[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 25



SOUTH KOREA:

In abuse case, death penalty is requested


Military prosecutors yesterday sought the death sentence for an Army sergeant, 
only identified as Lee, 26, who is charged with leading a group of soldiers in 
the systematic abuse of a young conscript that ultimately resulted in his 
death. Prosecutors also requested life sentences for 3 of his accomplices.

"Given the combination of evidence, we have concluded that the convict [Lee] 
can be charged with murder," the prosecution stated yesterday at the military 
court in Gyeonggi.

4 soldiders in the Army's 28th Infantry Division were charged on Sept. 2 for 
murder after it was discovered in July that they had attempted to cover up the 
details of the private's death. The young conscript, surnamed Yun, died April 6 
after enduring extreme physical and sexual abuse by his superiors.

Investigators concluded last month that his death was caused primarily by crush 
syndrome, which results from major trauma to skeletal muscle, and secondary 
shock from prolonged violence.

(source: Korea Joongang Daily)






PAKISTAN:

Petition to overturn Asia Bibi's death penalty surpasses 200,000 signatures


A petition on Change.org appealing for Asia Bibi's death sentence to be 
overturned has attracted more 230,000 signatures.

Bibi's death sentence for blasphemy was upheld by a court in Pakistan last 
week, prompting outcry from the country's persecuted Christian minority.

She was sentenced to death in 2010 under Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws 
after colleagues accused her of insulting the Prophet Muhammad during an 
argument.

Bibi's lawyers have said they will appeal the ruling and it will be down to the 
Supreme Court to decide if she will be executed or not. So far, no one 
sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan has had their sentence carried 
out.

The #SaveAsiaBibi petition was started by Emily Clarke, the same person who 
started the #SaveMeriam petition on Change.org in support of Sudanese Christian 
Meriam Ibrahim which gained over a million signatures.

The Daily Mail reported this week that Bibi's 2 young daughters, Esham and Esha 
Masih, were abused by the same religious fanatics who led the charge against 
their mother.

They told the paper that when the allegations were first brought against Bibi, 
angry villagers turned up at their house and beat members of the family, even 
tearing off Bibi's dress.

Esham, now 14, told the Daily Mail: "I still dream of the day she was tortured 
and arrested. I could not sleep properly. The angry men came back and started 
torturing us both and tore down her clothes again."

She added: "They dragged her to the centre of the village. We both were crying 
but there was nobody to listen to us.

"After half an hour or so, the police came and my mother asked me to go and 
find my father, who was hiding at my uncle's house. But he was too terrified to 
leave. I ran back and by that time police had taken my mother away."

The situation for Christians in Pakistan is precarious because of the blasphemy 
laws. Human rights groups say they are frequently misapplied to persecute 
Christians, settle personal vendettas or seize their property. When a Christian 
is accused of blasphemy, their families often have to go into hiding because of 
the threat of violent mobs. Even Christians who are acquitted of all charges in 
the courts have to go into hiding straight after their release from prison 
because of the threat to their lives.

2 high profile politicians who spoke up in defence of Asia Bibi were both 
assassinated in 2011. Salman Taseer, the Governor of Punjab, was killed by his 
own bodyguard, and Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was killed by members of 
the Pakistani Taliban.

Last month, a police officer shot and killed Christian pastor Zafar Bhatti in a 
Rawalpindi prison where he was being held on a blasphemy charge.

Bhatti was accused in 2012 of sending insulting remarks about the Prophet 
Muhammad's mother in text messages, but family members said the police 
investigations showed the phone to be registered to someone else.

Muhammad Asghar, a 70-year-old from Edinburgh sentenced to death in January for 
blasphemy, was injured in the attack.

(source: Christian Today)






IRAN----female execution

Reyhaneh Jabbari was Hanged this Morning----Despite several months of 
international calls for halting Reyhaneh's death sentence, Iranian authorities 
executed Reyhaneh Jabbari early this morning. Iran Human Rights strongly 
condemns Reyhaneh Jabbari's execution.


