Rick Halperin
2017-07-02 19:54:11 UTC
JULY 2
SOUTH AFRICA:
Some Members Of The ANC Women's League Want The Death Penalty Back----Some
members of the league felt the death sentence should be returned because of the
high levels of violence against women.
Some members of the ANC Women's League are pushing for the return of the death
penalty, in a desperate attempt to stop the murder of women.
League president Bathabile Dlamini told News24 on the sidelines of the ANC's
5th national policy conference on Friday that capital punishment was one of the
topics brought up for discussion.
"What I have noticed is that women are feeling aggrieved a lot, especially
young women that are calling on the death sentence," said Dlamini.
The death penalty was used against freedom fighters during the apartheid era.
It was declared unconstitutional in June 1995 in the famous Constitutional
Court judgment, State vs Makwanyane. In the unanimous ruling, the court held
that the death penalty violated the right to life contained in the Bill of
Rights.
Dlamini said some members of the league felt the death sentence should be
returned because of the high levels of violence against women.
There was a general feeling that those who committed the crimes often got away
with murder.
"Our view, because of our experience, is that you can't allow the state to
kill. As time goes on there will be recklessness, especially with our past
experience and what's happening in other countries," said Dlamini.
"The state cannot be given the licence to kill."
She said there was also an idea that, instead of demanding the return of a law
that is unconstitutional, current legislation could be strengthened to empower
young women to confront the challenges facing them.
Dlamini said she personally felt a call for the death penalty was the wrong
move because of South Africa's tragic past and how the gallows were used
against those who took a political stand against the apartheid government.
"[This] doesn't mean I don't feel for our young women that have been killed. It
doesn't mean I don't understand the issues of life," she said.
(source: huffingtonpost.co.za)
EGYPT:
20 defendants sentenced to death in Kerdasa massacre re-trial----Court also
orders life imprisonment for 80, 15-year term for 34, 10 years for minor and
acquits 21
The Cairo Criminal court sentenced on Sunday 20 defendants to death during
their retrial in the case known as "Kerdasa massacre", according to local
media.
The death penalty had already been issued in April but ordered the referral of
the papers of those sentenced to death to the Grand Mufti for consultation.
According to state-owned media Al-Ahram, the court sentenced on Sunday 80 other
defendants to life in prison, another 34 defendants to 15 years, a minor to 10
years, while it acquitted 21 defendants.
The case includes 156 defendants, whom in the 1st trial had received either
death or imprisonment sentences on charges of storming in Kerdasa police
station in Giza, killing 12 police officers, initiation of killing 10 others,
destroying the police office and burning a number of police vehicles in August
2013.
After the 1st trial, the Appeal Court had refuted 14 death sentences in the
same case and revoked a 10-year prison sentence for another defendant, thus
ordering a re-trial.
The storming of the station took place shortly after the dispersal of the Rabaa
Al-Adaweya sit-in by the armed forces in August 2013, following the ouster of
former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
Hundreds of defendants are being legally persecuted in Egyptian courts on
charges of committing violence after Morsi was ousted, including Morsi himself
and members of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) group.
Since 2013, a militant campaign targeting police and army has escalated since
the ouster of Morsi, killing several security forces in the Sinai Peninsula,
Cairo, and the Nile Delta.
(source: Daiy News Egypt)
IRAN----execution
Prisoner Hanged on Drug Charges
On Sunday July 2, a prisoner was reportedly hanged at Zanjan Prison on drug
related charges. Close sources have identified the prisoner as Abbas Savaghi,
38 years of age, arrested in 2015 on drug related charges.
"Abbas was married and worked as a taxi driver. They had found some crystal
meth in his car," an informed source tells Iran Human Rights. "Executions in
Zanjan Prison are normally carried out on Tuesdays, but they carried out
Abbas's execution on Sunday."
Iran Human Rights had published a report warning about the imminent execution
of Abbas Savaghi and 16 others.
