[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 19


RUSSIA:

Take no prisoners: Head of Russian region urges tougher stance in war against 
terror


The head of the Russian republic of Ingushetia told reporters a public debate 
would be unnecessary if special services were simply allowed to kill terrorists 
on the spot.

"Upper house MPs propose canceling the moratorium on the death penalty for 
terrorists. I think we won't have to do this once we give special services the 
right to search and neutralize terrorists, who threaten the lives and safety of 
our citizens, the property and infrastructure of our country, wherever these 
terrorists are found," Yunus-Bek Yevkurov wrote on his Instagram page. "All 
terrorists must fall under the 'take no prisoners' rule," he added.

The comment came after deputy chairman of Russia's Federation Council, Frants 
Klintsevich, proposed that senators bring back the death penalty in Russia 
because of the increased terrorism threat. New challenges have arisen since 
Russia started its operation against Islamic State in Syria.

Earlier this month, lower house MPs said Russia should cancel the moratorium on 
the death penalty after the Federal Security Service confirmed the deadliest 
air crash in modern Russian history - the downing of the A231 jet in Sinai - 
was caused by a bomb blast.

Russia introduced a moratorium on the death penalty in 1999 when it was seeking 
membership in the Council of Europe. The Constitution still allows capital 
punishment for especially grave crimes and after a guilty verdict has been 
handed down by a jury court.

Russian lawmakers and top law enforcement officials have on several occasions 
suggested lifting the moratorium for convicted terrorists, pedophiles and 
people who involve children in illegal drug use. There have also been calls to 
apply the death penalty in large-scale corruption cases. All these initiatives 
have been rejected.

According to an opinion poll in April, 60 % of Russian citizens wouldn't object 
to a reintroduction of the death penalty. This is slightly lower than last 
year's 66 % and significantly less than 80 % in 2001.

(source: rt.com)

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

Russian MPs work on petition to reinstate death penalty for terrorism


The State Duma of the Russian Federation (the Parliament) is collecting 
signatures for a petition to the president about the need to reinstate death 
penalty in Russia. Many Russian MPs are convinced that in the context of the 
terrorist threat, the Kremlin administration may decide to reinstate death 
penalty, given that there are legal nuances that make it possible to lift the 
existent moratorium.

Currently, the Russian Penal Code envisages death penalty as a punishment for 
especially grave crimes. In fact, Russia does not practice death penalty, 
because Russia signed Protocol ?6 to the European Convention on Human Rights in 
1997. The document stipulated for the abolition of this form of punishment in 
peacetime.

Noteworthy, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the 
establishment of an interdepartmental commission to block financial channels of 
terrorists. The decree was signed after the announcement from FSB chief 
Alexander Bortnikov, who officially confirmed the version of the terrorist act 
on board the A321 jetliner that crashed over Sinai on October 31.

Interestingly, the leader of the Liberal and Democratic Party of Russia, 
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, proposed putting captured terrorists on display in cages.

"If we keep them in cages, in a museum, one can show them to students to tell 
them that this man has committed a terrorist act and killed people. Terrorists 
should see people's disdain," Zhirinovsky said.

According to him, the relatives of caged terrorists would have a possibility to 
see them suffering. "A family may then think that there can be a terrorist 
growing in their family," the politician said.

According to Zhirinovsky, one could take terrorists in cages from one city to 
another to show them to people. Death penalty is not efficient in the struggle 
against terrorism, Zhirinovsky said.

(source: pravdareport.com)






GLOBAL:

ISIS Terrorist Attackers In Paris Should Face The Death Penalty!


We joined the civilized and democratic world in empathizing with the people of 
France, following the deadly terrorist attack waged against their country by 
enemies of freedom. The attackers represent no religion, and their actions is 
reprehensible.

The world should standby France and eradicate terrorism in all its form from 
the phase of the earth. It is our fervent belief that the earth would be a much 
better place to live without terrorists. Terrorists should be fought and 
defeated by any means necessary.

Perpetrators of terrorism often used Islam as a premise to justify their 
senseless and barbaric killing of humanity and destruction to public property. 
Islam as a religion, does not advocate for violence in any form. These are 
misguided and ungodly nonbelievers, who masquerade in the name of religion to 
wage crimes against humanity. We strongly condemn their ungodly acts.

