penal Code (SPC). On Friday, the British government and European Union called on Brunei to abandon the law, while George Clooney called for a boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei in a column for Deadline. After nearly 24 hours of declining to clarify its position, the State Department finally sent The Daily Beast a statement saying the U.S. was “concerned” about the new law, minutes after we published a story noting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the department's silence. However, when asked by The Daily Beast, Pompeo and the Department of State declined to directly condemn, or state an objection to, the stoning to death of LGBT people. The full statement reads: “The United States is concerned with Brunei’s decision to implement Phases 2 and 3 of the Sharia Penal Code. Some of the punishments in the law appear inconsistent with international human rights obligations, including with respect to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. “We have encouraged Brunei to ratify and implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which it signed in 2015, and to sign, ratify, and implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” The Daily Beast asked the State Department what had Pompeo or State Department officials said to Brunei officials or the Sultan of Brunei about the new law. Had any objections to it been lodged, and what had been the nature of State Department representations over the new law been? Specifically, The Daily Beast asked, did the U.S. Government object to the stoning to death of LGBT people as stated under the new law? On Friday afternoon, a Department of State spokesperson sent another statement. “We regularly communicate with the Government of Brunei regarding human rights and encourage it to uphold its international commitments on human rights. “Governments have an obligation to ensure that all people, including LGBTI people, can freely enjoy the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms to which they are entitled. We strongly oppose human rights violations and abuses against LGBTI persons, including violence, the criminalization of LGBTI status or conduct, and serious forms of discrimination.” The Daily Beast again asked if Pompeo or the Department of State objected to the stoning to death of LGBT people under the new law. A spokesperson would not address this question directly, and instead referred us to the statement above. A request for comment by The Daily Beast to Vice President Mike Pence, given his influence when it comes to U.S. foreign policy, went unresponded to. (source: The Daily Beast) *** Australia condemns Brunei gay sex death penalty amid calls for boycott Australia has joined critics of Brunei's new law against gay sex and adultery, as American actor George Clooney calls for a boycott of all Brunei-owned hotels. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said the Morrison government has raised its concerns with Brunei officials. "We are absolute opponents of the death penalty in all circumstances. So any suggestion that laws would facilitate that application of the death penalty is a matter of concern to Australia." Opposition leader Bill Shorten also urged the country to abandon the laws, arguing they would breach the UN Declaration of Human Rights. In Australia, Labor leader Bill Shorten and Penny Wong issued a statement condemning the move by Brunei. "Labor is deeply concerned by the Brunei government’s plans to implement new laws that would see adultery and homosexual acts between consenting adults punishable by death," he said in a joint statement with opposition spokesperson for foreign affairs, Penny Wong. "We note the new penal code would be in breach of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Australia has always stood strongly for the protection and promotion of human rights. "Doing so is vital to a peaceful world where all have the right to live with dignity, freedom, safety, security and prosperity." Calls for a boycott of Brunei's hotels American actor George Clooney has called for a boycott of 9 Brunei-owned hotels over the sultanate's imposition of the death penalty for gay sex and adultery. "Every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these 9 hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery," Clooney wrote on
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March 29 BRUNEI: George Clooney calls for hotel boycott over Brunei LGBT death penalty Film star George Clooney has called for a boycott of nine hotels because of their links to Brunei, where homosexual acts will from next week be punishable by death. In an opinion piece written for Deadline, Clooney decried Brunei's announcement that from April 3 the country will stone or whip to death citizens caught committing adultery or having gay sex. "Let that sink in. In the onslaught of news where we see the world backsliding into authoritarianism this stands alone," Clooney said. He called for the public to join him in immediately boycotting nine hotels -- 3 in the UK, 2 in the US, 2 in France and 2 in Italy. They include the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Bel-Air in Los Angeles, the Dorchester in London and Le Meurice in Paris. Clooney said the Brunei Investment Agency owns the hotels, which he described as some of the "most exclusive" in the world. He even admitted he had stayed in some, until he found out who owned them. "Every single time we stay at, or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery," he said. "Are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations? Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens?" Brunei is a small oil-rich kingdom of just over 450,000 people on the island of Borneo, close to the more moderate Islamic nations of Indonesia and Malaysia. In May 2014, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced he would be imposing a new penal code based on Sharia law, an Islamic legal system which outlines strict corporal punishments. At the time, the government's website quoted the Sultan as saying that his government "does not expect other people to accept and agree with it, but that it would suffice if they just respect the nation in the same way that it also respects them." The roll out of the new laws was at the Sultan's discretion and on December 29 it was quietly announced that capital punishment for homosexual sex would be imposed in April. Theft will be punished by amputation under the new laws. "Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments, and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Brunei's move to put these cruel penalties into practice," Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Brunei Researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement. (source: CNN) *** If Brunei executes gays, it would be the 5th nation doing soBetween 7 and 11 nations with large Muslim populations have laws providing for the death penalty for gay sex or otherwise allow such executions. Many fewer countries actually impose the death sentence — by this blog’s count, probably four of them, which would expand to five if Brunei goes ahead with its plan to implement its law providing for executions for gay sex as well as for adultery. 7 is the number of countries that definitely have laws providing the death penalty for gay sex or that otherwise allow such executions to occur. (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Somali, Yemen, Sudan, and part of Nigeria) The list grows to 11 countries if four nations are included where it’s theoretically possible to interpret the laws as allowing executions for gay sex. (Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar and U.A.E.) The death penalty for gay sex is no longer on the books in Afghanistan. Because of military defeats, the Islamic State (ISIS) can no longer act impose the death penalty by acting as a de-facto government. EXECUTIONS Here is this blog’s best-information-available list of countries/regions where executions for gay sex are carried out: Nations with such laws on the books; executions have been carried out in the recent past: 1. Iran Iran is No. 2 in the world for frequency of executions of any kind, behind China. Those include executions for homosexual activity, although the facts are often unclear or misrepresented.(See, for example, “Bogus hanging in Iran, bogus tweets in Egypt” and “Series of public hangings in Iran, including 2 for sodomy.” When a man in Iran is hanged after being convicted of rape and sodomy, media coverage often wrongly describes the punishment as execution for homosexuality. ) 2. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is No. 3 among the world’s most avid executioners, with 90+ in 2014. At least in the past, beheadings were imposed for homosexual behavior, including three men in 2002. Imprisonment and lashings are a more common punishment for same-sex activity. Nations with no such law on the books; executions are carried out by militias and others: 3. Iraq The ILGA report of 2015 noted that “Iraq, although [the death penalty is] not in the civil code, clearly has judges and militias
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March 28 PAKISTAN: Pashto Singer Brother Gets Death Penalty For Raping His Minor Nieces A local court on Wednesday awarded death penalty and a fine of 0.6 million rupees to a rapist uncle of Pashto singer Nazia Iqbal’s daughters. Rawalpindi Additional District and Sessions Judge Tahir Aslam announced the verdict against accused Iftikhar Ali, the real brother of Nazia, after he was declared guilty of raping minor girls. Nazia, reacting on the sentence, thanked the court in a video message. She said she felt satisfaction as she got justice. Nazia had alleged last year in April that her 2 daughters were subjected to rape and sexual abuse by their maternal uncle for many months. Following her complaints, police had arrested the prime suspect after registering a case against him. Nazia had alleged that she caught red-handed his 19-year-old brother while sexually abusing her daughter at her home located in Bahria Town, Rawalpindi. (source: urdupoint.com) ** Rapist of 2 girls gets death penalty A court on Wednesday awarded death penalty to a man after charge of sexually assaulting 2 of his school going nieces proved against him Rawat police had registered a case in April 2018 against Iftikhar Ali on the complaint of his sister Nazia Iqbal, the famous Pashto singer, for sexually assaulting 2 of her daughters (ageing 7 and 10 years old) after showing them videos in his cell phone of children being slaughtered in a bid to persuade them not to reveal the sin to their parents. Police held the rapist and sent him to jail. According to details, Additional District and Session Judge (ADSJ) Tahir Aslam took up the rape case of 2 school going girls during which the prosecution said the victim had been residing in house of her real sister at Bahria Town where he raped 2 of his nieces. The prosecution argued the