[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide----UK, S. ARAB., BURMA, PAKIS., ETHIOP., SUDAN, GHANA, INDON., EGYPT

[Rick Halperin]

May 22




UNITED KINGDOM:

'I'd bring back death penalty for child killers' - PCC Matthew Grove



Humberside police and crime commissioner Matthew Grove says he supports 
bringing back the death penalty for murderers who kill children.

Mr Grove said he would also back capital punishment for those who kill 
"vulnerable" people.

The police and crime commissioner discussed his views on the topic as part of a 
new online documentary series, Eye On Crime, which has been launched by 
Humberside Police.

Mr Grove said: "I would [bring back capital punishment] for a very clear area 
of crime and that is where you have the murder of vulnerable people, by which I 
mean children and disabled people, where they are targeted for a malicious 
attack and murdered.

"I would be quite happy for that category of people to face the ultimate 
sanction because that's a group of people who are not able to protect 
themselves and we, as a society, have an absolute duty to do everything we can 
to say these people are not to be touched."

The 3 30-minute programmes have been produced by East Coast Pictures, with 
support from Humberside Police, Hull City Council and Crimestoppers.

Domestic abuse, which makes up 12 per cent of all calls made to Humberside 
Police, is one of the issues the programme focuses on.

Denise Farman, service manager for Women's Aid, said: "We wanted to get the 
message out to as many people, women and men, across our area about the help 
and advice available and through online and social media, the programme helps 
us to do that."

PC Andy Allen, Crime reduction officer for Humberside Police in Hull, also 
gives advice to viewers on how to protect themselves and their property.

Julia Thompson, executive producer for East Coast Pictures, said: "More video 
is watched on mobile devices now than on desktop, so we created the special 
programmes to showcase some of the great work being done by local organisations 
to make our communities even safer places to live and work."

Visit www.eyeoncrime.tv to view the series.

(source: Hull Daily Mail)








SAUDI ARABIA:

Saudi Arabia trying to win UN Human Rights Council presidency



In a move that will definitely drill the "final nail in the coffin for 
credibility" for the United Nations' Human Rights Council, Saudi Arabia is set 
to make a bid to head the HRC.

The news surfaced after the United Nations Watch that overlooks the HRC pushed 
the United States to prevent the nation that recently advertised for 8 new 
executioners to not be awarded the title.

"We urge US Ambassador Samantha Power and EU foreign minister Federica 
Mogherini to denounce this despicable act of cynicism by a regime that beheads 
people in the town square, systematically oppresses women, Christians, and 
gays, and jails innocent bloggers like Raif Badawi for the crime of challenging 
the rulers' radical brand of Wahabbist Islam," said Hillel Neuer, executive 
director of UN Watch, reported The Independent.

"Electing Saudi Arabia as the world's judge on human rights would be like 
making a pyromaniac as the town fire chief."

Currently, Germany is heading the HRC but when its term ends in 2016, the new 
presidency will be announced.

According to a UN official, the presidency will be determined by elections in 
December 2015.

Saudi Arabia was elected a member of the HRC in 2013 - a move that drew heavy 
criticism from human rights campaigners worldwide.

Saudi Arabia carried out its 79th execution in 2015 on Wednesday (6 May) 
despite calls from Amnesty International to bring to a halt the "macabre spike" 
in the country's executions.

"This unprecedented spike in executions constitutes a chilling race to the 
bottom for a country that is already among the most prolific executioners on 
the planet," said Said Boumedouha, the deputy director of Amnesty 
International's Middle East and North Africa Programme.

"If this alarming execution rate continues, Saudi Arabia is well on track to 
surpass its previous records, putting it out of step with the vast majority of 
countries around the world that have now rejected the death penalty in law or 
practice."

Oil-rich kingdom wants to recruit executioners

In 2014, an estimated 87 executions were carried out by the Kingdom, which is a 
stark reminder of the alarming rate with which executions are being carried out 
in 2015.