The terror group ISIS should be exterminated from the phase of the earth. This 
group is making life miserable for freedom loving citizens around the world. 
The wanton killings perpetrated by ISIS should be stopped in the interest of 
world peace. ISIS has no place on this earth. There should be massive global 
campaign to hunt ISIS and its backers.

I read a piece published by the UK Independent Newspaper, indicating that the 
mastermind of the Paris terror attack was not a devoted Muslim. That he was not 
a mosque goer. His own relatives told the Independent that he never attended 
mosque prayers. What does this tell you as a reader? It means ISIS does not 
represent any religion.

The war on terror should be intensified. The Obama administration and other 
western allies have been doing a great job in trying to contain ISIS. Freedom 
will no doubt prevail over ISIS.

It is also imperative to note that fighting terror should be the job of every 
freedom loving world citizen. The intelligence community should be alerted for 
any suspicious activity; in that way their work would be much easier to combat 
this global menace called ISIS.

Fighting ISIS transcends religion. All people of faith should be unified under 
one platform to compliment the efforts of the global intelligence community in 
combating ISIS. ISIS is a threat to humanity and should be wiped from the phase 
of the earth.

Finally, we know for a fact that the death penalty is a debatable topic in 
Europe. Many European countries do not have the death penalty in the provisions 
of their laws. As such offenders are on the rise. This is largely due to lack 
of tough laws against perpetrators of murder and terrorism.

We hope the perpetrators of the Paris attack will face the death penalty, since 
they have caused such a collateral damage against innocent lives and freedom 
loving country France. We rest our case.

(source: Editorial, freedomnewspaper.com [Gambia])






BANGLADESH:

Family meet death-row convict Salauddin in Dhaka Central Jail


Family members of Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salauddin Quader 
Chowdhury on Thursday met him at Dhaka Central Jail as legal procedure over his 
execution for war crimes was almost completed.

Chowdhury, a standing committee member of the BNP, was awarded death penalty in 
2013 for crimes committed during Bangladesh's 1971 war of liberation from 
Pakistan.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected his plea for review the appeal court's 
judgement that upheld the capital punishment handed down by a special war 
crimes tribunal for nine counts of war crimes.

The family members arrived at the jail gate slightly after midday. Quader 
Chowdhury, entered the jail as the authorities allowed them to see the convict.

7 others did not get permission.

The copy of Supreme Court decision on the review petition was not reached the 
central jail until Thursday. Chowdhury has only 1 option left to seek 
presidential mercy as all other legal procedure in the process of legal battle 
were completed. The authorities will take measures after the presidential 
decision once the defendant seek mercy petition.

(source: newsnextbd.com)

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

Defence of war criminals condemned to death simply acknowledges defeat


After the Supreme Court scrapped the death penalty review petitions of Ali 
Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, the defence team of the 
war criminals had only this to say, "We've lost, and that's it."

The top appeals court on Wednesday upheld the death sentences of the 2 former 
ministers after the final hearings.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha pronounced the 2 verdicts with a 
1-minute interval. In both cases, Justice Sinha's response was: "Dismissed."

Amid much celebration and satisfaction expressed by pro-liberation forces and 
the State, the defence had little to say when reporters approached them for 
reactions.

The convicts' main counsel Khandker Mahbub Hossain said, "We're lawyers. We 
fought a legal battle. We have lost. That's it. This is our reaction."

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mujahid and BNP Standing Committee Member 
Chowdhury are now left with the last option of seeking presidential clemency.

The government will go ahead with the executions if the convicts refuse to ask 
for mercy or if the president rejects their prayer.

About the execution, Mahbub Hossain said, "It fully depends on the government. 
The verdicts will be carried out whenever the government wants in line with the 
International Crimes Tribunal Act."

"These verdicts will go to the tribunal first. Then the government will decide 
and executions will take place."

Supreme Court Bar Association President Khandker Mahbub also advises BNP 
Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Asked whether senior BNP leader Chowdhury would seek mercy, he said that 
completely depended on the convicts.

"The State can commute the sentence or acquit the convicts in line with the law 
even if the convicts do not seek it," he added.

Responding to queries regarding the Supreme Court's judgment, Hossain said, "As 
a lawyer, I have nothing to say about the Appellate Division's verdicts."

"Our goal is to ensure that the punishment handed to our clients was awarded 
lawfully."

"It's not for us to see whether the accused committed the crime. We're there to 
see whether the charges against the accused are proved based on testimonies and 
evidence."

