[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

July 29


IRAN----executions

Iranian Authorities Hang 14 Prisoners to Death, 3 of the Executions Carried Out 
in Public----In the past 1 days Iranian authorities have reportedly hanged 14 
prisoners to death, 3 of the executions were carried out in public.


Based on official and unofficial reports, Iranian authorities have executed at 
least 14 prisoners in the province of Alborz since Monday.

Close sources say seven prisoners with drug charges were hanged to death on 
Monday in Karaj Central Prison. On Saturday the Iranian authorities had 
reportedly transferred the 7 prisoners along with 2 more prisoners to solitary 
confinement. The executions of the 2 others prisoners have reportedly been 
delayed for unknown reasons.

On Tuesday 4 prisoners at Ghezel Hesar Prison were hanged to death for drug 
charges, according to close sources. The prisoners were reportedly removed out 
of their prison wards on Sunday and transferred to solitary confinement along 
with 2 more prisoners. The executions of the 2 other prisoners have reportedly 
been delayed for unknown reasons.

Today Iranian authorities hanged 3 prisoners to death in a public area in the 
city of Karaj, reports state media Mehr News. The report does not mention the 
names of the prisoners or their charges.

(source: Iran Human Rights)

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

UN drugs deal with Iran is sending people to the gallows.


Jannat Mir was in the 9th grade when he left Afghanistan for Iran. Like many 
who journey across the border, he was probably looking for more opportunity in 
the comparatively more stable neighbouring country. But instead, on the 18th 
April 2014, 15- year- old Jannat was hanged in Dastgerd prison in the city of 
Isfahan, Iran.

He had been arrested by the Iranian authorities and sentenced to death for 
allegedly moving heroin across the border. Jannat didn't have access to a 
lawyer and, after his death; the Iranian authorities reportedly did not allow 
the family to take the body back to Afghanistan.

A month before Jannat was executed, Yuri Fedotov, the Executive Director of the 
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), applauded the Iranians' 
effort to combat drug trafficking. "Iran takes a very active role to fight 
against illicit drugs Fedotov told reporters. "It is very impressive." While 
Janat was in custody, UNODC was co-funding a $5.4m project that provided 
support for Iran's war on drugs.

Many have lost their lives to this war. So far this year, the Iranian 
authorities are believed to have executed an equivalent of more than 3 people 
per day; 80% of those awaiting execution are convicted of drug-related 
offences, according to the Iranian authorities. UNODC is now reportedly about 
to finalise a new multimillion-dollar funding package for Iran's 
counter-narcotics trafficking programmes, despite the country's high execution 
rate of drug offenders.

The new 5- year deal will be funded with money from some European donors. The 
UK, Denmark and Ireland have stopped funding the Iranian campaign due to the 
human rights concerns. However, according to the organisation Reprieve, France 
and Norway continue to give money.

The news of the deal comes at a time when Amnesty International called Iran out 
for its "staggering execution spree". Last week, the group released a statement 
noting that the Iranian authorities are believed to have executed an 
astonishing 694 people between 1 January and 15 July 2015; an unprecedented 
spike in executions. Amnesty pointed to Iran's Anti-Narcotics Law as a possible 
explanation of the spike. The law provides mandatory death sentences for a 
range of drug-related offences, including trafficking more than 5kg of 
narcotics derived from opium or more than 30g of heroin, morphine, cocaine or 
their chemical derivatives.

Under article 6(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 
which Iran has ratified, the death penalty may be applied only to the "most 
serious crimes". The UN Human Rights Committee has said that drug offences do 
not constitute "most serious crimes", and that use of the death penalty for 
drug offences violates international law. According to figures obtained from 
Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre (IHRDC), in one week in June this year, 
47 people were allegedly hanged for the crime of drug trafficking, although 
most were not "officially" recognised.