Iranian parliament members had formerly requested from the Judiciary to stop
drug related executions for at least 5,000 prisoners pending further
investigation. However, the request has not stopped the Judiciary from carrying
out death sentences for prisoners with drug related charges.
According to experts, those who are executed in Iran on drug related charges
are not the main drug dealers, but individuals who sell drugs as a result of
extreme poverty.
Iranian official sources, including the media and Judiciary, have not announced
Mr. Savaghi's execution.
*******************
3 Prisoners Including Afghan Citizen in Imminent Danger of Execution on Drug
Charges
On Saturday July 1, 3 prisoners, including an Afghan citizen, were reportedly
transferred to solitary confinement in Isfahan Central Prison in preparation
for their executions. According to close sources, the prisoners were sentenced
to death on drug related charges.
"None of these prisoners had any prior convictions, and the narcotics found on
them were between 800 grams and 1 kilogram," an informed source tells Iran
Human Rights.
Iranian parliament members had formerly requested from the Judiciary to stop
drug related executions for at least five thousand prisoners pending further
investigation. However, the request has not stopped the Judiciary from carrying
out death sentences for prisoners with drug related charges.
According to experts, those who are executed in Iran on drug related charges
are not the main drug dealers, but individuals who sell drugs as a result of
extreme poverty.
(source for both: Iran Human Rights)
THAILAND:
Let the punishment fit the crime
Just when people thought that capital punishment no longer exists in Thailand,
a Thai criminal court recently ordered sending two repeat offenders to death
row for fatally stabbing a young man during an iPhone robbery.
The Criminal Court on May 31 convicted Kittikorn Wiphana, 26, and Supatchai
Chansi, 25, of the fatal robbery in Lat Phrao district in January and handed
down the death penalty.
The ruling took place just a few days before the high-profile murder of
Warisara Klinjui. Before the police could get hold of the suspect, Prabhasiri
Somsri, a sister of Preeyanuch "Preaw" Nonwangchai who was the main suspect in
the case, urged Preeyanuch, then hiding in Myanmar, to turn herself in.
"If you are listening to me, I want to say please come back and serve your
time. Do not worry. Please turn yourself into the judicial system. There is no
such thing as the death penalty," Prabhasiri said in a televised interview.
Prabhasiri's appeal is understandable. Prior to that, the social media world
was debating what kind of punishment would fit Preeyanuch's crime. The femme
fatale allegedly strangled then dismembered her friend in cold blood.
Preeyanuch turned herself in to the police a few days later. It was unclear
whether Preeyanuch had seen her sister's plea on the tube or whether such a
plea had anything to do with her decision.
he court has yet to give the final verdict in Preeyanuch's case. Nonetheless,
the latest court case last month proved that the death penalty is still on the
books in Thailand even though no execution has taken place since 2009.
Regarding the death penalty for Kittikorn and Supatchai, the court said there
was no reason to commute their punishment, reasoning that they pleaded guilty
only because the evidence against them was overwhelming.
The CCTV recording was solid evidence of the horrendous murder as they showed
Kittikorn stabbing Wasin Luangjaem, the 26-year-old victim, several times in
the torso and once in his throat before snatching his mobile phone and fleeing
on a motorcycle driven by Supatchai. Police found that the 2 robbers also stole
from other victims on the night they killed Wasin.
The court seemed to give up on the two young men as they have been in and out
of jail several times.
Records show the 2 men met in jail while serving time for earlier crimes. After
they completed their jail terms, they allegedly carried out a series of
robberies together.
Kittikorn had been arrested nine times before, the first time when he was 16.
This time around, the 2 men are subject to the maximum penalty. The execution
will nonetheless depend on the result of their appeal.
Panadda Wongphudee, a former beauty queen and founder of the Goodness
Organization, a non-profit campaigning for children's right and gender
equality, has been an outspoken advocate of the death penalty in Thailand.
"I do not campaign to execute anyone. But the maximum penalty should be there.
Because in reality most people given a death sentence are not executed. Most
receive pardons and they stayed in jail for life," she said.