The Kingdom recently advertised for more executioners to behead convicted 
prisoners with the job description suggesting the appointees should be able to 
perform amputations as well.

Crimes that can result in the death penalty in the Kingdom, include adultery, 
armed robbery, blasphemy, drug trafficking, murder and rape to name a few.

(source: International Business Times)








BURMA:

Burma Fails To Revoke Controversial Law Used To Jail Dissidents



A proposal to revoke a controversial law used to jail political dissidents was 
rejected by Burma's Lower House of parliament, with its supporters claiming 
that overturning the legislation would "throw the country into chaos".

The Emergency Provisions Act, enacted in 1950, carries the death penalty and 
sentences of up to life in prison for treason or sabotage against military 
organizations, as well as up to 7 years in prison for a sweeping range of other 
offenses against the state. Article 5 of the law grants sweeping authority to 
the government to prosecute individuals who disseminate "false news" or 
otherwise "jeopardize the state".

Burma's leading opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), 
proposed scrapping the legislation on the grounds that successive governments 
have primarily used it as a tool for arresting activists. The proposal was 
rejected by a landslide vote of 50 for, 256 against and 17 abstentions.

Lower House parliamentarian Win Myint, a member of the NLD, said his party was 
disappointed by the defeat, which preserved what he views as a redundant law 
designed to instill fear and restrict political activity. "All of the 
provisions in the law are already enshrined in the Penal Code, which is already 
in place to prosecute those who break the law. It is unacceptable that 
authorities can repress citizens with another law", said Myint.

(source: Eurasia Review)








PAKISTAN----executions

3 convicts executed in Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan jails



3 death row convicts were executed in Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan Central 
jails on Thursday.

Also, hanging of 2 convicts has been put on hold.

In Gujranwala, 2 executions were scheduled for Thursday; however, convict 
Amjad's hanging was stayed owing to a compromise deal was reached between the 
litigant sides.

The other convict, Aijaz alias Jajji was hanged at the gallows early this 
morning. He killed Ghulam Rasool who demanded his money back from him.

In Faisalabad also, 2 hangings were scheduled on Thursday; however, convicted 
prisoner, Abid's hanging has been delayed for a day after his family members 
produced a stay order from the court.

Another death row prisoner, Shaukat Masih breathed his last at the gallows in a 
Faisalabad's jail. The convict was proved guilty of Nadeem Masih's murder.

In Multan, a death house inmate, Abbas, was executed for twin murders. He 
killed 2 people over land dispute in 1996.

The medical check up of all executed convicts was conducted prior to their 
execution. The convicts also held last meeting with their relatives; meanwhile 
the dead bodies were handed over to the heirs after the execution.

(source: South Asian Broadcasting Agency)

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

ATC Hyderabad issues black warrants for 3 convicts



The Anti Terrorism Court Hyderabad here Thursday issued black warrants for 
hanging to death of 3 convicts awarded death penalty in the PIA plane hijacking 
case.

According to details obtained from the court, the condemned prisoners will be 
hanged to death on May 28.

2 of the convicts Sabir Baloch and Shahsawar Baloch are imprisoned in Central 
Jail Hyderabad and one Shabbir Baloch in Central Jail Karachi.

They were convicted for hijacking in August 1998 and their subsequent appeals 
in the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court were dismissed in August 1999 and 
August 2000, respectively.

The PIA's plane which flew from Gawadar for Karachi was hijacked in May, 1998, 
and it landed in Hyderabad where the security forces succeeded in arresting the 
hijackers while avoiding any injury to the 33 passengers and 5 crew members who 
were on- board.

(source: Business Recorder)



ETHIOPIA:

UN investigates Briton on death row in Ethiopia----Special rapporteur on 
torture asks UK and Ethiopian governments about detention of Andargachew Tsige 
amid claims of ill-treatmen



The detention of a British citizen held on death row in Ethiopia for almost a 
year is being investigated by the United Nations official responsible for 
preventing torture.