The 26 year old Iranian woman, Reyhaneh Jabbari was hanged in the Rajaishahr 
prison of Karaj early this morning, reported the Iranian state media. She was 
sentenced to "qesas" (retribution in kind) for murdering "Morteza Abdolali 
Sarbandi" in 2007, reported the state run Fars news agency. Reyhaneh had 
claimed that she stubbed Mr. Sarbandi in self defence. In the past months Iran 
Human Rights (IHR) together many other human rights groups and the UN Special 
Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed had called for a halt of the execution and providing 
her a fair trial.

IHR strongly condemns Reyhaneh Jabbari's execution. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, 
the spokesperson of IHR said: "We send our condolences to Reyhaneh's family and 
everyone who made an attempt to stop this execution. Like many others who are 
executed in Iran, Reyhaneh was not subjected to a fair trial and due process. 
Through the inhumane "qesas" law, the Iranian authorities try to put the 
responsibility of the execution on the family of the murder victim, but it is 
the Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei and the Judiciary who are responsible 
and must be held accountable for the execution of Reyhaneh and hundreds of 
other executions every year".

Background: Reyhaneh Jabbari, aged 26, was arrested in 2007 for the murder of 
Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a former employee of Iran's Ministry of 
Intelligence. Following her arrest, Reyhaneh Jabbari was held in solitary 
confinement for 2 months in Tehran's Evin Prison, where she did not have access 
to a lawyer or her family. Reyhaneh confessed that to the murder immediately 
after her arrest, though she did not have a lawyer present at the time she made 
her confession. She stated that the murder took place in self-defence.

Reyhaneh Jabbari was sentenced to death under qesas ("retribution-in-kind") by 
a criminal court in Tehran in 2009. The death sentence was upheld by the 
Supreme Court the same year. Reyhaneh's case has attracted much attention 
inside and outside Iran and her scheduled execution has been postponed twice on 
April 15 and September 29.

(source: Iran Human Rights)

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

Text of Reyhaneh Jabbari's will in a voice message to her mother


Reyhaneh Jabbari, the Iranian woman who was hanged today by the Iranian 
regime's henchman after 7 years imprisonment had released her will in a voice 
message.

In a heart-rending message to her family in April - beginning with her mother 
Sholeh - 26-year-old Reyhaneh Jabbari tells how she trusted the law, but has 
faced death for the crime of defending herself against an agent of Iranian 
regime's intelligence who tried to abuse her.

English translation of Reyhaneh Jabbari's will

Dear Sholeh, today I learned that it is now my turn to face Qisas (the Iranian 
regime's law of retribution). I am hurt as to why you did not let me know 
yourself that I have reached the last page of the book of my life. Don't you 
think that I should know? You know how ashamed I am that you are sad. Why did 
you not take the chance for me to kiss your hand and that of dad?

The world allowed me to live for 19 years. That ominous night it was I that 
should have been killed. My body would have been thrown in some corner of the 
city, and after a few days, the police would have taken you to the coroner's 
office to identify my body and there you would also learn that I had been raped 
as well. The murderer would have never been found since we don't have their 
wealth and their power. Then you would have continued your life suffering and 
ashamed, and a few years later you would have died of this suffering and that 
would have been that.

However, with that cursed blow the story changed. My body was not thrown aside, 
but into the grave of Evin Prison and its solitary wards, and now the 
grave-like prison of Shahr-e Ray. But give in to the fate and don't complain. 
You know better that death is not the end of life.

You taught me that one comes to this world to gain an experience and learn a 
lesson and with each birth a responsibility is put on one's shoulder. I learned 
that sometimes one has to fight. I do remember when you told me that the 
carriage man protested the man who was flogging me, but the flogger hit the 
lash on his head and face that ultimately led to his death. You told me that 
for creating a value one should persevere even if one dies.

You taught us that as we go to school one should be a lady in face of the 
quarrels and complaints. Do you remember how much you underlined the way we 
behave? Your experience was incorrect. When this incident happened, my 
teachings did not help me. Being presented in court made me appear as a 
cold-blooded murderer and a ruthless criminal. I shed no tears. I did not beg. 
I did not cry my head off since I trusted the law.