Panadda is campaigning for the strict enforcement of capital punishment for
rape and murder cases. "In reality, many offenders came out of jail and
committed the same crime," she said.
"I want to see serious enforcement of the law. I understand people are debating
whether Thailand should have the death penalty to protect the convicts' rights
but what about the victim?" she said.
To scare the would-be criminals, the authorities should show the effectiveness
of the rehabilitation process if that is an answer then capital punishment is
not the best solution.
My foundation is helping a woman who was sexually assaulted in Phatthalung. It
does not help that the court has tried the case for years," she said.
Instead of lip-service over the rights of convicts, the agencies involved
should show they can change a person and monitor their behaviour to make
society feel safe, she said.
As of April this year, 440 inmates face capital punishment.
(source: Bangkok Post)
PAKISTAN:
2 murderers get death penalty
A local court awarded capital punishment to a murder accused and sentenced a
co-accused to 10 years in prison here the other day.
According to the prosecution, Additional District and Sessions judge Naveed
Iqbal pronounced the verdict on a murder case. He convicted Ajmal of murder and
sentenced him to death. The convict's accomplice Shakeel Ahmed was imprisoned
for 10 years. The judge also fined them Rs0.5 million and Rs50,000
respectively. 5 suspects including Yousuf, Naeem, Younus, Zulfiqar and Jamshed
were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
In Sahiwal, a court sentenced a landlord to death and fined him Rs1 million for
killing his brother over a property issue.
According to the prosecution, Azhar Fareed Kathia, on Dec 19, 2014, had killed
his brother at Harrapa City over a property issue. Harrapa police had
registered a case against him and produced him before Additional District and
Sessions Judge Ch Saeed Akhtar. The judge awarded him capital punishment and
imposed a fine of Rs1 million on him.
(source: The Nation)
**************************
Pakistan Denies Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav For 18th Time A Day After
India's Request
Pakistan foreign office today rejected India???s demand for consular access to
Indian businessman Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time, saying New Delhi is
trying to deny the facts by calling Jadhav an ordinary prisoner.
A statement by the Pakistan foreign office affirmed that Jadhav was sent to
Pakistan by Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and
many innocent Pakistanis were killed by him.
The foreign office further asked India to act upon the bilateral agreement on
consular access instead of leveling accusations on Pakistan, Dunya News
reported.
India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national
Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military
court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities.
India had moved the International court of Justice against the death penalty
and the ICJ in its verdict on May 18 had restrained Pakistan for executing
Jadhav.
Meanwhile, India argued that Pakistan had not granted India consular access,
nor had accepted his family's appeals.
The court has asked India to make its submission in the case by September 13
and Pakistan by December 13.
Pakistan had also earlier said that Jadhav will not be executed till he
"exhausts all his mercy appeals."
Both countries also exchanged lists of nationals lodged in the jails of the
other country, in consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular
Access between both the neighbouring countries.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) in this statement stated that, "India
remains committed to addressing on priority all humanitarian matters with
Pakistan, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen. In this
context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India's
custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation."
(source: outlookindia.com)
BOTSWANA:
HRW urges Botswana to end death penalty
Human Rights Watch has called on Botswana government to take steps to end the
death penalty, including by placing a moratorium on capital punishment, APA
learnt here Sunday.In a periodical review report, the human rights organisation
also called on Botswana to take steps to decriminalize same-sex sexual
activities and ensure non-discrimination in accordance with the country's
domestic and international obligations.
HRW said Botswana should incorporate ratified international human rights
conventions into domestic laws and complete the process of aligning national
legislation with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Botswana was also urged to establish and adequately resource a national human
rights institution in line with the Paris Principles.
HRW noted with concern that Botswana was yet to incorporate international human
rights conventions it ratified into domestic law to make them directly
applicable by the courts and administrative authorities in the country.
(source: journalducammeroun.com)
_______________________________________________
A service courtesy of Washburn University School of Law www.washburnlaw.edu
DeathPenalty mailing list
***@lists.washlaw.edu
http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty
Unsubscribe: http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/options/deathpenalty
SOUTH AFRICA:
Some Members Of The ANC Women's League Want The Death Penalty Back----Some
members of the league felt the death sentence should be returned because of the
high levels of violence against women.
