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

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 1



UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:

17 former death row Indians have criminal case adjourned


The criminal case against 17 Indian men who were spared the death penalty after 
being convicted of murder last year has been adjourned to February 8.

The men were found guilty of killing a man during a brawl in Sharjah in 2009 - 
a fight prosecutors claimed was part of a bootlegging turf war - but were 
spared the death sentence after paying Dh3.4 million in blood money to the 
victim's family last year.

In September of last year, the Sharjah Court of Appeal ordered the men to be 
deported and commuted their sentences to 2 years. But prosecutors appealed 
against the verdict at the Federal Supreme Court, urging it to take into 
account injuries sustained by 3 other men during the brawl as well as further 
charges of possessing and selling alcohol.

However, in December of last year, the apex court transferred the case back to 
the appeal court, ordering it to review only the alcohol charges.

A final verdict had been expected today, but has been adjourned to next 
Wednesday.

In a separate civil case, two of the three men who claim they were hurt in the 
brawl have filed a Dh1.5 million compensation suit at the Sharjah Court of 
First Instance. The civil case has been adjourned to February 15.

(source: The National)






CANADA:

Death penalty debate sparked by Tory senator----'Every murderer should have a 
rope in his cell,' says Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu


Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu said Wednesday he's against the 
death penalty, but not opposed to convicted murderers having ropes in their 
cells to kill themselves.

His comments, made to reporters ahead of the Conservative caucus meeting, 
prompted immediate reaction on Parliament Hill and quickly had Boisvenu 
backtracking.

"No, I'm not in favour of the death penalty, I think people need to be given a 
chance. But other cases should be reconsidered," he said.

Boisvenu went on to talk about convicted murderers who are deemed to have no 
chance at rehabilitation and gave serial killer Clifford Olson as an example.

"Basically I think that every murderer should have a rope in his cell and he 
can decide on his own life. But I'm against the death penalty," Boisvenu said 
in French. He then talked about the cost of housing convicted killers in jail 
and also referred to the Shafia family case, in which a mother, father and 
their son were convicted on Sunday of murdering 4 members of their own family.

Boisvenu later told a television network that he had gone too far with his 
comments and that he shouldn't have made them publicly. He also told a radio 
station that it was an inappropriate thing to say and that mistakes are made in 
politics.

He said that he is not lobbying for a debate on the death penalty, but that 
there are plenty of people who would like to see it talked about.

Boisvenu, who was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 
2010, sits on the committee that is studying the government's omnibus crime 
bill. It is holding its first meeting on the bill later Wednesday and senators 
will hear from Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and Public Safety Minister Vic 
Toews.

NDP calls it a 'sad day'

The Quebec senator is known as a victims' rights advocate and is the founder of 
the Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association, a group he created 
after his daughter was murdered in 2002.

While Boisvenu made it clear he is against the death penalty his comments still 
sparked criticism on Parliament Hill.

Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel said it was a "sad day."

"I just hope that it's not the feeling or sentiment of all the Conservative 
senators we have in the House," she told reporters after her party's caucus 
meeting.

"I believe Mr. Harper should have a good discussion with the senator," Turmel 
said. If he maintains his views, he should be asked to withdraw from the Senate 
committee, "because that doesn't represent the Canadian society at all."

Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae said Boisvenu's comments "were obviously 
completely unacceptable."

"He's also suggesting that the prison system break the Criminal Code, which is 
equally ludicrous," he said. Rae said Boisvenu's personal experience may have 
prompted the emotion that led to those remarks but they are still 
inappropriate.

"I hope Mr. Harper will completely disown them and make it clear that they're 
not the policies of the government," Rae told reporters.

Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu said Wednesday he is against the death penalty 
but not opposed to convicted serial killers having ropes in their cells. 
Boisvenu's fellow senator on the legal and constitutional affairs committee, 
Conservative Bob Runciman, said Boisvenu's opinion is not one he shares and 
that the debate on capital punishment should not be reopened.

Runciman said people should understand what Boisvenu has been through because 
of the loss of his daughter and "extend some appreciation to the trauma and the 
impact that's had."

He doesn't think Boisvenu needs to withdraw from the Senate committee that 
studies crime and justice legislation.