accused showed horrible videos to his nieces on mobile phone in order to keep them silent over the inhuman act. The police had arrested Iftikhar Ali and produced him before the court, the prosecution added. The prosecution presented witnesses against the suspect after he pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the trial. The medical examination of the victim conducted on the direction of a judicial magistrate concerned also established the charge of rape. ADSJ Tahir Aslam observed that the prosecution fully proved the commission of rape by Iftikhar Ali. He remarked that the defence counsel remained unable to bring on record any malice, ill-will or animosity on the part of the complainant. The ADSJ awarded capital punishment to Iftikhar Ali besides imposing fine on him. Meanwhile, Nazia Iqbal, the complainant mother of the 2 girls, in a video message released on social media soon after the court verdict said: “I have done what I committed and I got punished to my brother for raping my 2 daughters.” “I am very thankful to Allah Almighty that Justice is done to me,” she added. She mentioned: “Receiving fine from accused was not her priority but to bring him to justice was her goal that she achieved,” (source: nation.com.pk) TAIWAN: Taiwan approves draft for capital punishment from drunk and drive killingThe proposal needs parliamentary approval but comes after a spate of high profile deaths that have generated widespread outrage. Taiwan plans to ramp up punishments for those who cause a fatal accident while drunk driving, including the death penalty for the most egregious cases, sparking an outcry from abolition and rights groups. The cabinet on Thursday approved a draft amendment to the Criminal Code that would make death by drunk driving an indictable murder offence, potentially punishable by death if the deed is deemed "intentional", officials said. The proposal needs parliamentary approval but comes after a spate of high profile deaths that have generated widespread outrage. Currently the maximum sentence in Taiwan for causing a death while drunk behind the wheel is 10 years. The new proposal would increase jail sentences for repeat offenders who commit a new offence within five years of their first conviction. They face up to a life sentence for causing death and 12 years for grave injuries. "Cases of drunk driving leading to death are rampant... drink drivers recklessly caused accidents that took lives and destroyed families to result in irreparable regret," the Justice Ministry said in a statement. In one notorious case in January, a 40-year-old man crashed his van into a taxi while driving intoxicated, killing three people and injuring 3 others including himself. Very few countries employ the death penalty for drunk driving cases. China has previously vowed to execute those who have killed behind the wheel and some states in the United States retain capital punishment for such cases. In 2014 a Texas man was indicted on "capital murder" after he ploughed his car into a
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March 28 NIGERIA: Ex-Deputy Gov’s daughter: Ondo will execute convicted murderers, says Attorney-General The Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adekola Olawoye, has said the state has no plan to abolish death sentence. There have been calls from some quarters for the abolition of death sentence in Ondo State, but Olawoye insisted that the state government has no such plan. He disclosed that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu would soon sign the death warrant of those who have been sentenced to death in the state. Olawoye stated this on Wednesday on the premises of the state High Court, Akure, after the court sentenced one Seidu Adeyemi to death for killing Khadijat, the daughter of a former deputy governor of the state, Lasisi Oluboyo. Olawoye argued that it was very imperative for law to take its course, and that anybody who kills should also be killed. He said, “Life is not a property of anybody, nobody has the right to take the life of fellow men, except as allowed and permitted by the law. “Even in advanced countries where they advocate abolition of death penalty, they still kill people found guilty of murder. “Like the judgment we just heard today, somebody killed his girlfriend and removed her body parts and buried her in his room. “How do you expect us to abolish death sentence with that? This is the rule of law; no sentiment about it. “When a case of this nature gets to the Supreme Court and it is confirmed that such a person should be killed, then the aspect of the governor, who has the constitutional right to confirm and sign the death sentence, will come into play. “We have so many of them that have been convicted, but I want to assure you that my ministry will do things proactively to see that these convicts will be executed. “Mr. Governor will sign their death warrant.” While commending the judgment of the high court, which sentenced the killer to death, Olawoye said it was ” a victory for the rule of law” (source: punchng.com) FRANCE: Today in History: Funeral held for the man behind the guillotineThe guillotine was intended to show the intellectual and social progress of the Revolution; by killing aristocrats and journeymen the same way, equality in death was ensured. On this day in 1814, the funeral of Dr Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, the namesake of the infamous execution device, takes place outside of Paris, France. Guillotin had