Some members of the ANC Women's League are pushing for the return of the death
penalty, in a desperate attempt to stop the murder of women.
League president Bathabile Dlamini told News24 on the sidelines of the ANC's
5th national policy conference on Friday that capital punishment was one of the
topics brought up for discussion.
"What I have noticed is that women are feeling aggrieved a lot, especially
young women that are calling on the death sentence," said Dlamini.
The death penalty was used against freedom fighters during the apartheid era.
It was declared unconstitutional in June 1995 in the famous Constitutional
Court judgment, State vs Makwanyane. In the unanimous ruling, the court held
that the death penalty violated the right to life contained in the Bill of
Rights.
Dlamini said some members of the league felt the death sentence should be
returned because of the high levels of violence against women.
There was a general feeling that those who committed the crimes often got away
with murder.
"Our view, because of our experience, is that you can't allow the state to
kill. As time goes on there will be recklessness, especially with our past
experience and what's happening in other countries," said Dlamini.
"The state cannot be given the licence to kill."
She said there was also an idea that, instead of demanding the return of a law
that is unconstitutional, current legislation could be strengthened to empower
young women to confront the challenges facing them.
Dlamini said she personally felt a call for the death penalty was the wrong
move because of South Africa's tragic past and how the gallows were used
against those who took a political stand against the apartheid government.
"[This] doesn't mean I don't feel for our young women that have been killed. It
doesn't mean I don't understand the issues of life," she said.
(source: huffingtonpost.co.za)
EGYPT:
20 defendants sentenced to death in Kerdasa massacre re-trial----Court also
orders life imprisonment for 80, 15-year term for 34, 10 years for minor and
acquits 21
The Cairo Criminal court sentenced on Sunday 20 defendants to death during
their retrial in the case known as "Kerdasa massacre", according to local
media.
The death penalty had already been issued in April but ordered the referral of
the papers of those sentenced to death to the Grand Mufti for consultation.
According to state-owned media Al-Ahram, the court sentenced on Sunday 80 other
defendants to life in prison, another 34 defendants to 15 years, a minor to 10
years, while it acquitted 21 defendants.
The case includes 156 defendants, whom in the 1st trial had received either
death or imprisonment sentences on charges of storming in Kerdasa police
station in Giza, killing 12 police officers, initiation of killing 10 others,
destroying the police office and burning a number of police vehicles in August
2013.
After the 1st trial, the Appeal Court had refuted 14 death sentences in the
same case and revoked a 10-year prison sentence for another defendant, thus
ordering a re-trial.
The storming of the station took place shortly after the dispersal of the Rabaa
Al-Adaweya sit-in by the armed forces in August 2013, following the ouster of
former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
Hundreds of defendants are being legally persecuted in Egyptian courts on
charges of committing violence after Morsi was ousted, including Morsi himself
and members of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) group.
Since 2013, a militant campaign targeting police and army has escalated since
the ouster of Morsi, killing several security forces in the Sinai Peninsula,
Cairo, and the Nile Delta.
(source: Daiy News Egypt)
IRAN----execution
Prisoner Hanged on Drug Charges
On Sunday July 2, a prisoner was reportedly hanged at Zanjan Prison on drug
related charges. Close sources have identified the prisoner as Abbas Savaghi,
38 years of age, arrested in 2015 on drug related charges.
"Abbas was married and worked as a taxi driver. They had found some crystal
meth in his car," an informed source tells Iran Human Rights. "Executions in
Zanjan Prison are normally carried out on Tuesdays, but they carried out
Abbas's execution on Sunday."
Iran Human Rights had published a report warning about the imminent execution
of Abbas Savaghi and 16 others.
Iranian parliament members had formerly requested from the Judiciary to stop
drug related executions for at least 5,000 prisoners pending further
investigation. However, the request has not stopped the Judiciary from carrying
out death sentences for prisoners with drug related charges.