Andargachew Tsige was arrested last June while in transit through Yemen???s 
main airport and forcibly removed to Addis Ababa. He is the leader of an 
opposition party and had been condemned to death several years earlier in his 
absence.

Juan Mendez, the UN special rapporteur on torture, has written to the Ethiopian 
and UK governments saying he is investigating the treatment of Tsige. There are 
claims Tsige is being deprived of sleep and held in isolation.

His partner, Yemi Hailemariam, also a British national, who lives in London 
with their 3 children, said she had only spoken to him once by telephone since 
his abduction. "He's in prison but we have no idea where he is being held," she 
said. "He said he was OK but I'm sure the call was being listened to.

"He had been in Dubai and was flying on to Eritrea when the plane stopped over 
in Yemen. He hadn't even been through immigration. We think Yemeni security 
took him and handed him over to the Ethiopians.

"They say there was an extradition agreement but it was so quick there was no 
time for any semblance of a legal hearing. Yemen and Ethiopia had close 
relations then. The [Ethiopian] government have put him on television 3 times 
in heavily edited interviews, saying he was revealing secrets.

"He has been kept under artificial light 24 hours a day and no one [other than 
the UK ambassador] has had access to him. I feel angry with the Foreign Office. 
They know they could do more. They have political leverage they could use but 
have not done so."

Tsige, 60, known as Andy, had previously been secretary general of Ginbot 7, a 
political opposition party that called for democracy, free elections and civil 
rights. He first came to the UK in 1979. The Ethiopian government has accused 
him of being a terrorist. In 2009, he was tried with others in his absence and 
sentenced to death.

"No effort was made to extradite him to face the court. A US embassy cable, 
released through WikiLeaks, described the trial as "lacking in basic elements 
of due process".

"[Andy] is a politician, not a terrorist," said Hailemariam. "It's just the 
Ethiopian government that thinks it does not need to make any space for the 
opposition. A delegation of British MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn, were stopped 
from travelling to Ethiopia in February. They are hoping to try again."

Tsige was accused by the Ethiopian government of being a terrorist. In 2009, he 
was tried in his absence and sentenced to death.

Hailemariam's dissatisfaction with the UK government's response follows the 
release of internal Foreign Office memorandums earlier this year that appeared 
to show official reluctance to apply pressure on Ethiopia to obtain Tsige's 
release.

The UK prime minister, David Cameron, has, however, written a letter to his 
Ethiopian counterpart, Hailemariam Desalegn, raising concerns about Tsige.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The foreign secretary has raised this case 
with the Ethiopian foreign minister on 13 separate occasions. We will continue 
to lobby at all levels, conveying our concern over Andargachew Tsige being 
detained without regular consular visits and access to a lawyer."

Maya Foa, director of Reprieve's death penalty team said: "Andy Tsige was 
illegally kidnapped and rendered to Ethiopia, where he has now been held in a 
secret location for nearly a year. The UN special rapporteur is right to raise 
concerns about torture - especially given Ethiopia's terrible record on human 
rights, and their denial of any meaningful consular access.

"It is crucial that the British government now takes stronger action on this 
case. The way Andy has been treated is in serious violation of international 
law and the most basic principles of justice - the UK must push for his 
immediate release."

Tsige's lawyer, the barrister Ben Cooper of Doughty Street chambers, said: 
"[He] was abducted at an international airport, hooded and rendered to 
Ethiopia, where he has been held incommunicado under a death sentence that was 
passed unlawfully in his absence. He remains in isolation nearly a year later 
with only occasional access to the open air.

"His detention violates all minimum standards of treatment. We ask the Foreign 
Office to follow the lead of the UN special rapporteur on torture to demand an 
immediate end to Mr Tsege's torture by seeking his return home to his family in 
England. This is a clear case of kidnap and should be treated as such."