what he felt were the purest motives for inventing the guillotine and was deeply distressed at how his reputation had become besmirched in the aftermath. Guillotin had bestowed the deadly contraption on the French as a ‘philanthropic gesture’ for the systematic criminal justice reform that was taking place in 1789. The guillotine was first used on 25 April 1792, when highwayman (someone who stole from travellers) Nicolas Pelletier was put to death for armed robbery and assault in Place de Greve. The newspapers reported that the guillotine was not an immediate sensation. The crowds seemed to miss the gallows at first. However, it quickly caught on with the public and many thought it brought dignity back to the executioner. However, the prestige of the guillotine fell precipitously due to its frequent use in the French Terror following the Revolution. It became the focal point of the awful political executions and was so closely identified with the terrible abuses of the time that it was perceived as partially responsible for the excesses itself. Still, it was used sporadically until the death penalty was abolished in France in 1981. (source: Roodepoort Northsider) AUSTRALIA: Death penalty tackled at law lecture The legacy left by the execution of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, and the fight against the death penalty, were the burning issues discussed as the law community honoured one of their finest peers at a lecture in Sydney. Australian Catholic University’s Thomas More Law School hosted the 5th annual Honourable Barry O’Keefe Memorial Lecture at the North Sydney campus. Law experts, students and academics heard from Australia’s best-known opponent of capital punishment Julian McMahon. A barrister with more than two decades of experience on the Victorian bar, Mr McMahon has been at the centre of some of the country’s most notorious overseas death penalty cases, including his representation in 2015 of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan. Introducing the lecture topic ‘Why isn’t the death penalty dying? Or is it?’, ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Greg Craven was unapologetic about the University’s condemnation of capital punishment. “Our University’s support of Julian’s campaign was simply born of the recognition that we have a duty to do all we can to stop people being killed by judicial process,” he said. “When a government decides to kill citizens — whether they are citizens of their own nation, or of
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March 25 KENYA: HE ARGUED HIS OWN CASESentenced to hang in 1998, ex-convict becomes a lawyer and secures freedom; He believes he was sentenced through made-up evidence He went to prison a naïve villager immediately after clearing form four when he was sentenced to hang, but confronted his adversity and emerged free as a lawyer, 21 years later. “February 13, 2019, forever remains my new birthday, the actual date I was born is no longer meaningful to me,” a teary-eyed Wilson Kinywa, 40, said during an interview at the Star’s offices in Westlands, referring to the date he was released from Kamiti Maximum Prison last month. Kinywa cleared form four in his Nyahururu backyard in 1998 and came to visit his kins in the city. “The excitement of clearing form 4 could not be contained in the village. Like many rural chaps, I came to the city, pondering how I would join college." But one morning that year, he was caught in the cross-fires between the police and armed robbers in the city. The robbers escaped. Looking to have something to show, the police arrested Kinywa, charging him with robbery with violence, a capital offence for which he was convicted and commenced his prison time on December 17, 1998. “The police claimed that they recovered Sh2 million from the robbers but only produced Sh800,000 in court,” he said. Kinywa believes his fate was sealed using conjured evidence with his poor background aggravating the situation. “I was not able to get legal representation and the judge only heard the narrative by the police to hear and make a determination,” the ex-convict said. Life in prison As expected, life in prison has no inspiring side to tell. “Kamiti or any prison in this country is a condemnation camp. You get dehumanised and the worst in you is invoked,” he said, adding that punishment was not just physical, but also emotional and psychological. “Many times we were stripped naked. The sight of nude men, young and old was just traumatising. My cubicle was adjacent to the hangman’s nooses and it had an opening to see the nooses. This was an imaginable ordeal,” he said is a slow reflective tone. However, President Daniel Moi was the last head of state to sign an execution order against a Kenyan - Sergeant Joseph Ogidi - who was hanged at Kamiti Prison in 1987 alongside six other Airforce soldiers of the Kenya Air Force for their role in the 1982 failed coup. In 2009, President Mwai Kibaki commuted Kinywa's death sentence to life imprisonment. “This gave me hope; I even enrolled for CPA now that I was a form four leaver. I managed to do it up to section four,” Kinywa said. With time he became courageous, standing up for fellow prisoners. “When visitors came to Kamiti, I would be the spokesman for my colleagues,” he added. It is through this that he impressed Alexander McClay, a UK judge who was touring the correctional facility. “McClay decided to sponsor me to study diploma in law in a distance learning arrangement with the