[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 19


HUNGARY:

Hungarian PM defends death penalty debate



Hungary's PM Viktor Orban on Tuesday (19 May) brushed aside mounting 
international criticism against state discussion on migrants and the possible 
reintroduction of the death penalty.

"Not everything is inscribed in stone. These rules are created by men and can 
therefore be changed by men. This is freedom, this is democracy," he told MEPs 
at the Strasbourg plenary.

The prime minister in April said capital punishment should be kept on the 
agenda in Hungary despite an EU-wide ban.

He said Hungary is not making any formal moves to reintroduce it but said there 
is no EU law that bans them from discussing such issues in public.

His conservative government, which in recent years has been at the receiving 
end of sharp criticism from the European Parliament and the European 
Commission, has also equated the migration crisis with terrorist threats.

Last month, Orban announced plans for a "national consultation" on immigration 
and terrorism. The consultation is part of a larger legislative initiative to 
detain and return irregular migrants and asylum seekers.

The questions ask people to agree or disagree with statements such as "economic 
migrants jeopardise the jobs and livelihoods of Hungarians" and if 
"mismanagement of the immigration question by Brussels may have something to do 
with increased terrorism."

Orban on Tuesday reaffirmed his hard stand against plans by the EU commission 
to impose a quota system on asylum.

"I think it is insane to propose letting in all immigrants into Europe and then 
introducing some artificial quotas on how to divide them between member states. 
Quotas are only going to bring more people to Europe, it is an incentive for 
human traffickers," he said.

The nuclear option

But Frans Timmermans, the EU's vice-president, was having none of it.

He said any plans to reintroduce capital punishment would trigger the EU 
Treaty's article seven procedure, which can lead to the suspension of a 
country's voting rights in the EU Council.

"If the Hungarian government were to take steps to reintroduce the death 
penalty, let me underline, that the commission is ready to use, immediately, 
all the means at its disposal to ensure that Hungary complies with its 
obligations," he said.

"We will not hesitate 1 second on a such a case."

He noted that article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits any 
person from being condemned to death or executed.

"The abolition of the death penalty is a condition, which states are required 
to meet in order to become members of the Council of Europe or of the European 
Union," he said.

Timmermans noted that Hungary's public consultation on migrants is based on 
bias and on misleading questions.

"[It] can hardly be considered a fair and objective basis for designing sound 
policies," he said.

"Framing immigration in the context of terrorism, depicting migrants as threat 
to the livelihoods of people, is malicious and simply wrong."

Centre-right defends Hungary

But for his part, German MEP Manfred Weber, who heads the centre-right EPP 
group, pointed out that Hungary's 2.8 % GDP growth is putting it "in Europe's 
driving seat."

He said the figures, and Orban's repeated victories at the ballot box, shows it 
is doing better than many of the "left-governed countries in Europe."

Hungary's ruling Fidesz party is a member of the EPP.

Despite the praise, Weber said there is no question of capital punishment ever 
being reintroduced.

"Any talk about it [death penalty] is dangerous and damaging," he said.

The Council, representing member states, said it had no position on the matter.

(source: euobserver.com)








SAUDI ARABIA:

Headhunting in Saudi: Executioners wanted



2 years after Saudi Arabia nearly had to end beheadings due to a shortage of 
swordsmen, the oil-rich nation of 30 million people is taking a new tack.

Help wanted ads.

This week the Saudi Ministry of Civil Service began advertising for 8 
additional swordsmen to conduct executions, lob the hands off of thieves, and 
perform similar duties. Beheadings are actually mandated under Sharia Law, 
although Saudi leaders considered adopting firing squads as an alternative in 
2013 due to a lack of swordsmen.

No previous experience is necessary, the ministry notes. The job description, 
which mentions "religious functions," includes "implementation of the rule of 
murder by Islamic law after the issuance of the Islamic ruling," and "functions 
of the perpetrators of retribution."

Human Rights Watch reports that the Saudis already have beheaded 85 people this 
year, just a few short of the nation's total for all of 2014. The United 
States, with about 10 times the population, executed 35 people last year.

Execution is not a punishment limited to murderers in Saudi, however, Crimes 
punishable also include rape, adultery, blasphemy, drug crimes and sorcery.

It's not clear what the pay is, but The New York Times reports that in Qassim 
Province, north of the capital, Riyadh, the swordsman has a full time job 
guarding the region's prince and carries out executions on the side -- at more 
than $1,000 per head.

(source: USA Today)