[Deathpenalty]death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 24


GLOBAL:

Big Push Against Death Penalty Planned


The Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio is planning a worldwide
mobilization to abolish the death penalty.

Mario Marizziti, a leader of the ecclesial movement, called capital
punishment "immoral and futile."

Today, at the group's headquarters, Marazziti presented the events that
will unite 300 cities worldwide with Rome in defense of the inviolable
character of human life.

According to the Sant'Egidio official, it will be "the largest
international mobilization undertaken up to now" to halt executions in the
world.

"We are working to encourage African countries to give up capital
punishment and make Africa the 2nd continent, after Europe, to abolish the
penalty," Marazziti explained. "We consider the death penalty a great
defeat in the culture of life."

Among the mobilization events, a meeting in Rome on human rights and
Africa is planned for Nov. 28, which will be attended by 14 justice
ministers of African countries. Most of the ministers are from countries
that still have the death penalty.

Other collaborative events will be held in Rome on Nov. 30, with the World
Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

This year, Liberia became the latest country to abolish the death penalty.

(source: Zenit News Agency)




SAUDI ARABIA:

Saudi man to be executed for murder


A Saudi man who stabbed a compatriot to death during a fight is to be
executed, the government said Wednesday.

The Saudi interior ministry Wednesday ordered the execution of the man,
Al-Moteiri's, for the murder of a fellow Saudi.

The convicted will be beheaded by a sword in a public place. The death
sentence comes only 1 day after the Saudi authorities executed another
Saudi for murder.

Al-Moteiri's beheading would bring the number of executions in the kingdom
so far this year to 74 in contrast to the 35 who were executed in all of
2004.

Citizens charged with murder, rape, armed attacks and dealing in or using
drugs are subject to the death penalty.

(source: WebIndia123)






TAIWAN:

Cannibals handed death penalty


The Taiwan High Court in Taichung yesterday sentenced to death 2 men
convicted of raping, murdering, and cannibalizing a female insurance agent
nearly 2 years ago.

The verdict marked the third time a court had mandated the death penalty
for the convicted killers. The victim's parents said they hoped that the 2
would be executed as soon as possible, fearing that further appeals might
let them go free.

In a formality, the judge also rescinded the defendants' right to vote.

The two defendants, Chen Chin-huo and apprentice Kuang Teh-chiang, killed
insurance agent Shih Chin-chi on December 7, 2003 when she visited Chen's
motorcycle shop in Taichung County's Longjing on a sales call.

In a particularly grizzly crime, she was strangled with a rope as her legs
and hands were held down. Her belongings were stolen, and she was dragged
to the bathroom and raped.

According to court records, before she stopped breathing, her neck was
sliced open with a knife, resulting in death by hemorrhagic shock.

Furthermore, the convicted murderers sliced Shih up and cooked parts of
her body to eat, court documents said.

Because of the cruelty of the crime, the Taichung District Court and High
Court had previously found both of them guilty and sentenced the two men
to death.

The case was then appealed to Taiwan's Supreme Court, which remanded the
case back to the High Court for a new trial this past July because Chen's
DNA was not found on the rope used to strangle Shih and uncertainty
remained over which of the 2 men actually killed her.

Each man has reportedly accused the other of being responsible for
assault.

According to yesterday's ruling, the judge found that the presence of
Shih's DNA found under Chen's fingernails proved he had held her with
extreme pressure.

He determined that Kuang strangled her with the rope while Chen was
holding her still, and that both men chopped up her body.

Because the judge felt their complicity in the crime was proven beyond a
shadow of a doubt, he agreed with the previous 2 verdicts in the case and
sentenced them to death. He also stipulated that they be stripped of their
voting rights and that Kuang receive psychotherapy for up to 3 years.

Shih's parents and some relatives attended the hearing yesterday while
Kuang and Chen were absent.

After hearing the court's ruling, Shih's parents thanked the judge for
giving their daughter justice.

They said were worried that the men would appeal the ruling and hoped the
2 would finally accept the sentence and be executed as soon as possible.

"Chen Chin-huo and Kuang Teh-chiang should be executed by gunfire as early
as possible," said Shih's mother, worried that otherwise Chen and Kuang
might be released and harm someone else.

"They (Chen and Kwang) may appeal and try to be exonerated of the crime,"
added Shih's father.

(source: Taiwan News)