University of London, which I cleared in 2014,” he said. The British judge, through his African Prisons project, further sponsored Kinywa to study a law degree at the same institution under the same arrangement. “I’m actually graduating this coming October,” a delighted Kinywa told the Star. Kinywa’s used his newly-acquired legal knowledge to gain freedom. “I, with a group of 11 other prisoners lodged a petition to the High Court against the death sentence which eventually saw that declared unconstitutional in 2016,” he says. “I was the one who prosecuted the petition, doing both oral and written submissions,” he said, adding that "destroyed people have nothing else to lose” when asked about what motivated him to take the risk. Kinywa is now out to “lead a movement and agitation to revolutionize the criminal justice system in this country.” “What we have is not a correctional or a rehabilitative system. It is hardening criminals to be used to commit even worse crimes because the treatment there invokes the beast in you,” he says. "Many innocent people are rotting in jail yet real criminals are roaming free." About his life after the prison, Kinywa said he has nothing to his name, except his life. “It is my brother hosting me, giving me food and clothing. My friends in civil society have been embraced me like their child,” he said. (source: thestar-co.ke) JAPAN: Japan’s death penalty hinders defense talks with Australia Japan’s use of the death penalty has hampered negotiations with Australia on what would be an unprecedented agreement to tighten maritime defense cooperation in the face of China’s aggressive behavior. The talks are intended to set the legal status of both armed forces when they visit each other’s countries to respond to natural disasters or conduct joint operations. Essentially, the proposed reciprocal access agreement would ease the
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March 23 PHILIPPINES: Justice for Christine: VACC calls for reimposition of death penalty Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Raza and Vice Mayor Marcial Ycong joined Oponganons during the Mass held at noontime today, March 23, at the Sto. Niño de Mactan Parish in Barangay Mactan. Members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) also called for the reimposition of the death penalty to give justice to Silawan and other victims of heinous crimes. (source: Cebu Daily News) MALAYSIA: Obey laws when abroad, MP says after Sarawakian executed in Singapore A Sarawak DAP MP today reminded folks from the state to abide by the laws of the countries where they reside and work, and to not get involved in any crime. Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said the execution of Michael anak Garing in Singapore this morning is a reminder to all Sarawakians why they must respect the laws of any foreign country. “There is nothing wrong to go overseas or a different place for work, but it is important that we abide by the laws of the country and not be involved in any crime that will not bring any benefit to ourselves and our family,” he said. He said he accepted that Michael had committed a serious crime and that he must face punishment. The Malaysian High Commission confirmed that Michael was executed at Singapore’s Changi Prison early this morning. He had previously been found guilty of a 2010 murder in 2015, which he later repealed, only to have his conviction confirmed by the courts again in 2017. Earlier this week, both of Michael’s elderly parents had petitioned for clemency from the Singapore government, trying to commute his sentence from death penalty to life imprisonment instead. In 2010, at the age of 21, Michael took part in a gang robbery on the island’s Kallang Road. During the incident, a 41-year-old construction worker, Shanmuganathan Dillidurai was killed, and 3 other individuals were seriously injured. His 3 other accomplices were convicted with lighter sentences. Tony Imba received a life sentence, and 24 strokes of the cane, and Hairee Landak was given a 33-year prison term, as well as 24 strokes of the cane. Another man, Donny Meluda went on the run from police, successfully avoiding them for six years before being caught. He too was given a 33-year sentence, and 24 strokes. In a statement, Dr Yii said the Sarawak DAP is in contact with the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is arranging the transports of Michael’s remains. He said the remains are expected to arrive at Sibu Airport tomorrow before being brought back to his hometown in Kapit. He said the DAP state chapter is also in contact with the family and has offered to cover the expenses of the funeral as the family is from a poorer background. “While we do not condone the crime that was committed, but we just want to make sure that our fellow Sarawakian remains is brought back safe and can be buried near home and close to his family,” Yii said. He also sent his deepest condolences to Michael’s family members, especially in this hard time. (source: malaymail.com) IRANexecution Man Hanged at Zanjan Prison A prisoner was hanged for murder charges at the Iranian city of Zanjan’s Central Prison last Wednesday. According to IHR sources, a 34-year old man from Tabriz city of Iran was hanged on the morning of Wednesday, March 20, 2019. The prisoner, identified as Reza Akbari, was in prison for 6 years and was transferred to the solitary confinement 2 days before the execution. A well-informed source told IHR, “He has been told that he is going to be transferred to Tabriz Prison. But it was a lie and they took him for execution. Reza’s friends in prison only came to know about his execution by contacting his family by phone.” The aforementioned execution has not been reported by Iranian media so far. According to the Iran Human Rights statistic department, the majority of executions in 2017 and 2018 in Iran was for murder charges. At least 188 prisoners were executed for murder charges in 2018. Only 33% of executions were announced by Iranian authorities in 2018. 