"The Appellate Division has given its verdict and upheld the death sentences. 
We"ve got nothing else to say," he said.

The International Crimes Tribunal had sentenced Chowdhury infamous as 
Chittagong's wartime terror, to death on Oct 1, 2013 for his role in the mass 
killing and torture of Hindus and Awami League supporters.

The top court had upheld his death penalty in July after hearing his appeal 
against the tribunal's judgment.

The tribunal also sentenced Mujahid to death on July 17, 2013 for the murders 
of intellectuals and his involvement in the killing and torture of Hindus in 
1971.

The Al-Badr commander, too, had appealed to the Supreme Court against the 
sentence; the top court upheld it in June.

The Appellate Division published both full appeal verdicts on Sep 30.

(source: bdnews24.com)

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

SC publishes full verdict on Salauddin, Mojaheed


The Supreme Court on Thursday published the full text of its verdicts rejecting 
the review petitions of war crimes convicts Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed and 
Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, reports news agency UNB.

The written verdicts were published after the four judges -- chief justice 
Surendra Kumar Sinha, justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, justice Syed Mahmud Hossain 
and justice Hasan Foyez Siddique -- of the Appellate Division bench signed the 
copies of the verdicts turning down the reviews petitions against its earlier 
orders upholding their death sentences for committing crimes against humanity 
during the Liberation War in 1971.

Earlier in the day, attorney general Mahbubey Alam at a press briefing at the 
Supreme Court said the written text of the verdicts will be sent to the jail 
authorities through the tribunal.

The jail authorities will take necessary steps to execute the verdicts after 
getting the verdict copies.

On Wednesday, the SC upheld its previous verdicts on Ali Ahsan Muhammad 
Mojaheed and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, rejecting their pleas for 
reviewing death penalties for their war crimes.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by chief justice Surendra 
Kumar Sinha, dismissed the review petitions of the duo.

On 14 October, Mojaheed and SQ Chowdhury filed the review petitions with the SC 
against its verdicts that upheld their death penalties for their crimes against 
humanity during the 1971 war.

On 1 October, the International Crimes Tribunal had issued death warrants 
against them.

The SC on 30 September released the full verdicts awarding death penalties to 
them for their crimes against humanity during the war, clearing the way for the 
execution of the judgment.

The court on 16 June upheld the death sentence awarded by the ICT-2 to Mojaheed 
for killing intellectuals during the war.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on 17 July, 2013 awarded Ali Ahsan Muhammad 
Mojaheed death penalty for committing crimes against humanity during the 
Liberation War in collaboration with the Pakistan occupation forces, after 
finding the Al Badr boss guilty of 5 charges, out of 7.

On 11 August, 2013, condemned convict Mojaheed filed an appeal with the 
Appellate Division against his capital punishment awarded by the ICT-2. 
Mojaheed was arrested on charge of hurting religious sentiment on 29 June, 2010 
and later he was shown arrested in a case filed for committing crimes against 
humanity on 2 August that year.

Earlier, the court on 29 June upheld the death sentence awarded by ICT-1 to him 
for committing crimes against humanity, including rape and mass killing, during 
the Liberation War, 43 years ago.

On 1 October, 2013, the then International Crimes Tribunal-1 found Salauddin 
Quader Chowdhury guilty of crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation 
and condemned him to death.

On 29 October of the same year, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury filed an appeal with 
the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the ICT verdict.

(source: prothom-alo.com)






PAKISTAN:

PM asks President to reject mercy plea of APS attack facilitators


Nearly 1 month before of first anniversary of deadliest attack in history of 
Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today wrote a letter to President Mamnoon 
Hussain seeking the dismissal of mercy pleas of convicted terrorists, involved 
in carnage at army-run school in Peshawar.

The letter states that the 4 terrorists were involved in brutal massacre of 
almost 150 Peshawar school children, and have been awarded the death penalty.

All 4 suspects were sentenced to death by military courts on the charges of 
launching a terrorist attack on the army-run school on 16 December 2014, the 
black day in Pakistani history.

"The brutal and merciless killings of our children convinced us that the 
perpetrators of such crimes do not deserve any mercy," the prime Minister wrote 
to the presidency.

The interior ministry sent the said request to the president earlier this week 
through Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who advised Mamnoon to reject the mercy 
petitions of terrorists involved in APS attack.

