[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 12



IRAN--execution

A Prisoner Hanged in the Prison of Isfahan


Hossein Bozorgnejad, prisoner who was sentenced to death on charges of drug 
trafficking, was hanged in Isfahan prison.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), 
the death sentence against Hossein Bozorgnejad, 27, native of Shiraz, was 
executed in Isfahan prison on Sunday 9th August.

According to a friend of him, Hossein Bozorgnejad had been transferred to 
solitary confinement in the prison of Isfahan since Thursday 6th August, and 
also he had his last visit with his family.

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

2 Death Row Political Prisoners Transferred to Solitary Confinements


Sirvan Nazhavi and Ali Ahmad Soleiman, two Kurdish political prisoners, who has 
been sentenced to death, were transferred to solitary confinements in Tabriz 
prison.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), 
Ali Ahmad Soleiman was transferred to the solitary confinement since 4 days ago 
and Sirvan Nazhavi other political prisoner was transferred to the solitary 
confinement in Tabriz prison, on Saturday 8th August.

Hossein Nazhavi, Sirvan's brother in an interview with HRANA's reporter 
confirmed his brother's transfer to solitary confinement and added: "Sirvan had 
no contact with us, but yesterday at 3 pm which was his last call and his 
friends reported that he has been transferred to solitary confinement, some of 
them said about the possibility of implementing his sentence."

He said Sirvan Nazhavi's case had a stop order of execution and judicial 
authorities have not had any contact with them, and also they have not been 
called for the last visit.

Sirvan Nazhavi was arrested in the city of Karaj on 5th July 2011, and was 
sentenced to death on charged of "Waging war on God through membership in 
PJAK". This verdict was issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in 
Mahabad, presided by Judge Javadikia, on 11th April 2012. This political 
prisoner was sentenced to death while he had no appointed lawyer, and his death 
sentence was finalized and confirmed by Branch 31 of the Supreme Court and 
communicated to his lawyer.

Ali Ahmad Soleiman is also a citizen of Iraq who has been alleged with 
connection with PJAK and murder of 2 members of the Iranian Revolutionary 
Guards, and was sentenced to imprisonment and Retaliation.

(source for both: Human Rights Activists News Agency)






NORTH KOREA----execution

North Korea executes vice premier for discontent with leader: Yonhap


North Korea's vice premier was executed by firing squad this year after showing 
discontent with the policies of the country's leader Kim Jong Un, a South 
Korean media report said on Wednesday.

Yonhap News Agency cited an unnamed source as saying that the 63-year-old Choe 
Yong Gon, a former delegate for North-South cooperation, was executed, marking 
another death of a senior official in a series of high-level purges since Kim 
Jong Un took charge in late 2011.

The Yonhap report said Choe had expressed disagreement with Kim's forestry 
policies in May and had shown poor work performance. It provided no further 
details.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles the country's ties with North 
Korea, said in a text message received by Reuters that Choe had not been 
spotted in public for about eight months, and that it was closely monitoring 
the situation.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service declined to comment on the report 
to Reuters.

The South Korean spy agency told lawmakers in May that North Korea had executed 
its defense chief by putting him in front of an anti-aircraft gun at a firing 
range.

Choe was appointed vice-premier last year, North Korea's state-run KCNA news 
agency reported previously.

Yonhap said the source also said the reclusive state had publicly executed a 
senior Workers' Party official in September.

Choe had worked on inter-Korean affairs in 2000s, leading the North's 
delegation in joint economic cooperation committees with South Korea between 
2003 and 2005.

He attended the 2004 opening ceremony of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a 
factory park jointly run with Seoul that is the last remaining joint project of 
the 2 countries.

(source: Reuters)






LIBYA:

Death sentences spark pro-Gaddafi protests


The death penalty verdicts passed on Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and eight regime-era 
officials by the Tripoli Appeals Court at the end of July have sparked a 
backlash of protests across Libya, showing that the green flag of Muammar 
Gaddafi's 42-year rule is more than just a historic artefact.

The largest demonstration was held in the southern town of Sabha on 7 August, 
where residents reported many hundred protesters taking to the streets in 1 
district. The protest, described as peaceful by local resident Mohamed, was 
dispersed after security personnel opened fire, he said, killing at least 4 
people and injuring many more.

Previous modest pro-Gaddafi celebrations in the town had been overlooked by the 
Misratan-led Third Force, stationed in Sabha for over a year - originally to 
act as a peacekeeping force following local clashes.