The death penalty sentences are handed down by a flawed legal system, notes Rod 
Sanjabi, Executive Director of IHRDC. "There's typically no appeal, no right to 
appeal," he says. "The trial court judgement is final and that's even in death 
penalty cases, which is quite starkly in violation of domestic law, let along 
international obligations." The standard of evidence is typically not very 
high, he adds, noting there is reliance in the Iranian legal system on 
confessions: "The arrest will be followed by some lengthy period, sometimes 
days, sometimes weeks, sometimes months, of pre-trial detention where the 
defendant is in held incommunicado for periods of time, kept in solitary 
confinement, usually denied legal counsel... they'll be held for this long 
pre-trial period, specifically with the aim of extracting a confession from 
them."

Human rights organisations have campaigned for the UN to freeze the funding of 
Iran's anti-narcotic efforts on account of this. In December 2014, six 
organisations; Reprieve, Human Rights Watch, Iran Human Rights, the World 
Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Harm Reduction International and the 
Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation called on UNODC to follow its own human rights 
guidance, which explicitly stated that UNODC actions should take every 
opportunity to further the realization of human rights.

They described the agency's decision to continue funding supply-side 
counter-narcotics efforts in the country as "ineffective if not 
counterproductive." This point was reiterated in the Amnesty International 
press release. Earlier this year, the deputy of Iran's Centre for Strategic 
Research admitted that the death penalty has not been able to reduce drug 
trafficking levels.

What would be more effective argues Sanjabi, is to tackle the underlying issues 
pushing people towards drug trafficking. "There are, in the border areas 
especially, a widespread lack of opportunity for youth, educated or 
uneducated," he said. "It is probably far more effective for the state to focus 
on creating those opportunities and far more constructive as well, rather than 
to simply continue to deal with the drug trafficking problem in a reactive 
manner."

Reprieve spoke to Memo about the deal. Maya Foa, Director of Reprieve's death 
penalty team, said: "Iran has hanged hundreds of alleged drug offenders this 
year, but the UNODC still refuses to come clean about its generous new funding 
deal for Iranian drug police.

"It is an untenable hypocrisy for European nations like France and Germany to 
claim they oppose capital punishment "in all circumstances" while funding raids 
which send drug mules to death row. If these states' commitments on the death 
penalty are to count for anything, they should impose effective and transparent 
conditions to ensure their aid does not lead to executions", she added.

As UNODC looks set to provide millions of dollars to Iran for its 
counter-narcotics efforts, the spike in executions will no doubt continue to 
rise. And the UN will continue to have blood on its hands.

(source: Jessica Purkiss, Middle East Monitor)






BANGLADESH:

Bangladesh apex court upholds top BNP leader's death penalty


The panel, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, upheld the death sentence 
of the 66-year-old leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for 
involvement in the killing of a herbal medicine company owner Nutan Chandra 
Singha, Awami League leader Mozaffar Ahmed and his son, and 2 incidents of 
genocide in the country's southeastern region in Raozan, Chittagong, the Daily 
Star newspaper reported.

On 1 October, 2013, the worldwide Crimes Tribunal-1 found the BNP leader guilty 
of crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation and condemned him to 
death.

But defence lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said Chowdhury's legal team was 
disappointed and would seek a review of the judgement at the same court.

"The verdict has fulfilled our expectations", said Attorney general Mahbubey 
Alam.

A Bangladeshi activist celebrates after the Supreme Court cleared the way for 
the execution of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salauddin 
Quader Chowdhury, convicted of war crimes in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, July 
29, 2015.

Salahuddin Chowdhury, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was acquitted 
of 1 charge, but the Supreme Court upheld the rest of the convictions.

Security has been beefed up in places in Dhaka and Chittagong, some 242 km 
southeast of the capital city.

SQ Chowdhury was charged for committing crimes against humanity by the war 
tribunal. He was, however, acquittal over the killing of Satish Chandra Palit 
in Raozan, for which the tribunal had sentenced him to 20 years in jail. His 
father was also a former speaker of Pakistan and served as an acting president 
several times.