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) PAKISTAN: Bhagat Singh’s name was not in FIR that led to his hanging: Case in Lahore courtBhagat Singh along with Rajguru and Sukhdev were awarded capital punishment on March 23, 1931, by the British for allegedly killing Saunders. The family of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Friday urged to expedite the proceedings in a 6-year-old case, which was filed in the Lahore High Court to reopen a 9-decade old case pertaining to the murder of the then Assistant Superintendent of Police John Saunders in Lahore in 1928. The family’s requests comes on the the eve of the 88th
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March 22 SOUTH AFRICA: Buthelezi says there should be debate on bringing back death penalty IFP leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has said that there should be a debate around bringing back the death penalty in order to combat violent crime. He made the comments at the party's manifesto launch in Gauteng. However, Buthelezi added that this did not necessarily mean the IFP supported the death penalty. The suggestion came as part of the IFP's new election promises, which include getting rid of e-tolls and subsidising the transport costs of unemployed people looking for work. Other election promises included cracking down on crime and stimulating the economy. Buthelezi has been hard on the campaign trail. He has said that this will be his last election as IFP leader. He had initially suggested he would step down from the party leadership in 2017, but has continued because of alleged infighting within the IFP. Despite his party having most of its support in KwaZulu-Natal, Eyewitness News reported that there were hundreds of supporters at his Gauteng event. The supporters were reportedly enthusiastic and were seen dancing and waving knobkerries. The IFP, which remains in 4th place in terms of voter support, appears to be trying to mobilise more voters and connect to South Africans through sweeping policy proposals. (source: briefly.co.za) NIGERIA: Consider capital punishment for rapists, activist urges govt An Abuja-based lawyer, Ms Oluwatoyin Falaiye, on Thursday urged the government at all levels to consider capital punishment for convicted rapists. She also called for urgent action by government to review laws on sex offence in Nigeria. Falaiye, founder of Jewels Hive Initiative, a non-governmental organisation who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, particularly urged the government to establish a law to prosecute sexual abuses in minors. She lamented the high rate of sexual abuse in the country, especially among minors in primary and secondary schools. “Governments at all levels should be able to muster the courage to review these laws. If prompt action is taken on those found guilty, such acts of sexual indiscretion will be minimised. She also urged the Federal Government to consider capital punishment for rapists. Falaiye said that domesticating such laws would drastically reduce the rate of occurrence. Falaiye further called on parents to build and develop better relationship with their children and show them enough love and understanding, noting that such would make them open up to parents. According to her, this fight is beyond 1 person, it is a national clarion call. The lawyer said that Jewels Hive Initiative was an awareness and advocacy based NGO that serves as a voice for victims of sex abuse and sexual violence. She said that the organisation provides a safe space for victims of sex abuse in order to help them attain healing through counsel, mentoring and therapy. She added that the NGO also seeks to get an abuser to admit to the wrongful and shameful act and seek forgiveness where it is possible to do so or face the full wrath of the law where necessary. She added that the organisation encourages victims to speak up! about sexual abuse and not hesitate to report cases of abuse to the relevant authorities. Falaiye said that in future the organisation would have a physical facility (The Pink Hive) where an abuse victim can hibernate for a period of time. “The facility will include a dormitory, laboratory, therapy and vocation centers for girls who will have to be rescued from a place of abuse and taken through counsel. “It will also include therapy and mentoring before reuniting them with their families and reintegrating them back into the society,” she said. (source: punchng.com) MALAYSIA: Ex-IGP: NZ terrorist attacks an example of why we need the death penalty Putrajaya should take heed of the terrorist attacks in Christchurch that killed 50 people before deciding to abolish the mandatory death penalty, says Tan Sri Musa Hassan. The former Inspector-General of Police claimed the terrorists were emboldened to attack the 2 mosques because New Zealand does not have the death sentence. "They know in New Zealand there is no death penalty, so they would be brave to do it (launch the attacks). They think if I kill people, I won't be hung, and I will be released. "If I sit in prison for a long time, I will get food, people are supporting me," Musa said during a press conference at Wisma MCA on Friday (March 22). Musa added that even the relatives of the terrorist reportedly said he deserves the death penalty, and there are also petitions calling for him to receive the death sentence. "The death penalty is still relevant in Malaysia", Musa said. The press conference was held in response to the government's decision to abolish the mandatory death