Elections are taking place in Ethiopia this weekend. Tsige's family hopes the 
government will relax restrictions on the opposition once voting is over.

In a lengthy statement, the Ethiopian embassy said that Ginbot 7 had been 
proscribed a terrorist organisation by the country's parliament. Tsige, as 
general secretary, it added, was charged with "conspiring to perpetrate terror 
and violence in Ethiopia by planning, training, financing, and organising 
terrorist recruits in Eritrea" and found guilty of "conspiring and working with 
and under Ginbot 7, to overthrow the legitimate government of Ethiopia through 
terrorist acts".

Following conviction and sentence, the embassy continued, the government sent a 
formal request of assistance to those states with which Ethiopia has an 
extradition treaty, requesting them to transfer all sentenced individuals in 
the event of their presence on their territory.

"It was on the basis of this request, and the existing extradition treaty with 
the Republic of Yemen, that [he] was extradited to Ethiopia. Accordingly, [he] 
is currently in detention at the federal prison," it said.

The statement added: "Mr Tsige was serving as a Trojan horse, assisting the 
Eritrean government's repeated and ongoing attempts to wreak havoc and 
instability in the sub-region. Mr Tsige is well-treated and has received visits 
from the British ambassador to Ethiopia. He has also spoken to his family on 
the phone."

(source: The Guardian)








SUDAN:

Trial begins for 2 South Sudanese pastors in Khartoum



The trial of 2 South Sudanese pastors opened Tuesday in Khartoum, Sudan nearly 
5 months after Security and Intelligence Services first detained them.

On 21 December last year, Reverend Yat Michael Ruot, a visiting South Sudanese 
pastor from Juba, was arrested after a Sunday worship service. Rev David Yein 
Reith of the Presbyterian Evangelical Church was arrested on 9 January as he 
returned to his home at the Gerif West Bible School in Khartoum from a prayer 
meeting.

Yein's arrest may have been linked to a letter he delivered to the Office of 
Religious Affairs in Khartoum to inquire about the arrest of Yat Michael, 
according to his relatives.

The 2 religious leaders were facing charges of inciting religious sedition and 
sectarian and tribal hatred between denominations. They have also been charged 
with spying for outsiders and collecting and leaking information to the 
detriment of Sudanese national security.

The charge under article 50 of the Sudanese penal code (undermining the 
constitutional system) could result in the death penalty, according to the 
defence lawyers.

(source: radiotamazuj.org.)








GHANA:

Hang EC officials - KT Hammond declares



The Electoral Commission has been branded the greatest threat to Ghana's 
democracy presently.

According to Kobina Tahir Hammond, MP for Adansi Asokwa, top officials of the 
EC may have to face the death penalty for grievous acts of indiscretion and 
misconduct that threaten the security of the nation.

The former Minister in the Kufuor administration's comment follows a new 
blunder that saw the EC abort a recent voter registration exercise that was to 
capture new voters on the nation's electoral roll.

"We have to get all of them hanged, [or] drowned under sea or get some air 
space craft to send them to mars ... This crop of Electoral Commission guys are 
doing far more serious damage to our constitutional development than the 'coup 
d'etats' that we have encountered in this country," he said.

The Minority Spokesperson on Energy, said the current crop of officials at the 
EC failed to put in place the necessary procedures for the district assembly 
elections to proceed smoothly.

"Any elementary student studying government would have known the structures 
that the Electoral Commission should have put in place, they did not ... 300 
million cedis was wasted because of this same Electoral Commission." He 
recalled that though the Supreme Court asked the EC to return to the basics and 
undertake proper local government elections, they failed to do so.

"Sometimes you wonder whether they are actuated by some evil forces. Sometimes 
you sit down and wonder what kinds of forces are actuating the minds of some of 
these people who are in the helm of affairs," he remarked.

He was convinced the challenges facing the Commission were purely based on 
"recklessness" rather than administrative lapses.