Later, he joined BNP and was elected to parliament on its tickets.

He is the 2nd former minister to have the death sentence upheld after 
Jamaat-e-Islami's Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and the 5th to get a verdict on 
the appeal against the tribunal's judgment.

After the partition of India in 1947 and until 1971, Bangladesh was known as 
East Pakistan.

Another Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla, convicted of war crimes in 1971, was 
executed on December. 12, 2013.

After returning to power in January 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the 
daughter of Bangladesh's independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, established 
the 1st tribunal in March 2010, nearly 40 years after the 1971 fight for 
independence from Pakistan.

(source: lidtime.com)






INDIA:

Rajiv Gandhi Killers Will Not Hang, Confirms Supreme Court


The Supreme Court today confirmed its decision of commuting the death sentence 
to life imprisonment of three persons convicted of killing former Prime 
Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The apex Court dismissed the curative petition filed by the Centre which was 
seeking a review of the decision in February last year.

Centre's curative petition said that the victims in the former Prime Minister's 
assassination case were not heard before commuting their death sentence.

In February last year, the Court had commuted the death sentence of 3 persons - 
Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, citing the 11-year delay in deciding their 
mercy petitions.

The 3 convicts are lodged in a Vellore prison. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on 
May 21, 1991 in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.

(source: ndtv)

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

India should say no to death penalty, says CPI's D Raja


Reiterating his party's opposition to capital punishment, Communist Party of 
India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Wednesday said India should say no to the death 
penalty.

"We continue to hold our position, we oppose capital punishment. India should 
say no to capital punishment," Raja told ANI.

"In this regard I am moving a private member resolution in the Rajya Sabha, its 
listed for 31st July. Till the Government and Parliament decide upon death 
penalty statute, India should have a moratorium of death sentences," he added.

The Supreme Court earlier rejected 1993 Mumbai balsts convict Yakub Memon's 
petition on his death warrant, paving the way for his execution tomorrow.

He is expected to be hanged inside the Nagpur jail at 7 a.m. tomorrow.

The apex court had earlier dismissed the curative petition of Yakub. A 3-judge 
bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, Prafulla C. Pant and Amitava Roy said 
proper procedure was followed in disposing of Yakub's curative petition.

(source: ANI news)



PAKISTAN:

Pakistan Must Release Asia Bibi To Demonstrate Protection For Its Religious 
Minorities - Analysis


Pakistan's Supreme Court took an encouraging step forward last week when it 
decided to reconsider blasphemy charges against Pakistani Christian woman, Asia 
Bibi, who is facing a death sentence. This decision provides an opportunity for 
Pakistan to acquit Bibi and show the world its commitment to protecting its 
religious minorities. The U.S. must prioritize the issue of religious freedom 
in its dialogue with Pakistan to discourage any further persecution of 
religious minorities and to undercut support for Islamist extremist ideologies 
that leads to targeted violence against these vulnerable communities.

Bibi, a mother of 5 and a farmworker, was arrested in 2009 after her Muslim 
co-workers alleged that she had committed blasphemy during an argument about 
sharing the same water bowl. In November 2010, she was sentenced to death by a 
Pakistani trial court, a decision that was upheld by the Lahore High Court in 
October 2014.

Growing Intolerance

Under Pakistani law, blasphemous acts include making derogatory remarks against 
the Muslim prophet Muhammed and defiling the Koran. Allegations of blasphemy 
are often fabricated and are commonly used to intimidate religious minorities 
or settle personal vendettas, including against fellow Muslims. Moreover, 
blasphemy charges do not require proof of intent or evidence, and there are no 
penalties for false allegations. Since the laws do not provide details on what 
constitutes a violation, accusers have broad leeway to define what they deem an 
offense. In 2013, 38 individuals were imprisoned in Pakistan on blasphemy 
charges.

