[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 6



IRAN:

A Report about the Conditions in Central Prison of Zahedan



Zahedan prison with more than 2,000 prisoners and about 350 death row prisoners 
is considered as one of the great centers of human rights violations in Iran.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), 
about 300 prisoners in Zahedan prison on charges of drug and 50 others on 
charges of murder are in the death row and are enduring imprisonment waiting 
for execution.

Also, ward 3 of this prison, which is allocated to political-security 
prisoners, includes more than 230. However, according to a recently released 
prisoner, in this ward, which is called ward of security prisoners, a number of 
prisoners with non-security charges are also kept.

Zahedan prison has 8 wards that ward seven and eight are two floors and larger 
than the other wards and there are more prisoners in them. The populations of 
the wards are always more than number of the beds and a large number of 
prisoners sleep on the floor and are called floor sleepers.

Prison personnel and officers behave violently and with lack of respect towards 
the prisoners and illegal behavior and beating prisoners in violation of the 
law have become part of the process of this prison.

One of HRANA's sources, as an example of abuse by prison authorities, said: 
"Last February, Prison officials were suspect to a prisoner named Esmail 
Rezaie, 28, who had recently come back from Leave, because of transporting 
drugs was fasten for 3 days to especial column. Eventually it becomes clear 
that he had not carried drugs, and when he protested and threatened to sue the 
officers, he was severely beaten and 2 of his teeth were broken. Beaten 
prisoner made a complaint, and instead, he was sent to the quarantine for 20 
days and so far, he is incommunicado until he cancels his complaints against 
them and give consent."

Also in late April, during the "Prison Director General" visit of this prison, 
in response to prisoners' complaints of lack of basic facilities, he ordered 
that all the TVs and refrigerators that had been provided by prisoners own 
expense, must be collected.

The condition of nutrition and health care in Zahedan prison, like most of the 
prisons is inappropriate and in addition, transferring prisoners to a hospital 
outside the prison, due to the prison authorities and the prosecutor's lack of 
cooperation is difficult.

The process of sending prisoners on leave, similar to most of the prisons in 
Iran, depends on the approval of the Council of Prison and Judge of the Court. 
Prisoner's ability in reading and remembering Quran is one of the factors that 
can lead to a Council of Prison's permission for leave.

According to HRANA, Zahedan prison with a population of over 2,000 prisoners 
and more than 350 death row prisoners has been managed for 3 years, from April 
2012, under the presidency of Mohammad Hossein Khosravi.

(source: HRANA News Agency)








ITALY:

Hands Off Cain chooses Pope Francis as the "Abolitionist of the Year"



"The Abolitionist of the Year" Award is presented by Hands Off Cain (HOC) to 
recognize the person, who, above all others, has shown extraordinary commitment 
to the struggle for a moratorium on capital executions and the abolition of the 
death penalty.

The decision to award Pope Francis stems from His loud and clear statement 
against the death penalty, punishment till death and death through penalty, 
pronounced on October 23, 2014 when he addressed the delegates of the 
International Association of Penal Law.

After the abolition of life imprisonment and the introduction of the crime of 
torture in the Vatican City penal code, in this "lectio magistralis" of 
extraordinary humanistic, political and juridical value, the Pope said that "a 
life sentence is nothing more than a death penalty in disguise", which should 
be abolished at the same time as the death penalty itself. He added that he 
holds that solitary confinement in maximum-security prisons is "a form of 
physical and mental torture".

Hands Off Cain, the association against the death penalty, was founded by the 
Nonviolent Radical Party in 1993. Its name is inspired by the Book of Genesis 
and the phrase "and the Lord set a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should 
smite him" to affirm the value not only of life, but also of the dignity of the 
person as a whole. By conferring the Award, Hands Off Cain recognizes the Holy 
Father the value of the Holy Father's prodigious words, on which HOC intends to 
work by translating them into concrete steps towards the final overcoming of 
anachronistic punishments and treatments. Concrete steps are increasingly 
necessary and urgent if we consider the present context of the death penalty in 
the world, where the recent executions in Indonesia are but the last abhorrent 
example of a State becoming Cain.

(source: radicalparty.org)








FRANCE/PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY:

France urges Palestinians not to execute suspects in Arafat's death



France has demanded that the Palestinian Authority promise that it wouldn't 
impose the death penalty on anyone found guilty of killing former PLO leader 
Yasser Arafat, a senior Fatah official said on Wednesday.

Tawfik Tirawi, member of the Fatah Central Committee and head of the 
Palestinian commission of inquiry into the death of Arafat, revealed that the 
French demand was relayed to the PA about 3 weeks ago.

Tirawi's statement came in response to reports that French judges have 
completed their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Arafat's death 
in November 2004.