???Will you describe 300 million dollars down the lane as administrative 
lapses. I do not, I describe it as recklessness, hopelessness...We have always 
known that coup d'etats have been the greatest bar to our development but I 
will say that Sulley and his current crop of leaders are more dangerous than 
those we undertook or staged coup...

"...these guys if we allow them to go on the way they are going will do worse 
than those who staged a coup d'etat in this country ...The President and those 
in authority must stamp their bar to remove them," he insisted.

The Adansi Asokwa MP's comments come just a day after a Political Scientist, 
Dr. Ransford Gyampo, equally demanded the removal of top EC officials who 
presided over the abortive voter registration exercise.

(source: vibeghana.com)



INDONESIA:

The right to life and Indonesian nationalism



When officials and Islamic organizations in Indonesia commented on the Charlie 
Hebdo massacre, one could hardly find a statement that criticized only the 
terrorists. A statement on the issue seemed to be incomplete without condemning 
the cartoonists for their profane caricatures. The magazine is published in 
France and many Indonesians believe that there should be global standards for 
the ethics of satire.

The Muhammadiyah Muslim organization has urged the UN through the Indonesian 
government to develop a respective code of conduct. The right to not be 
insulted by caricatures is seen as a universal human right.With the executions 
of the Bali Nine duo and others, the very same people were completely 
contradictory. Instead of defending the universally recognized right to life, 
they emphasize national sovereignty and the particular ethical conduct of a 
country. Indonesia, in their point of view, did not have to comply with 
international human rights in that case, nor did it have to negotiate with 
other countries.

The death penalty is perceived as an expression of national sovereignty. 
National sovereignty here means the sovereignty of Indonesian laws over 
international human rights. This nationalist perception leads to a legal 
positivism that outweighs universal human rights.

First president Sukarno's demand for political sovereignty, economic 
self-sufficiency and cultural independence is still an ideal of political 
currents in Indonesia across the board, from right-wing military figures to 
leftist activists. But as a part of the global community, Indonesia could 
benefit from the exchange of ideas and international cooperation, and many are 
not aware that this is already the case: The Bali 9 drug smugglers would never 
have been caught without the help of and cooperation with Australian 
authorities. Unfortunately, Indonesia cannot expect that kind of support any 
more as Western countries usually refuse to cooperate with countries that have 
the death penalty.

Indonesia might be an archipelago, but there are almost no unidentified remote 
islands on the map of the UN any more. When Indonesian officials and civil 
organizations call for the universal recognition of the dignity of faith, they 
also should listen to those in favor of universal human rights. Universal 
values are not recognized as a priori by all cultures, but recognition requires 
a process of negotiation and exchange of ideas and arguments.

There are many ways to justify the right to life. It can be justified by 
referring to holy books; it can be justified by referring to human dignity or 
to natural law. Indonesia should not isolate itself from the discussion about 
human rights or contrast human rights to national sovereignty.

Apart from the right to live, mercy is also common and acknowledged in almost 
every culture, so why should it not play a more important role in Indonesia's 
legal system? What prompted many Australians to demand the right to life for 
Australian inmates on death row were news reports about Kerobokan prison in 
Denpasar, Bali.

The international community saw the 2 Australian prison inmates convincingly 
regretting their crime and engaging in rehabilitation activities. They saw 
desperate relatives begging for mercy. It was almost impossible not to feel 
empathy for the men on death row and their relatives.

Despite the fact that some Indonesians accused Australia of defending drug 
trafficking, the war against drugs is also not the aim of just one country, but 
it is universally acknowledged that drugs are dangerous and selling and 
consuming drugs should be prevented. Here, Indonesia also can work together 
with other countries. The Indonesian government delayed the executions until 
after the recent 60th commemoration of the Asian-African Conference.

While the sovereignty of each country was highlighted here, just as in the 
public discourse in Indonesia - and perceived interference by other countries 
to protect their citizens on death row were perceived as a rejection of 
Indonesia's sovereignty - the spirit of the 1955 conference was quite another 
case.