"This time, I think the Third Force saw the seriousness of the pro-Gaddafi 
movement because a demonstration this big has not been seen in the last four 
years," said Mohamed. "There were a lot of people, including women and 
children, and people were not afraid to show their faces."

He said that the protest had 2 purposes. The 1st was taking action against the 
decision made by the Tripoli Court and calling for the release of Saif, and the 
2nd was to try and pressurise the Third Force to leave Libya's south. "People 
don't want them to be in control here any more, but they don't want to leave 
because the south has Libya's most important resources - the oil and the 
water."

Protests were also reported in Brak, some 40 miles north of Sabha, where most 
residents are from the same tribe as Abdullah Senussi, Gaddafi's former head of 
intelligence, who was also sentenced to death by the Tripoli Court.

Green flags on streets

Protests in the town went undisturbed by any military presence because the 
Third Force have failed to gain control over the town despite attempts to do so 
in March this year. Residents from the Senussi tribe have also threatened to 
turn off a local pumping station for the Man Made River, which supplies water 
to the capital Tripoli, unless the ruling against Senussi is overturned.

There were modest protests in territory controlled by the Islamic State (IS) 
group, including in Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte. Loyalists to the 
former regime were dispersed by IS militants who fired warning shots in the 
air, said one local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity. 4 women and 3 
men were arrested at the protest and held for questioning.

Residents in other IS-controlled towns were cautious about protesting. "IS had 
threatened to shoot anyone who protested on Friday, so there were no green 
flags in towns they control, apart from Sirte, although there are some green 
flags flying in remote desert areas," he said. "But if these protests get 
stronger across the whole of Libya, people will become braver and we will see 
more green flags. I know many people who are just waiting for the right time to 
protest."

Even in Benghazi, the birthplace of the 2011 revolution, there was a small 
protest. "I saw about 30 or 40 people with green flags and pictures of Saif 
when I was driving home. I felt like I was going back in time, like I was in a 
time machine," said 34-year-old Jamal. "I was really shocked and I slowed down 
to look but then I saw the military coming, moving very quickly, so I drove 
on."

He said that the timing of the protest was unfortunate. "I know many people are 
hoping for a return to how life was in Gaddafi's time, and I believe in 
democracy and freedom of speech, but now is not the right time for this kind of 
protest because there is a war in Benghazi."

'Everybody is fed up'

The protests have been a public representation of a badly kept secret in Libya, 
that the pro-Gaddafi movement which has existed since the 2011 revolution has 
grown in strength, born out of dissatisfaction with the way life has worked out 
for many ordinary citizens in the last 4 years.

In western Libya, many people say they are scared of openly expressing 
contentious opinions, but their loyalties are still played out by watching one 
of Libya's 2 "green" television stations, broadcast from Egypt.

In Libya's more remote towns, daily life has become so difficult - with food 
and fuel prices skyrocketing, a shortage of cash and the payment of 
public-sector salaries routinely delayed by months - that pent-up frustration 
has pushed people into taking action, Mohamed said.

"Everybody is fed up with this terrible situation and we can no longer keep 
quiet," he said. "The green flag now hangs in many places in Sabha. Not in the 
central districts which are controlled by Misrata's Third Force, but in known 
Gaddafi loyalist areas."

He added that some people who had originally supported the 2011 revolution had 
joined the protests.

Longing for Gaddafi era stability

"Most Libyans just want a quiet life. They don't care who takes over or who 
controls Libya's money, they just want a comfortable life. That's why Gaddafi 
stayed in power for 42 years. Salaries were paid on time, we had good subsidies 
on all the essentials and living was cheap."

However, images circulating on social media of green flags raised once again in 
Libya have sparked fierce debate, especially amongst those who suffered under 
the harsh rule of Gaddafi, or who lost family members during the revolution.

"While Saif is alive and in Libya, there will never be peace," said one former 
revolutionary fighter. "Many people think he and Senussi must be executed, for 
the stability of the country, because they remain central power symbols of the 
former regime. If they are killed, it will put an end to these protests."

In a country already riven by loyalties to opposing regions, tribes and 
political sides, the Gaddafi-loyalist protests depict yet another division in 
Libya and one that is unlikely to quietly fade away.

Despite the crackdowns on protestors in Sabha and an increased military 
presence in some other towns which showed dissent, further demonstrations are 
being planned across Libya for this coming Friday. Mohamed explained that it 
was hoped these would be held under a white flag of peace, rather than either 
the green flag of the Gaddafi-era or the Libyan revolution flag.

Prime minister resigns on TV

In an unrelated move late Tuesday, Abdullah al-Thani, the prime minister of 
Libya's internationally recognised government, announced his resignation during 
a live television interview.