"We received a letter from the French authorities 20 days ago asking us to 
promise that that we wouldn't impose the death sentence or execute the killer 
of Yasser Arafat," Tirawi said in an interview with the Voice of Palestine 
radio station. "They asked that we reply to their letter within 15 days."

Tirawi said that after holding consultations with PA President Mahmoud Abbas 
and the PA Ministry of Justice, he informed the French authorities that the 
Palestinian judicial system is an independent body. "We asked the French 
authorities to brief us about the results of the investigation into the death 
of Arafat before asking us to make the pledge concerning the death sentence," 
he added.

Tirawi denounced France's position as "negative." He said that the French 
authorities have failed to contact the Palestinians ever since samples were 
taken from Arafat's remains more than a year ago. "The only information we get 
is through the media," he complained. He expressed his belief that the French 
authorities were trying to "hide something."

Tirawi rejected earlier reports published by French and investigators, who 
maintained that Arafat had died of natural causes.

Tirawi and other Palestinians continue to accuse Israel of being behind the 
"poisoning" of Arafat. They are convinced that someone close to Arafat was 
complicit in the purported Israeli scheme.

French judges re-examining the evidence surrounding the death of Arafat have 
concluded their investigations, AFP reported Wednesday.

"The judges have closed their dossier and it was sent to the prosecutor on 
April 30," the prosecutor's office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said. The 
prosecutor now has 3 months to prepare his submissions on whether to dismiss 
the case or put it forward to court.

(source: Jerusalem Post)








INDONESIA:

Lindsay Sandiford writes to Russell Brand to appeal for help to escape drug 
smuggling death penalty in Bali



Convicted drug smuggler Lindsay Sandiford has written to 
comedian-turned-campaigner Russell Brand to beg for his help in overturning her 
death sentence.

Sandiford, 58, was found guilty of smuggling 1.6million pounds worth of cocaine 
to Indonesia. She was handed a death sentence in January 2013 by Denpasar 
District Court. She was friends with the "Bali Nine" group of drug smugglers 
sentenced to death by Indonesia.

Her fellow prisoners - including Australian pair Andrew Chan and Myuran 
Sukumaran - were executed by firing squad in April.

She is now the last prisoner in Kerobokan jail.

Brand appealed for clemency in the cases of Chan and Sukumaran before their 
deaths.

He argued that the pair had reformed, and that Indonesia was using the pair as 
"human sacrifice" to cover up the country's financial dependence on the illegal 
drug trade.

Brand said: "It's a gesture, an empty gesture, a mask and a veil that conceals 
the corruption on Indonesia and the true nature of international drug 
smuggling."

He added: "Drug addiction and drug smuggling is an essential black economy - 
it's part of our global culture."

Sandiford wrote to the comedian to ask for help.

"Mr Brand, you have spoken very eloquently and movingly about the plight of my 
friend Andrew who was a dear friend to me. I am truly heart-broken over his 
death because he helped me through some extremely difficult times after I was 
first sentenced to die...

"That is why I would like to ask for your help to support and promote my 
attempts to have a fair, final hearing into my own case.

"My situation is extremely urgent and if you can raise awareness of my case in 
any way it would be a great help and comfort to me."

Brand has previously given advice to a Select Committee about UK drugs policy.

Sandiford has admitted that she did bring the drugs into Indonesia, but said 
that she had been forced into doing it, and that threats were made to kill her 
son.

(source: The Independent)

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

Murder-accused Noor Ellis to find out if she'll face death penalty



An Indonesian woman accused of ordering the murder of her wealthy Australian 
husband is due to learn whether she will face the death penalty.

Noor Ellis told her trial in Bali last week that she approached 5 men to teach 
her husband, Robert Ellis, a lesson, but "not to hurt or bruise" him.

It was a different account to that she gave weeks earlier; when asked who gave 
the order to have Mr Ellis murdered, she replied: "Probably me."

Mr Ellis, 60, was set upon by the men in the kitchen of his Sanur villa in 
October last year, his throat slashed, and his body dumped in a field.

His wife of 25 years, also known as Julaikah Noor Aini, is set to find out on 
Thursday whether the prosecution will seek the death sentence for premeditated 
murder.

In court last week, Judge Beslin Sihombing scolded her for crying while 
explaining why she resorted to violence to solve her marital problems.

"I wanted a divorce, but he didn't want it," she said sobbing.

"It's been 11 years that I haven't been treated as a wife."

The judge said: "There's no need for the crying."

Ellis also admitted that their 2 sons were furious with her, despite her 
defence 2 weeks ago presenting a statement purportedly from her elder son John 
asking that she be given a lenient sentence.

The 23-year-old says the statement was forged and should be removed from the 
trial.

Prosecutor Dipa Umbara told AAP they would base their Thursday sentence request 
more on the evidence given at trial rather than the statement.

"That testimony will not affect much because we're basing it on the trial 
facts," he said.

(source: 9news.com.au)