According to experts, those who are executed in Iran on drug related charges
are not the main drug dealers, but individuals who sell drugs as a result of
extreme poverty.
Iranian official sources, including the media and Judiciary, have not announced
Mr. Savaghi's execution.
*******************
3 Prisoners Including Afghan Citizen in Imminent Danger of Execution on Drug
Charges
On Saturday July 1, 3 prisoners, including an Afghan citizen, were reportedly
transferred to solitary confinement in Isfahan Central Prison in preparation
for their executions. According to close sources, the prisoners were sentenced
to death on drug related charges.
"None of these prisoners had any prior convictions, and the narcotics found on
them were between 800 grams and 1 kilogram," an informed source tells Iran
Human Rights.
Iranian parliament members had formerly requested from the Judiciary to stop
drug related executions for at least five thousand prisoners pending further
investigation. However, the request has not stopped the Judiciary from carrying
out death sentences for prisoners with drug related charges.
According to experts, those who are executed in Iran on drug related charges
are not the main drug dealers, but individuals who sell drugs as a result of
extreme poverty.
(source for both: Iran Human Rights)
THAILAND:
Let the punishment fit the crime
Just when people thought that capital punishment no longer exists in Thailand,
a Thai criminal court recently ordered sending two repeat offenders to death
row for fatally stabbing a young man during an iPhone robbery.
The Criminal Court on May 31 convicted Kittikorn Wiphana, 26, and Supatchai
Chansi, 25, of the fatal robbery in Lat Phrao district in January and handed
down the death penalty.
The ruling took place just a few days before the high-profile murder of
Warisara Klinjui. Before the police could get hold of the suspect, Prabhasiri
Somsri, a sister of Preeyanuch "Preaw" Nonwangchai who was the main suspect in
the case, urged Preeyanuch, then hiding in Myanmar, to turn herself in.
"If you are listening to me, I want to say please come back and serve your
time. Do not worry. Please turn yourself into the judicial system. There is no
such thing as the death penalty," Prabhasiri said in a televised interview.
Prabhasiri's appeal is understandable. Prior to that, the social media world
was debating what kind of punishment would fit Preeyanuch's crime. The femme
fatale allegedly strangled then dismembered her friend in cold blood.
Preeyanuch turned herself in to the police a few days later. It was unclear
whether Preeyanuch had seen her sister's plea on the tube or whether such a
plea had anything to do with her decision.
he court has yet to give the final verdict in Preeyanuch's case. Nonetheless,
the latest court case last month proved that the death penalty is still on the
books in Thailand even though no execution has taken place since 2009.
Regarding the death penalty for Kittikorn and Supatchai, the court said there
was no reason to commute their punishment, reasoning that they pleaded guilty
only because the evidence against them was overwhelming.
The CCTV recording was solid evidence of the horrendous murder as they showed
Kittikorn stabbing Wasin Luangjaem, the 26-year-old victim, several times in
the torso and once in his throat before snatching his mobile phone and fleeing
on a motorcycle driven by Supatchai. Police found that the 2 robbers also stole
from other victims on the night they killed Wasin.
The court seemed to give up on the two young men as they have been in and out
of jail several times.
Records show the 2 men met in jail while serving time for earlier crimes. After
they completed their jail terms, they allegedly carried out a series of
robberies together.
Kittikorn had been arrested nine times before, the first time when he was 16.
This time around, the 2 men are subject to the maximum penalty. The execution
will nonetheless depend on the result of their appeal.
Panadda Wongphudee, a former beauty queen and founder of the Goodness
Organization, a non-profit campaigning for children's right and gender
equality, has been an outspoken advocate of the death penalty in Thailand.
"I do not campaign to execute anyone. But the maximum penalty should be there.
Because in reality most people given a death sentence are not executed. Most
receive pardons and they stayed in jail for life," she said.
Panadda is campaigning for the strict enforcement of capital punishment for
rape and murder cases. "In reality, many offenders came out of jail and
committed the same crime," she said.