"Pakistan has changed after the Peshawar tragedy," PM Nawaz said, while 
performing his constitutional obligation under article 105 of the Constitution.

Immediately, after the Army Public School tragedy, the state, the elected 
representatives in the Parliament, all political parties and every single state 
institution unanimously decided to bring the perpetrators of this crime to 
justice even if required amendments in the laws.

"The establishment of military courts through these amendments has enabled us 
to bring the perpetrators of most heinous crimes to justice in a short span of 
time," PM Nawaz said. "The death sentence awarded to the 4 terrorists, in fact, 
was the will of the entire nation."

In August, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif confirmed sentences of as 
many as 7 terrorists involved in attacks on APS Peshawar and Safoora Chowrangi, 
after a military court awarded all of them with death sentences. "The army 
chief has confirmed that 8 terrorists were tried under the Pakistan Army Act 
2015," military's media wing, ISPR, said.

The statement added that convicts were given a fair trial by following all 
legal formalities and offering/ providing them legal aid and defence counsels.

On December 16, 2014, the Taliban launched a heinous attack on an Army Public 
School in Peshawar, killing over 150 people, mostly children.

(source: The Nation)



SINGAPORE:

Community service, not the noose, for drug mules


The death sentence for drug-related offences should be reviewed and amended.

Last year, amendments were drafted to review and spare the mandatory death 
sentence on some drug offences.

It has not seen the light of day, but almost every other day, drug mules are 
arrested in our airports and traffickers are sentenced to death.

The latest case involved an Iranian woman and her mother, who were sentenced to 
death for trafficking in 2.5kg of drugs 3 years ago.

The death penalty should be abolished for low-level drug mules who are engaged 
in trafficking small amounts of drugs.

Many are young females who could have been deceived into bringing in these 
substances by drug lords. These drug mules should be sentenced to community 
service instead.

Despite the mandatory death sentence on drug-related offences, it has not 
curbed or reduced such trafficking in the country.

There are over 1,000 convicts on death row for such offences.

All international flights into our airports remind passengers in various 
languages of the strict mandatory death sentence on possession of drugs.

It is, therefore, puzzling that passengers still get caught with drugs on them 
at our airports.

The drugs are mostly concealed in secret compartments in the baggage. And this 
could have been done without the knowledge of the passenger.

Many of our young girls are also behind bars in other countries serving 
sentences and even face the death penalty for drug trafficking.

There was a report of a father yearning for the return of his daughter who is 
in a prison in China for almost 8 years for being a drug mule.

Many of them were offered free trips and vacations to exotic destinations by 
acquaintances who deceived them and used them as drug mules.

There is no empirical evidence to show the death penalty works as a deterrent 
to drug trafficking.

We need a concerted effort to fight the drug war and nab the drug lords.

The drug mules should be given community service. Most of the drug mules caught 
are young and they can do some community service.

It is a waste of human potential to imprison and hang them after a lengthy 
trial. They can be put to better use.

It will also limit the damage if there is a miscarriage of justice.

(source: New Straits Times)






SOMALIA:

UN 'Deeply' Troubled by Somalia's Summary Executions


The United Nations is "deeply concerned" about summary executions against 
suspected militants in Somalia, a UN official said, echoing previous caoncerns 
by a New-York based rights group which accused Somalia's military court of 
carrying out rapid executions.

Speaking to the reporters in the Somali capital on Tuesday, Ivan Simonovic, the 
U.N Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights has urged Somalia's government 
to give defendant an adequate time to prepare a defense before proceeding to 
convictions.

"I think we have to act in accordance with the international law." Mr. 
Simonovic said at the press conference.

He also warned of abuses against militants in the government-run jails, urging 
the government against convicting and sentencing suspected militants without 
due process.

"You cannot defeat Al-Shabab only by military operations only, but you should 
instead address the actual roots and origins of the extremism, which includes 
poverty, corruption, mismanagement and discrimination against minority people." 
he said.

The UN's concerns follow previous reports by the Human Rights Watch which 
called into question the quality of justice in Somalia's military courts.

Under international law, the death penalty is permitted only after a rigorous 
judicial process - a fair trial in which the defendant has adequate time to 
prepare a defence and appeal the sentence, among other requirements.

"A central concern was the speed at which death sentences have been carried 
out." the rights group said in a lengthy report issued this year.