But I was charged with being indifferent in face of a crime. You see, I didn't 
even kill the mosquitoes and I threw away the cockroaches by taking them by 
their antennas. Now I have become a premeditated murderer. My treatment of the 
animals was interpreted as being inclined to be a boy and the judge didn't even 
trouble himself to look at the fact that at the time of the incident I had long 
and polished nails.

How optimistic was he who expected justice from the judges! He never questioned 
the fact that my hands are not coarse like those of a sportswoman, especially a 
boxer. And this country that you planted its love in me never wanted me and no 
one supported me when under the blows of the interrogator I was crying out and 
I was hearing the most vulgar terms. When I shed the last sign of beauty from 
myself by shaving my hair I was rewarded: 11 days in solitary.

Dear Sholeh, don't cry for what you are hearing. On the first day that in the 
police office an old unmarried agent hurt me for my nails I understood that 
beauty is not looked for in this era. The beauty of looks, beauty of thoughts 
and wishes, a beautiful handwriting, beauty of the eyes and vision, and even 
beauty of a nice voice.

My dear mother, my ideology has changed and you are not responsible for it. My 
words are unending and I gave it all to someone so that when I am executed 
without your presence and knowledge, it would be given to you. I left you much 
handwritten material as my heritage.

However, before my death I want something from you, that you have to provide 
for me with all your might and in any way that you can. In fact this is the 
only thing I want from this world, this country and you. I know you need time 
for this. Therefore, I am telling you part of my will sooner. Please don't cry 
and listen. I want you to go to the court and tell them my request. I cannot 
write such a letter from inside the prison that would be approved by the head 
of prison; so once again you have to suffer because of me. It is the only thing 
that if even you beg for it I would not become upset although I have told you 
many times not to beg to save me from being executed.

My kind mother, dear Sholeh, the one more dear to me than my life, I don't want 
to rot under the soil. I don't want my eye or my young heart to turn into dust. 
Beg so that it is arranged that as soon as I am hanged my heart, kidney, eye, 
bones and anything that can be transplanted be taken away from my body and 
given to someone who needs them as a gift. I don't want the recipient know my 
name, buy me a bouquet, or even pray for me. I am telling you from the bottom 
of my heart that I don't want to have a grave for you to come and mourn there 
and suffer. I don't want you to wear black clothing for me. Do your best to 
forget my difficult days. Give me to the wind to take away. The world did not 
love us. It did not want my fate. And now I am giving in to it and embrace the 
death. Because in the court of God I will charge the inspectors, I will charge 
inspector Shamlou, I will charge judge, and the judges of country's Supreme 
Court that beat me up when I was awake and did not refrain from harassing me. 
In the court of the creator I will charge Dr. Farvandi, I will charge Qassem 
Shabani and all those that out of ignorance or with their lies wronged me and 
trampled on my rights and didn't pay heed to the fact that sometimes what 
appears as reality is different from it.

Dear soft-hearted Sholeh, in the other world it is you and me who are the 
accusers and others who are the accused. Let's see what God wants. I wanted to 
embrace you until I die. I love you.

Reyhaneh,

April 1, 2014

(source: NCR-Iran)

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

Execution of young woman a bloody stain on Iran's human rights record


The execution of Iranian Reyhaneh Jabbari who was convicted after a deeply 
flawed investigation and trial is an affront to justice, said Amnesty 
International today.

Reyhaneh Jabbari, 26, was executed in a Tehran prison this morning. She had 
been convicted of killing of a man whom she said tried to sexually abuse her.

"The shocking news that Reyhaneh Jabbari has been executed is deeply 
disappointing in the extreme. This is another bloody stain on Iran's human 
rights record," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy 
Director for the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

"Tragically, this case is far from uncommon. Once again Iran has insisted on 
applying the death penalty despite serious concerns over the fairness of the 
trial."

Amnesty International believes that the death penalty is an abhorrent form of 
punishment and should never be used under any circumstances.