The 1st principle in the 1955 declaration on the promotion of world peace and 
cooperation demanded respect for fundamental human rights and the principles of 
the UN Charter, including, of course, the right to life.

By executing foreign citizens, international cooperation falls prey to 
nationalism as a political tool for the national elite. Instead of dealing with 
drug trafficking by implementing police reform to establish an effective tool 
to fight drug production and trafficking, some drug traffickers are seemingly 
executed as a political statement.

The international community is not an archipelago of isolated islands even if 
some nationalists might think so. The task of upholding universal rights is 
much more difficult than claiming particular cultural values. Why not take the 
right to life and mercy as universal values?

Australia and European countries can learn from that value, too. Showing mercy 
for refugees who are seeking a better life in Australia or in the European 
Union is also necessary if governments advocate for mercy convincingly.

It is time to re-think our common base of values as a global community and 
overcome nationalism.

(source: Opinion; Ririn Sefsani works for the Partnership for Governance Reform 
and is engaged in voluntary supporter campaigns for Jokowi (Seknas Jokowi). 
Timo Duile is a lecturer at the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at the 
University of Bonn, Germany. The views expressed are their own----The Jakarta 
Post)






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

De Lima sees Veloso permanently saved from death row



Justice Secretary Leila de Lima believes the statements of the alleged illegal 
recruiters of Mary Jane Veloso will boost her quest to avoid being executed by 
firing squad in Indonesia.

Speaking to reporters, De Lima yesterday said the statements of Maria Cristina 
Sergio and her live-in partner Julius Lacanilao that Veloso did not know she 
was carrying heroin into Indonesia would be a "big help" to her lawyers in 
appealing her drug smuggling conviction and death penalty.

"This is a good development and an indication that we are at the right 
direction, right track ... If it will be proven in the ongoing investigation 
(that she is innocent), this will be a big thing for Mary Jane," she said.

"This shows that it was right to suspend the implementation of the death so the 
truth would first come out."

The government will inform Indonesian authorities of the affidavits of Sergio 
and Lacanilao "for their own appreciation," she added.

De Lima said more information would come out in the preliminary investigation 
on the human trafficking, illegal recruitment and swindling charges against 
Sergio and Lacanilao.

"It would help if we get additional information, especially on the drug 
trafficking angle," she said. "That is what we need to pursue."

De Lima said Sergio and Lacanilao could provide more information to help 
Veloso's case in Indonesia.

"If they are saying that Mary Jane is innocent, that means they have knowledge 
about that drug trafficking angle - how exactly the deal happened," she said.

Edre Olalia, Veloso's lawyer from National Union of People's Lawyers, said 
Sergio's affidavit could be used as evidence to prove Veloso's innocence in 
Indonesian courts.

"It can be used as a basis by our Indonesian counterparts," he said.

"In fact, they are actually waiting for the translation from English to Bahasa 
so they will communicate immediately with the attorney general's office about 
this statement."

In her affidavit submitted to the DOJ last Wednesday, Sergio said Veloso fell 
prey to 2 "dark skinned, curly-haired men" that she identified as Ike and John 
while they were in Malaysia in April 2010 to look for a job.

Sergio said she believes that Veloso was a victim who "was taken advantage of 
because she didn't know any better, was in dire need of a job and because of 
her tendency to trust people, even strangers."

(source: Philippine Star)








EGYPT:

Death sentence may turn maligned Morsi into a venerated martyr



Last week, Egypt's supreme court sentenced deposed president Mohammed Morsi to 
death for a mass prison break in 2011. The ruling, which has been referred to 
the Grand Mufti for advice, has drawn local and international criticism. 
However, the death sentence on Morsi has stirred up something more dramatic 
than criticism and condemnations; the rising sympathy for the President who was 
removed from power with popular support.