The group has also called for Somali president to impose a moratorium on the 
death penalty, and that his government to work to ensure that all national 
courts, civilian and military, respect fair trial standards. "Without serious 
improvements in the quality of trials, the injustices of the past will 
continue." the report said. MFA

(source: geeskaafrika.com)


KENYA:

Jubilee MPs join Cord referendum call, want death penalty for corrupt officials


A group of Jubilee MPs has said it will build consensus with Cord's Okoa Kenya 
initiative to have the referendum conducted during the 2017 general election.

The MPs, led by Tiaty's Asman Kamama, want the constitution amended for 
counties to get at least 46 % funding and the CDF doubled.

"We will try to collect 3 million signatures within the shortest time possible 
to force a referendum," Kamama said during a briefing at Parliament buildings 
on Thursday.

The Opposition collected 1.4million signatures for the initiative and submitted 
them on November 9 to the IEBC, which said it will give feedback in 3 months.

Kamama said the MPs, who announced plans for the 'Boresha Katiba' intiative, 
will work with the Opposition in harmonising a draft for a single referendum 
drive during the next poll.

They will organise a special kitty for the ward development fund that will be 
administered by MCA's at the county level, he said, adding 125 legislators 
support the initiative.

The MPs further proposed the death penalty for for drug dealers and corruption 
officials, a day after the EACC boss said Kenya needs a 'big fish' conviction.

On Wednesday, EACC boss Halakhe Waqo said more than 300 cases involving alleged 
corruption by officials are currently pending in Kenya's courts as a result of 
the work of his commission.

He said the public wants to see a "big fish" convicted. "If you have a 
government minister, who else are you looking for? As far as I am concerned, 
you can't talk of a bigger fish," he said

Kamama also proposed Parliament appoints CSs whom he said need insights on 
connecting with the people.

The constitution states that the President shall nominate and, with the 
approval of the National Assembly, appoint cabinet secretaries.

It says a CS shall not be an MP, and assumes office by by swearing faithfulness 
to Kenya and its people and obedience to the constitution.

Cabinet secretaries "may resign by delivering a written statement of 
resignation to the President", the constitution also says.

Kamama was accompanied by MPs including Gideon Konchella (Kilgoris), Kabando wa 
Kabando (Mukurweini), Joseph Samal (Isiolo North).

(source: the-star.co.ke)






INDONESIA:

Indonesia holds executions; Mary Jane family rejoices


Mary Jane Veloso's family rejoiced over news that ranking Indonesia official 
issued a pronouncement that they are not considering carrying out anymore 
executions.

"We are very happy because this would give the government and our lawyers to 
look into her (Mary Jane's) case. But we are really asking God to give Mary 
Jane's freedom as Christmas present," Celia Veloso, Mary Jane's mother, told 
Bulatlat.com.

Indonesian Politics, legal and security affairs Coordinating Minister Luhut 
Pandjaitan said in news reports today, Nov. 19, that executions would be put on 
hold as their country needs to focus on "fixing its weak economy."

"We haven't thought about executing a death penalty with the economic 
conditions like this," Pandjaitan said in the report.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs said they are still verifying the 
information.

National Union of Peoples' Lawyers and Mary Jane's lawyer Edre Olalia said in a 
statement that if this is confirmed, it is "certainly welcome not only for Mary 
Jane Veloso but for all concerned."

"We hope in time that it leads to a permanent abolition as we have serious 
objections and questions about its effect and purpose in deterring crime, it 
precludes rehabilitation and reformation and worse, may victimize innocent 
individuals who are wrongly convicted for different reasons or factors and 
brought irretrievably to the next life or world," Olalia said.

Olalia told Bulatlat.com that this is a validation of earlier pronouncements of 
Indonesian Attorney General Prasetya that executions are not priority.

"But whatever you call it - moratorium, postponement, suspension or not a 
priority - the net effect is that there will be no execution until further 
notice for purported reason that they want to focus on their economy," he 
added.

Mary Jane, a victim of human trafficking, was arrested and sentenced to die in 
Indonesia some 5 years ago for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin. Her execution 
was stayed at dawn of April 29 due to strong local and international outcry.