More information:

Next week Iran will hear recommendations from UN member states during it's UN 
Universal Periodic Review. Amnesty International is calling on states to use 
this opportunity to strongly condemn Iran's use of the death penalty.

(source: Amnesty International)

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

Iran executes Reyhaneh Jabbari despite international opposition


Iran has executed a woman despite an international campaign to halt her 
hanging. In a trial termed as a flawed and unfair, Reyhaneh Jabbari was 
convicted of murdering a man who attempted to rape her.

26-year-old Reyhaneh Jabbari was hanged at dawn, according to IRNA, Tehran's 
official news agency which quoted the prosecutor's office. A Facebook page 
dedicated to campaigning for Jabbari posted the message "Rest in Peace," 
following the execution of the sentence.

Tehran was due to execute Jabbari on September 30, but postponed carrying out 
the death penalty for some days. Reyhaneh Jabbari's mother visited her daughter 
in prison on Friday, October 24. This is a customary practice which precedes 
executions in Iran, Amnesty International said, on Friday, again calling on 
Iran to reverse the sentence and give her a retrial.

Reyhaneh Jabbari, an interior designer by profession, was arrested in 2007 
following the stabbing of Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi. Jabbari says she acted in 
self defense and that the victim, a Ministry of Intelligence employee Morteza 
Abdolali Sarbandi, had tried to sexually assault her.

Ahmed Shaheed, the UN's human rights rapporteur in Iran confirmed earlier this 
year that Sarbandi had hired Jabbari to redesign his office, but took her to an 
apartment instead and sexually abused her. The victim's family, however, 
insists that Jabbari had planned the murder; while on trial, she confessed to 
buying a knife 2 days before the killing.

Unfair trial

Following her arrest, Jabbari was held in solitary confinement and had no 
access to her lawyer or her family for 2 months. She was allegedly tortured 
during this period, according to a statement by Amnesty International. She was 
convicted of murder by a criminal court in Tehran in 2009. Her lawyer sought a 
review of her sentence in the Supreme Court, which upheld her execution in 
2014.

The sentence was then passed on to the Office of Implementation of Sentences in 
Tehran which allowed the family of the victim to request her execution any 
time. The UN and other international rights groups insisted that Jabbari's 
confessions were obtained after pressure and threats from Iranian prosecutors 
and that she had had no chance of a fair trial.

In its statement, Amnesty said that Sarbandi's connections with the Ministry of 
Intelligence may have been a reason for authorities to avoid a just 
investigation into the murder. The authorities allegedly told Jabbari that she 
would be awarded clemency if she agreed to replace her lawyer with someone 
introduced to her by the authorities.

Efforts to grant Reyhaneh Jabbari a pardon had intensified in the last couple 
of days. The United States and European Union leaders demanded a repeal of her 
sentence, to no avail.

(source: Deutsche Welle)






BAHRAIN/SAUDI ARABIA:

Thousands of Bahrainis protest Saudi death sentence against Sheikh Nimr


Demonstrators in Bahrain have taken to the streets in support of prominent 
Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, who has been sentenced to death by 
Riyadh.

On Friday, protesters in the coastal village of Malikiyah and on the island of 
Sitra condemned Saudi Arabia for sentencing the dissident cleric to death and 
demanded his release.

On October 15, a Saudi court handed down the death penalty to Sheikh Nimr after 
convicting him of sedition.

The cleric was attacked and arrested in July 2012, accused of delivering 
anti-regime speeches and defending political prisoners.

In reaction to the sentence, people took to streets in the Saudi city of Qatif 
to condemn the move. There have also been demonstrations in other countries.

On Friday, a senior Iranian cleric warned Saudi Arabia against executing the 
death sentence.

"We warn Saudi Arabia...that this government will pay a heavy price for a 
[possible] execution of a Shia cleric," Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahhedi 
Kermani told worshippers at the weekly Friday prayers in Tehran.

Human rights activists say the sentence issued for Sheikh Nimr was politically 
motivated.

Amnesty International has denounced the verdict, calling it "appalling".

Rights groups say Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are committing systematic human 
rights abuses.

(source: Ahlul Bayt News Agency)