[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 5



INDONESIA/SAUDI ARABIA:

Jakarta saves 12 citizens from Saudi death penalty


Indonesia said it has secured the release of 12 citizens from death row in 
Saudi Arabia this year.

The number of Indonesians freed from death row in Saudi Arabia since 2011 is 
68, the Foreign Ministry's directorate of legal aid and protection said 
yesterday.

Ministry records show there are 24 Indonesian citizens at risk of the death 
penalty in Saudi Arabia. Of those, 12 face murder charges, nine are on adultery 
charges and 3 face black magic charges.

The ministry said that recently, the government managed to secure the release 
of Rika Mustikawati, a migrant worker.

In May 2012, a general court in Saudi Arabia sentenced Rika to death for 
allegedly performing witchcraft on her female employer.

In November 2012, a Saudi appeals court annulled the verdict and requested the 
general court to try Rika's case again with a new panel of judges. The ministry 
said this was made possible with the legal assistance provided by the 
Indonesian Consulate-General in Jeddah.

After a string of hearings, the court released Rika from death row, imposing on 
her only 3 years in prison.

The ministry said it has also sought clemency from the Saudi king for other 
Indonesian nationals sentenced to death.

"Indonesian representatives abroad have continued to make use of the good 
momentum created by recent meetings between Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi 
and Saudi Arabia's king and foreign minister to accelerate the settlement of 
legal problems affecting Indonesian citizens in Saudi Arabia," said the 
ministry.

(source: straitstimes.com)






MALAYSIA:

41-year-old held for allegedly beating a child to death


A 7-year-old boy was believed to have been beaten to death by his mother's 
boyfriend in Taman Kosas, Ampang yesterday.

Ampang Jaya district police chief Khairuldin Saad said the victim was sent by 
his family members to Ampang Hospital after he was found lifeless around 8.55 
am.

Khairuldin said the doctor tried to rescue the boy but the effort proved futile 
as the boy was pronounced dead around 9.40 am on the same day.

"A post mortem revealed that there were red marks on the boy's private parts, 
left hand and right side of his face as well as old wounds on his left waist.

"The boy's body was sent to Kuala Lumpur general hospital this morning for a 
post-mortem procedure."

Khairuldin said, police has arrested the boy's mother as well as her 
41-year-old boyfriend to facilitate investigation.

He said police believe that the child was beaten up by his mother's boyfriend 
before based on the old wounds found on the victim's body.

"The suspects have been remanded today for further investigation."

The case has been classified as murder according to Section 302 penal code of 
which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

(source: therakyatpost.com)






SINGAPORE:

2 drug syndicates busted in Jurong, Sengkang----The Central Narcotics Bureau 
arrests 2 suspected syndicate leaders, as well as suspected accomplices, 
traffickers and clients as young as 18 years old.


2 suspected drug syndicate leaders have been arrested, the Central Narcotics 
Bureau (CNB) said on Tuesday (Aug 4).

Authorities rounded up the 1st suspected syndicate leader, a 38-year-old 
Singaporean on Monday. He was arrested in a housing unit in Yung Kuang Road, 
together with a 22-year-old woman who is allegedly his accomplice.

A suspected 42-year-old male trafficker, also Singaporean, was arrested in 
Jurong West following further investigations. CNB said that in total, it seized 
about 2.3kg of heroin, 72g of "Ice", 85g of cannabis, 13 Erimin-5 tablets, 
drug-taking paraphernalia as well as S$3,550 cash.

In a separate operation carried out on the same day, the authorities arrested 
another drug syndicate leader, a 29-year-old Singaporean man, in Jurong West.

Before that, CNB had raided the syndicate's alleged drug store in Sengkang, 
where it arrested 2 suspected drug traffickers and four clients, all male 
Singaporeans aged between 18 and 31 years old. A suspected accomplice, a 
21-year-old female Singaporean, was also arrested. CNB said it seized about 
1.8kg of "Ice" with an estimated street value of about S$324,000 in that sting.

Investigations into the 2 cases are on-going. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 
those found trafficking more than 15g of pure heroin can face the death 
penalty.

(source: channelnewsasia.com)