Mohammed Morsi's rise to power began with the fall of longtime dictator Hosni 
Mubarak who was forced to step down following nationwide protests against his 
rule. Morsi won the presidential election that followed on the platform of the 
Justice and Peace party, controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood which was illegal 
until Mubarak's downfall. The election was regarded as the freest in the 
history of the country and Morsi became the 1st democratically elected 
President.

However Morsi's fall kicked in not long after his rise began. A mixture of 
authoritarian moves, conservative policies and the failure to revive Egypt's 
crashed economy led to the swell of criticism against Morsi and an eventual 
nationwide protest against his government. Citing popular rejection, the Army 
led by now-president Fattah al-Sisi sacked Morsi's government for failing to 
accede to the demand of the people.

Following its removal of Morsi and his government, the al-Sisi-led army began 
suppressing the President and the Muslim Brotherhood. A heavy crackdown of the 
group's protests led to the death of dozens of brotherhood members. The 
suppression continued through al-Sisi's contest, and victory, in a 
reconstituted presidential election in which he promised to exterminate the 
islamist group. Despite banning the group and jailing its leaders, including 
Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood's is still far from becoming forgotten, and Morsi 
is only gaining a rise in public sympathy.

The Egyptian judiciary says it is prosecuting Morsi and his allies in the 
Brotherhood for several offences against the state, but the institution has 
increasingly found itself in trial. Mass death sentences and accusations of 
violation of the defendants' fundamental human rights have irked even the 
government's closest allies. The European Union and the US, major backers of 
the Egyptian government, have severally raised concerns about the procedures of 
justice and the State's disrespect of human rights. The Egyptian Coptic church, 
which loudly criticised the Morsi government and his islamist group, have 
joined in condemning the death sentence for the former president. Social 
activists in the country have also raised fears about the government usage of 
the clampdown on Islamic terrorism as a guise to harp freedom of speech. Many 
of such activists have found themselves behind bars.

The criticisms of the Judiciary and the government???s heavy handedness has 
emboldened Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood???s supporters. It is also swelling 
public sympathy for the unpopular president. Following the death sentence 
passed on him, many in Egypt and around the middle-east took to Twitter to 
express solidarity with him using the Hashtags #WeStandforMorsi #IamMorsi and 
several others. Human rights group Amnesty International described the trial 
was a "charade" and based on "void procedures". "Condemning Mohamed Morsi to 
death after more grossly unfair trials shows a complete disregard for human 
rights ... he was held for months incommunicado without judicial oversight and 
that he didn't have a lawyer to represent him," the organisation said in a 
statement.

Turkey has also been at the forefront of criticising the trial and judgement. 
The country's state-run Anatolian news agency quoted President Recep Tayyip 
Erdogan as saying; "While the West is abolishing the death penalty, they are 
just watching the continuation of death sentences in Egypt. They don't do 
anything about it."

These condemnations show the dangers of using repression to combat political 
opposition. The continent is replete with examples of where such political 
oppression launched or relaunched the career of political opponents. South 
Africa's Nelson Mandela, Zimbabwe's Roberto Mugabe, and Nigeria's Olusegun 
Obasanjo are prominent examples of political actors who imprisonment only 
served to inflame public support.

Mohammed Morsi's case seems to be different from the above examples, given the 
genuine opposition to his group's islamist ideology by about half of the 
Egyptian population. Nevertheless, the high-handed measures of the current 
government may see it assume the same level of unpopularity that Morsi and the 
Muslim Brotherhood achieved in less than one year in Power. The Justice 
Ministry has rejected the criticism of the death penalties on Mohamed Morsi and 
over 120 others, a sign that it may not bulge on its verdict. However, if the 
government goes ahead with the verdict and puts Mohammed Morsi to death, they 
may just be cleansing him of the errs of his time in power and launching him as 
a symbol against an oppressive regime, despite the fact that he once led one.

(source: ventures-africa.com)