Pakistanis who have sought changes to the blasphemy laws or who have defended 
those wrongly accused have often been killed, demonstrating the rise in 
religious intolerance and support for extremist ideologies there. In early 
2011, Pakistan's Governor of the Punjab Salman Taseer and Minority Affairs 
Minister Shahbaz Bhatti were assassinated by religious extremists because of 
their efforts to defend Bibi and roll back the controversial blasphemy laws. 
Human rights lawyer Rashid Rehman was assassinated in June 2014 for defending 
an English professor, Junaid Hafeez, who was accused of blasphemy. Rehman had 
received several death threats in the weeks prior to his assassination, but the 
Pakistani government failed to provide him with protection.

Former Pakistan People's Party parliamentarian and Pakistani Ambassador to the 
U.S., Sherry Rehman, introduced a bill in parliament in late 2010 to amend the 
blasphemy laws, but she was later forced to withdraw it under political 
pressure. Ambassador Rehman continues to face threats from extremists due to 
her support for re-examining the legislation and removing the death penalty as 
punishment. In January 2013, the Supreme Court of Pakistan approved admission 
of a blasphemy case filed against Ambassador Rehman for remarks she made on a 
television program in November 2010. The growing influence of extremist 
ideologies are endangering Pakistan's minority communities and jeopardizing the 
country's democratic institutions and values, including freedom of religion and 
speech.

The miscarriage of justice against Bibi is just the latest example of declining 
religious freedom in Pakistan. The U.S. Commission for International Religious 
Freedom's 2015 Annual Report calls on the State Department to designate 
Pakistan as a country of particularly concern (CPC) under the International 
Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) - something it has called for since 2002.[1] 95 % 
of Pakistan's population is Muslim, including a 20 % Shia minority, which 
increasingly faces brutal attacks by Sunni extremists. Ahmadis (about 2 % of 
the Pakistani population), who consider themselves Muslim but are not 
recognized as such under Pakistani law, also face discriminatory legislation 
that prohibits them from calling themselves Muslims or their places of worship 
mosques, performing the Muslim call to prayer, using the traditional Islamic 
greeting in public, or publicly quoting from the Koran.

Bibi's case is a particularly pernicious example of the negative effects of 
blasphemy laws. Bibi's family has been forced to go into hiding, and Muslim 
clerics placed a $5,000 bounty on her head.[2] Bibi also faces extreme health 
challenges, including intestinal bleeding, that could be life-threatening.[3] 
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Bibi, the court would overturn the 
decision by the Lahore High Court to sentence Bibi to death. If Bibi were 
released from jail, her life would still be in grave danger from vigilantes who 
could decide to take the law into their own hands. In April 2012, a Pakistani 
man accused of blasphemy was shot dead by religious zealots after he was 
acquitted and released from prison.

The U.S. Must Prioritize Religious Freedom in Pakistan

The growing pattern of religious intolerance and persecution of religious 
minorities in Pakistan is threatening the very fabric of Pakistani society and 
undermining democracy, not to mention putting the lives of millions of members 
of religious minorities in danger. The U.S. must make the protection of 
Pakistan's religious minorities a central plank of its dialogue with the 
country. More specifically, the U.S. should:

--Publicly advocate for the release of Asia Bibi. While the Pakistani Supreme 
Court has taken a step in the right direction with its decision to review 
Bibi's appeal, the U.S. must keep up the pressure for her immediate release 
from jail and help ensure that she receives proper medical care.

--Announce that unless Pakistan makes substantive changes to its blasphemy laws 
and how they are implemented, it will be designated a "Country of Particular 
Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The IRFA was 
passed in 1998 and requires the U.S. Secretary of State to designate annually 
"countries of particular concern" and to take specific action aimed at 
improving religious freedom in those countries. A CPC is defined as a country 
in which the government either engages in or tolerates severe violations of 
religious freedom.