"I want to see serious enforcement of the law. I understand people are debating
whether Thailand should have the death penalty to protect the convicts' rights
but what about the victim?" she said.
To scare the would-be criminals, the authorities should show the effectiveness
of the rehabilitation process if that is an answer then capital punishment is
not the best solution.
My foundation is helping a woman who was sexually assaulted in Phatthalung. It
does not help that the court has tried the case for years," she said.
Instead of lip-service over the rights of convicts, the agencies involved
should show they can change a person and monitor their behaviour to make
society feel safe, she said.
As of April this year, 440 inmates face capital punishment.
(source: Bangkok Post)
PAKISTAN:
2 murderers get death penalty
A local court awarded capital punishment to a murder accused and sentenced a
co-accused to 10 years in prison here the other day.
According to the prosecution, Additional District and Sessions judge Naveed
Iqbal pronounced the verdict on a murder case. He convicted Ajmal of murder and
sentenced him to death. The convict's accomplice Shakeel Ahmed was imprisoned
for 10 years. The judge also fined them Rs0.5 million and Rs50,000
respectively. 5 suspects including Yousuf, Naeem, Younus, Zulfiqar and Jamshed
were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
In Sahiwal, a court sentenced a landlord to death and fined him Rs1 million for
killing his brother over a property issue.
According to the prosecution, Azhar Fareed Kathia, on Dec 19, 2014, had killed
his brother at Harrapa City over a property issue. Harrapa police had
registered a case against him and produced him before Additional District and
Sessions Judge Ch Saeed Akhtar. The judge awarded him capital punishment and
imposed a fine of Rs1 million on him.
(source: The Nation)
**************************
Pakistan Denies Consular Access To Kulbhushan Jadhav For 18th Time A Day After
India's Request
Pakistan foreign office today rejected India???s demand for consular access to
Indian businessman Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time, saying New Delhi is
trying to deny the facts by calling Jadhav an ordinary prisoner.
A statement by the Pakistan foreign office affirmed that Jadhav was sent to
Pakistan by Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and
many innocent Pakistanis were killed by him.
The foreign office further asked India to act upon the bilateral agreement on
consular access instead of leveling accusations on Pakistan, Dunya News
reported.
India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national
Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military
court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities.
India had moved the International court of Justice against the death penalty
and the ICJ in its verdict on May 18 had restrained Pakistan for executing
Jadhav.
Meanwhile, India argued that Pakistan had not granted India consular access,
nor had accepted his family's appeals.
The court has asked India to make its submission in the case by September 13
and Pakistan by December 13.
Pakistan had also earlier said that Jadhav will not be executed till he
"exhausts all his mercy appeals."
Both countries also exchanged lists of nationals lodged in the jails of the
other country, in consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular
Access between both the neighbouring countries.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) in this statement stated that, "India
remains committed to addressing on priority all humanitarian matters with
Pakistan, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen. In this
context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India's
custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation."
(source: outlookindia.com)
BOTSWANA:
HRW urges Botswana to end death penalty
Human Rights Watch has called on Botswana government to take steps to end the
death penalty, including by placing a moratorium on capital punishment, APA
learnt here Sunday.In a periodical review report, the human rights organisation
also called on Botswana to take steps to decriminalize same-sex sexual
activities and ensure non-discrimination in accordance with the country's
domestic and international obligations.
HRW said Botswana should incorporate ratified international human rights
conventions into domestic laws and complete the process of aligning national
legislation with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Botswana was also urged to establish and adequately resource a national human
rights institution in line with the Paris Principles.
HRW noted with concern that Botswana was yet to incorporate international human
rights conventions it ratified into domestic law to make them directly
applicable by the courts and administrative authorities in the country.
(source: journalducammeroun.com)
_______________________________________________
A service courtesy of Washburn University School of Law www.washburnlaw.edu
DeathPenalty mailing list
***@lists.washlaw.edu
http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty
Unsubscribe: http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/options/deathpenalty