[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Dec. 13



BAHRAIN:

Abolish death penalty, urges Bahrain rights activist


A human rights activist has urged the Bahrain government to take concrete
and immediate steps towards the abolishment of death penalty as part of
the reform process.

"The death penalty violates the fundamental human right to life, and we
condemn its use," vice president of the dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human
Rights (BHRC) Nabeel Rajab said.

"At a time when our country is supposed to be developing into a strong
democracy, where human rights and human dignity are upheld and protected,
the death penalty is leaving a black mark on its record," Rajab said in a
press statement.

3 executed

The activist made the declaration hours after Bahrain executed 2
Bangladeshis and a Pakistani, who were convicted of killing two Bahrainis
in separate murders.

The executions by firing squad were the 1st to be carried in Bahrain in
more than 10 years and the second in about 30 years.

Relatives of the murdered Bahrainis hailed the capital punishment as a
fair and just action for the heinous killings.

But the BCHR said it was "extremely dismayed at the news that 2 men and a
woman were executed by a firing squad", expressing concern that "the use
of such an irreversible measure is extremely dangerous and worrying."

Subject to errors

According to Rajab, "every judicial system is subject to procedural and
human errors, which means there is no way to ensure that innocent people
will not be killed."

He said "prisons should be institutions to rehabilitate individuals so
they can contribute positively to society, and not to punish those who
have been sentenced."

(source: Gulf News)






TANZANIA:

Arusha resident loses death sentence appeal


THE Tanzania Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court death sentence
against an Arusha resident, Robert Edward Moringe, alias Kadogo for murder
of Kassim Rashid.

Justices Augustine Ramadahni, Harold Nsekela and January Msoffe jointly
dismissed the case on grounds that the appellant had not shown any error
in the high court's decision.

The justices said: "The applicant has not shown any manifest error or
fraud in the decision sought to be reviewed. Neither has he shown that he
was denied the opportunity to be heard.

"We do not, therefore, find anything which would warrant the exercise of
our review powers. The application fails and is accordingly dismissed."

Moringe had asked the appellate court to review the decision of the High
Court on August 1, last year. The court convicted him of murder of Kassim
Rashid on December 25, 1990.

The prosecution had convinced High Court Judge A. Nsekela that the accused
killed the late Rashid at Msitu wa Kati, Monduli District in Arusha
Region.

The 3 justices said that Kadogo was the last person to be seen with the
deceased under circumstances which could not easily be explained.

They said on the fateful day he left with the deceased for Monduli telling
one of prosecution witnesses that he was going to charge a tractor battery
he had earlier got from Usa river.

It would be difficult to believe that a prudent person would travel all
that way from Arusha to Monduli just to charge a battery. Anyhow, the
justices said, the appellant was later seen without the deceased at
Monduli, Dukabovu and Mto was Mbu, driving a blood-stained car once driven
by the deceased.

On January 1, 1991 the deceased body was seen at Msitu wa Kati where, it
will be recalled was incidentally the same areas where the appellant was
seen by PW6 on December 26 in car N0. 38344 stuck up in mud without the
deceased who was later found dead.

The appellant had to give an explanation of how they parted. It was not
enough to say that they were attacked by robbers. On the contrary the
appellant was found with the vehicle of the deceased and denied that it
belonged to the deceased.

Surely his conduct was such that it was reasonably inferred that he was
the one who killed the deceased with the requisite malice aforethought,
the justices said.

(source: Tanzania Daily News)