"If my exit is the solution, then I announce it here," al-Thani said during the 
talk show, adding that "my resignation will be submitted to the parliament on 
Sunday".

Earlier in the day the rival Libyan factions started a new UN-sponsored round 
of peace talks in Geneva aimed at creating a unity government, with 
representatives of the powerful Tripoli parliament joining the negotiations 
after boycotting them last month.

(source: middleeasteye.net)

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

Libya death sentences cast long shadow over rule of law


In July, a court in Tripoli ruled against more than 30 officials and 
personalities who had served under Col Muammar Gaddafi's government. The 
rulings included 9 death-penalty verdicts, four acquittals and a range of other 
prison sentences for war crimes.

Those condemned to death by shooting squad include Col Gaddafi's son Saif 
al-Islam and former chief of military intelligence Abdullah al-Senussi, a 
figure who was once feared by Libyans on an almost mythical level - arguably 
for good reason.

The International Criminal Court also wanted Mr Gaddafi and Mr Senussi for 
alleged war crimes during the 2011 revolution that ended the colonel's 42-year 
rule.

Successive Libyan governments insisted on prosecuting these men on home soil.

They believed they could show the world a fair trial could be conducted.

Perhaps, this was a cardinal mistake.

Transitional justice is a complicated affair often emotionally charged.

This was complicated even further in Libya because it transitioned from one war 
to another.

Today, Libya is not secure - for anyone.

Miscarriage of justice'

If nothing else, the verdicts illustrate the difficulties in conducting fair 
trials in a country ruled by militias, driven by revenge, and void of any 
effective central government.

This is a key issue that tainted the proceedings from the start.

This trial had no witnesses brought forward, and no evidence presented or 
debated in court.

When they were not too busy demanding access to their clients, which was often 
a difficult feat, defence lawyers constantly feared for their lives.

One was even shot in the leg.

Former Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani, who was in power when the trial 
began, told me: "It is a miscarriage of justice that will haunt Libya for a 
long time."

He said Libyans had been "deprived of finding out the truth in a fair trial to 
judge an era of severe tyranny".

So what do these verdicts mean?

Few things are straightforward in Libya - including court verdicts.

The charges on which the death penalty was based were not clarified 
point-by-point.

The silence of Western nations has been deafening.

The absence of official reaction from them creates room for many theories to be 
entertained by some observers.

Do these men know too much?

Perhaps it would be more convenient for countries such as France and the UK if 
these men were executed.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is accused of accepting funding from 
Col Gaddafi for one of his campaigns. It is an allegation Mr Sarkozy vehemently 
denies.

Are parts of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's dealings with Col 
Gaddafi better left uncovered?

It was within the confines of intelligence headquarters in Tripoli that 
documents were uncovered in 2011 showing Britain's co-operation with Libya in 
so-called counter-terrorism measures.

This included the rendition of suspected Islamists to Libya and allowing 
dissidents in the UK to be chased by Col Gaddafi's henchmen.

The list of potentially incriminating or embarrassing scenarios is long.

One Western diplomat privately suggested the absence of official reactions from 
several countries might have boiled down to semantics.

I am told no-one wanted to say anything that could be construed as a pro- or 
anti-Gaddafi statement.

But in a world of abundant kneejerk reactions by foreign governments to all 
things Libya, the silence is peculiar.

The death sentences still need to be confirmed by the Supreme Court.

"They might execute them in two months' time," Mehdi Bouaouaja, the Tunisian 
lawyer for Libya's former Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, insisted to me.

Mr Bouaouaja's client is among the 9 men sentenced to death.

Mr Bouaouaja also alleged they had "evidence" the verdicts had been discussed 
and "decided" on a senior level between two parliamentarians and a judicial 
official in Tripoli days before they had been made public.

This could not be verified.

Libya's current state of rival parliaments and governments based on either side 
of the country has raised questions over political motivations for the sudden 
acceleration in the trial.

Mr Marghani believes on both sides of the divide, the Libyan judiciary is 
"struggling to remain impartial in conflict zones" and "sinking further into 
politics".

How the recent ruling came about paves the way for many more of its kind based 
on the same process.

It also fuels distrust in the judiciary, which can lead to people believing 
that justice is better served at their own hands - it is a vicious cycle and a 
dangerous path to tread.

Four years ago, I watched men and women weep at the prospect of change when Col 
Gaddafi's rule ended. Justice, in his era, was as rare as a solar eclipse.

But the shadow being cast over the rule of law today is bigger.

(source: Rana Jawad, BBC news)