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March 21 SOUTH AFRICA: IFP promises to reopen debate on reinstatement of death penalty The Inkatha Freedom Party promised safety of Gauteng residents and to reopen the debate on the reinstatement of the death penalty as a way to fight crime. The party held its provincial manifesto launch rally at Zola sports complex in Soweto on Thursday. It said it would reprioritise the SAPS budget to focus on community policing and police visibility on the streets, among communities and at business centres and public spaces. Gauteng is notorious for high end crimes such as car hijackings and cash heist robberies. Under IFP rule, all unused land held by the state would be distributed to alleviate poverty and address land deprivation. “South Africa’s people suffered immensely under colonial rule and apartheid. Reasonable measures must be taken to redress past injustices and indignities as our political democracy cannot thrive if the masses of our people remain without land or perceptible prospects for a better life,” said the IFP’s “Our Plan for Gauteng”. Despite being the country’s and the continent’s economic hub, Gauteng was still devastated by high unemployment especially among the youth. To address this the party promised to create a provincial and municipal database of unemployed persons and introduce a subsidised unemployment “job seekers metro card for Gautrain, Metrobus and Rea Vaya transit trips”. Free WiFi would be offered to rural and township businesses to increase access to financial services and micro finance for developing entrepreneurs. To realise its vision of a “world class” education, the IFP promised to champion the building of more schools with classes of 500 learners per school and free scholar transport. In an IFP-led government all schools would be guarded by trained security guards. High-spirited Zulu maidens and young men in traditional regalia danced to a mix of hip hop, maskandi and their own Zulu traditional songs in formations of war-styled groups while waiting to be addresse by IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi. (source: The Citizen) NIGERIA: The case against capital punishment in Nigeria Nigeria remains one of the few nations in the world where capital punishment is still fashionable despite the call to abolish it. And while it is true that the 1999 constitution (as amended) clearly spelt out death penalty under Sections 33(1) and 34(1) (a), it has become an outdated and cruel means of dispensing justice. Fundamentally, the truth remains that, society will continue to evolve and as it evolves, the laws holding it together will also change. For instance, until 1807, the slave trade was legal and people were allowed to keep slaves (human beings) as private property. But as society gradually progressed from the thesis, to the antithesis and to the synthesis, a new consciousness overruled the commodification of man. Today, it will be considered a crime against humanity if any man or country ever venture into the slave trade because civilization has moved forward and new laws have emerged to protect the inalienable rights of man. In the same vein, the Nigerian society has not remained static since the first time capital punishment was enshrined in her constitution. As society progresses it is expected that laws are reviewed and the constitution amended in order to meet the recent social realities and lifestyle. It will not make any sense use the laws that were made 20 years ago or thereabout to interpret the current challenges in the country. Laws are made for man and not the other way round. Therefore, we cannot afford to remain judicially conservative when society itself is in the state of flux. Take for example how people will respond to the killing of twins in the 21st century or the gladiator games that defined the beauty and power of the Roman civilization. Whereas these were backed by the laws of those days but as man attained another rational identity epoch, he found it convenient to describe them as barbaric or primitive. If the modern culture could efface slave trade and other anti-progress events, then the neo or contemporary culture should also swallow all the cruel and outdated laws that support capital punishment, especially in Nigeria. Apart from the fact that the Nigerian society has evolved and by default needs better laws to address capital crimes, capital punishment has never been the ultimate solution to homicide. There is no proof anywhere that killing murderers in Nigeria have been able to deter other people from committing murder or other capital crimes that can warrant the death penalty. Furthermore, the Nigerian system is very disorganized. The security and judicial institutions are weak. Nigeria is a country where the police usually make a random arrest for no reason and without bothering to do a proper investigation whether the people arrested are criminals or