"He has huge credibility within Quebec, especially with respect to the tragedy 
that befell his family and the loss of his daughter. I think he's a valuable 
member of the committee," said Runciman.

NDP MP Pat Martin, known for not holding back his views, said Boisvenu's 
comments were "appalling."

"You stuff the Senate full of hacks and flaks and Tory idiots and you're going 
to get some stupid comments," he said. "Whoever put him there should apologize 
on his behalf if he's too stupid to apologize himself."

(source: CBC News)






NIGERIA:

Group, Can Flay Death Sentence On Al-Mustapha


MORE reactions yesterday continued to trail the death sentence passed on the 
former Chief Security Officer to the former Head of State, Abacha, Major Hamza 
Al- Mustapha, with the Justice Development and Peace Movement and the Vice 
Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) asking for the commuting 
of the death sentence.

The stance of the movement was made known by its coordinator, Rev. Father 
Micheal Adeogun, who spoke with newsmen in Abeokuta.

The movement posited that the judgment portrayed a judiciary that was alive to 
its responsibility, and that no sinner shall go unpunished.

'I looked at the judgment from the point of international law, especially the 
one that has to do with international declaration of human rights in December 
1998, where it was declared that each person has a right to live and as such no 
one shall be subjected to torture, degradation and any inhuman treatment, and I 
ask, what is Nigeria doing about that', he said.

Although he said the judgment reflected the wish of the people, he was quick to 
add that it ha been a long time death penalty was passed on any erring criminal 
in the country and called for the committal of the death sentence.

The JDPM, which advocated an alternative to death sentence, noted, however, 
that Nigerian prisons should be decongested.

The vice chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) Rev Vincent Ajayi 
said, it was good that the court had decided that both Al-Mustapha and 
Shofolahan should die by hanging for the role they played in the gruesome 
murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola about 16 years ago.

He explained that Christians do not support capital punishment because life is 
a precious gift from God, which nobody has right to take, adding that is reason 
why Christians keep on advocating that capital punishment should be abolished.

'By killing that person, eventually, we end up having two lives lost and it is 
of no good. It will not bring back the life of the person killed', he said.

****************************

I Don't Believe in Death Penalty - Hafsat Abiola


Daughter of the late Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late presidential candidate 
Moshood Abiola who was killed in 1996, Mrs Hafsat Abiola-Costello said she 
doesn't believe in death penalty.

Hafsat, who spoke to the BBC Hausa service monitored yesterday in Abuja, was 
reacting to the Lagos High Court death sentences passed on Major Hamza 
Al-Mustapha, the Chief Security officer of the late Head of State Sani Abacha 
and personal assistant to Kudirat, Lateef Shofolahan over the murder of 
Kudirat.

Hafsat said even though the judgements were in favour of the Abiola family, she 
preferred disciplinary punishment.

"I do not believe in death penalty. At the same time, I am in a country where 
the state uses power and in some cases abuses power and nothing ever happened. 
So, I wanted them to be punished not hanged to death.

"I feel very relieved that court has sentenced the two people that involved 
into the assassination of my mum to death, because we waited close to 16years. 
Though our mum will never come back to life but those who killed her could not 
go freely without any judgment," she said.

When asked for her comment, Hajiya Hafsat, wife of Al-Mustapha, said, "We leave 
everything to Almighty Allah. There is no justice in this judgment, he was 
arrested along with others but he is the longest serving in prison without 
trial."

Kudirat was shot to death about 8.a.m in Lagos on 4 June 1996, while she was on 
her way to Lagos. Justice Mojisola Dada handed out the verdict, after more than 
7 hours of reading the verdict.

But reacting to the verdict in a telephone interview with news men in Abeokuta, 
on Monday, Hafsat said that the judgment might be slow but, it was not denied, 
asserting, "it was a victory for Nigerians."

"My mother can have relief. I want to say that we are grateful to the judiciary 
for the judgment. Though we can say it is delayed, but, it is never denied. I 
am relieved myself, because we almost lost faith in the judiciary, but, today 
we have a victory for Nigerians," she said.

Abiola-Costello who was barely 21 when the incident occurred described her Late 
mother's Personal Assistant, Shofolohan as an opportunist who came into the 
family under the pretext of giving her mother political support, but went 
extreme.

(source: All Africa News)