--Urge Pakistan to review all blasphemy cases. In 2014, the Pakistani courts 
conducted a review of blasphemy cases but did not include in the review any 
cases against members of religious minority groups.[4]

--Encourage Pakistan to implement steps called for by the Pakistani Supreme 
Court in 2014, including creating a special police force to protect religious 
minorities and elevating the work of the religious minority commission. The 
U.S. should structure its aid programs to support these activities through 
technical assistance, training, and exchanges.

--Support increased civil society engagement between Americans and Pakistanis 
to help elevate the voices of moderation and tolerance in Pakistan. There are 
plenty of Pakistani citizens who are working hard and, indeed, risking their 
lives to reverse extremist trends and ensure the rights and freedoms of all 
Pakistanis. U.S. - Pakistan government-to-government interactions alone will 
not get the job done. There is a need for more and deeper civil society 
engagement between our 2 countries that can help mobilize grassroots support 
for preserving religious freedom.

Reviving Pakistan's Founding Vision

Pakistan's founding father, Muhammed Ali Jinnah, supported the idea of Islam 
serving as a unifying force and believed Pakistanis had a responsibility to 
uphold the principles of religious freedom and to protect the rights of 
religious minorities. Releasing Asia Bibi from jail would be a good first step 
in reviving the country's founding ideals of religious tolerance.

(source: About the authors: Lisa Curtis is Senior Research Fellow for South 
Asia in the Asian Studies Center, of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis 
Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, at The Heritage Foundation. 
Olivia Enos is a Research Associate in the Asian Studies Center---- 
eurasiareview.com)






SAUDI ARABIA----execution

Saudi executed for smuggling hashish


Saudi Arabia executed one of its citizens for drug trafficking on Tuesday. Saif 
Al-Hadissane was found guilty of smuggling a large amount of hashish and was 
executed in the Al-Ahsa region of eastern Saudi Arabia, the Interior Ministry 
said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

The Interior Ministry has cited deterrence as a reason for carrying out the 
death penalty because of the physical and social harm caused by drugs. Under 
the Saudi law, drug trafficking, rape, murder and armed robbery are punishable 
by death.

(source: The Saudi Gazette)


SUDAN:

Sudanese pastors facing execution make final plea for justice; verdict set on 
Aug. 5


The lawyers representing the 2 South Sudanese pastors facing the death penalty 
made their closing arguments on July 23 in Khartoum before a judge who, sources 
said, appeared to be favouring the prosecution, according to Christian News.

A verdict is expected at a hearing on Aug. 5.

Speaking before the judge at the Khartoum Bari Court, the defence lawyers of 
Yat Michael and Peter Yein Reith maintained that agents of the National 
Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) illegally apprehended 49-year-old 
Michael on Dec. 14 last year and 36-year-old Reith on Jan. 11.

"Justice requires that you don't judge [arrest] simply because you doubt 
[suspect] them without any concrete evidence," one of the lawyers said.

Michael was arrested by authorities after he delivered a message of 
encouragement to a North Khartoum church amid a looming state-aided takeover of 
the congregation's property.

Reith was taken by security agents after he submitted a letter from the leaders 
of the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church which requested for 
information on the whereabouts of Michael.

A national intelligence agent accused the 2 of gathering information for a 
human rights group.

However, the charges, which include espionage and promotion of hatred against 
or among sects, were created months after their arrest.

Spying under the Sudanese Penal Code is punishable by death while inciting 
hatred is punishable by up to 2 years in jail.

"The judge in the last hearing seemed to be supporting the prosecution," said 
the source who asked not to be named. "The whole issue is politically 
motivated, and the 2 pastors are innocent, but the lawyers asked the judge to 
respect laws and the constitution and not aid NISS in violation of the 
Constitution."

The pastors are also accused of undermining the constitutional system - which 
is punishable by death - life imprisonment, and confiscation of property.

Disclosure and obtaining information and official documents is punishable by a 
year in prison while blasphemy or insulting religious creeds is punishable also 
by a year in jail or a fine or a maximum of 40 lashes.

The national intelligence agency used as evidence maps and easily accessible 
documents said to have been taken from the pastors' confiscated laptops.

A NISS study guide, which the pastors said was not in their computers before 
their arrest, was also presented as evidence.

The persecution of Christians intensified in Sudan following the secession of 
South Sudan in July 2011. President Omar al-Bashir is pushing for the country's 
adoption of a stricter version of sharia law and for the recognition of Islamic 
culture and the Arabic language only.

Since 2012, Sudan has kicked out foreign Christians and razed church buildings 
on the claim that they belonged to South Sudanese. Sudanese authorities have 
also been raiding Christian bookstores and arresting Christians, with some 
state agents even threatening to kill South Sudanese Christians who do not 
leave or cooperate with them in their effort to get rid of Christians.

Sudan ranked 6th on Christian support organisation Open Doors' 2015 World Watch 
List of 50 countries where Christians face persecution, moving up from 11th 
place from the previous year.

(source: Christian Today)






CHINA:

Colombian model who has her own TV show faces death penalty in China for 
carrying drugs 'inside her laptop'

A 22-year-old Colombian model is facing the death penalty after she was caught 
with a plastic bag full of drugs hidden inside her laptop.

Juliana Lopez seemed to have the world at her feet, running a trendy boutique 
and hosting a television show, as well as being a well-known professional 
football player.

And winning the Miss Antioquia beauty pageant, she was going to participate in 
the Miss World Medellin competition this week but her family suddenly lost 
contact with her while she was in China to purchase items for her shop.

Worried about her whereabouts, her family contacted the Colombian embassy 
saying that she had vanished. She had apparently flown into the airport in the 
city of Guangzhou, in the southeast Chinese province of Canton, after which 
they lost contact with her.

Chinese officials confirmed to the family she had been arrested for drug 
smuggling. It was not specified what kind of narcotics were inside her laptop 
but police say they found a large quantity of a banned substance.

Lopez plays for the women's team Divas del Futbol in Medellin. She is also a 
student at the University of San Buenaventura, in the city of Bello, in the 
north central Colombian district of Antioquia.

Carrying drugs in China is not only banned, but can carry the death penalty and 
relatives and friends are now desperately trying to collect money to get top 
lawyers and a team sent over to defend Lopez. They also want family and friends 
to travel over to support her.

The smiling profile picture of the model's Facebook page was taken on her first 
visit to China last year, and she has since been back to buy goods for her 
business.

Alejandro Duque is the coach of Divas del Futbol. He said: 'Juliana was the 
central point of the group, she spoke a lot with the press and she gave her 
face to the team.'

About the drug charges he added: 'She is a good girl, student, model, 
contestant of beauty contests, and she has always been an athlete.'

He said he had last seen her 2 weeks ago shortly before she travelled to China 
to buy shoes, clothes and other accessories.

Duque said: 'My heart tells me that she is not guilty, she is a fighter. She 
cannot be sentenced yet, I have hope that she is innocent and that everything 
can be sorted out.'

According to the newspaper El Tiempo, the Colombian Foreign Ministry has 
provided legal assistance and support to Lopez and her family through her 
mother, Nubia Sarrazola.

A spokesman for the ministry said: 'We work to ensure the preservation of the 
rights of private individuals and the right to a proper defence and the 
presumption of innocence, as well as respect for due process and the 
preservation of her personal integrity and her health.'

But the Chinese police investigation could take between 6 months and 2 years 
and the amount of contact the model will be allowed with her family is likely 
to be limited.

Currently, there are 138 Colombian prisoners in China's jails for a range of 
offences and 12 of them have been sentenced to death. 9 of these cases have 
been frozen thanks to the efforts of the Colombian government. Another group of 
11 has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Of those detained, 90 % were linked with drugs-related crimes and the rest were 
related to prostitution.

China executes the highest number of people of any country annually and is 
believed to put to death more than the rest of the world put together, 
according to Amnesty International.

(source: Daily Mail)