(source: bulatlat.com)

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

British drug granny Lindsay Sandiford is SAVED from facing a firing squad after 
Indonesia decides to scrap executions... but she still faces a life behind bars 
in hellish prison

British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford has been given a stay of execution

She was caught at Bali airport in May 2012 carrying 10.5lb of cocaine

Mrs Sandiford, a former legal secretary, was sentenced to death in 2014


A British grandmother facing the firing squad in Indonesia after being caught 
smuggling drugs has been given a temporary reprieve after the country 
dramatically decided to halt all executions.

Former legal secretary Lindsay Sandiford, from Redcar in North Yorkshire, has 
been on death row since her sentencing last year for attempting to smuggle 
cocaine into Bali.

But Indonesia has decided to stay all executions - temporarily at least.

In an unexpected announcement made today, Luhut Panjaitan, co-ordinating 
minister for political legal and security affairs, said that a moratorium on 
executions had been put into place.

The ABC reported that the Minister said Indonesia needed to concentrate on the 
economy as the country's economic growth had dipped below 5 % for 2 consecutive 
quarters this year.

Much needed foreign investment was still needed to help build up the country's 
depleted infrastructure, he said.

Drugs mule Mrs Sandiford was caught at Bali airport in May 2012 carrying 10.5lb 
of cocaine worth 1.5million pounds and she had lost a number of appeals but 
recently won the right to a retrial.

She told other prisoners she was still concerned that eventually she would be 
led before the firing squad.

But her hopes of staying alive have now risen dramatically.

Prison sources said today that Mrs Sandiford, 59, was 'thankful' at hearing the 
news through the jail 'grapevine' but was still concerned that she might have 
to spend the rest of her life behind bars.

There had been suggestions earlier this year that Indonesia was considering 
banning all executions, but lawmakers said that would not be possible until the 
constitution was changed, perhaps in 2016.

Mrs Sandiford claims she was forced to carry the drugs after threats to the 
life of her younger son and was sentenced to death despite co-operating with 
police in a sting operation to arrest people higher up the syndicate.

The plot's alleged ringleader, Briton Julian Ponder - who conducted a 
behind-bars romance with British Vice-Consul Alys Harahap that led to her 
sacking - is expected to walk free next year after serving a 6-year term with 
remission.

Another of the men suspected of masterminding the smuggling plot, 43-year-old 
Paul Beales, of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, was sentenced to just 4 years 
and is expected to be freed and deported before the end of this year.

Ponder's former partner Rachel Dougall, also initially suspected to be a senior 
member of the drugs smuggling syndicate, was released last year after serving 
just 1 year on a reduced charge of failing to report a crime.

The British government has repeatedly refused to fund Mrs Sandiford's legal 
battle against her death sentence despite a recommendation from 5 Supreme Court 
judges in London who said 'substantial mitigating factors' had been overlooked 
in her original trial.

(source: Daily Mail)

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

14 suspects involved in kidnapping businessman's sister nabbed


Selangor police have solved the kidnap for ransom of a businessman's (Tan Sri) 
sister involving a RM2 million ransom on Nov 10, with the detention of 14 
suspects, including the mastermind on Tuesday.

All the suspects including 4 women, aged 19 to 40 years, were locals and nabbed 
at 3 separate locations on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, namely, at a cafe in Jalan 
Doraisamy, a club in Jalan Tun Razak and a shop house in Cheras.

Selangor Police Chief Datuk Abdul Samah Mat said the victim, 63, who was also a 
businesswoman, was kidnapped by 3 men in a Toyota Estima while seeking 
treatment at a traditional treatment centre in Kelana Jaya.

"3 workers at the centre had tried to stop them and 1 was assaulted with a 
helmet. The victim was detained in a house in Cheras," he told reporters at the 
Selangor Police Contingent Headquarters here, yesterday.

He said the suspects had demanded a RM2 million ransom from the family of the 
victim for her release.

The victim's family handed the ransom to the suspects at 10pm on Nov 16 and the 
victim was immediately freed at the Bandar Baharu Sentul LRT Station in Kuala 
Lumpur, he said.

Abdul Samah said, subsequently, a task force, which was set up to investigate 
the case, swung into action.

"A total of RM722,670 in ransom money was recovered and investigations are 
still ongoing to recover the rest," he said.

Abdul Samah said the mastermind, in his 40s, was also a businessman and police 
are checking the status of his business.

He added that the suspects would be remanded for a week starting yesterday to 
help investigations under Section 3 (1) of the Kidnap Act which carries the 
death penalty or life imprisonment if found guilty.

(source: theborneopost.com)

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

Indonesia denies moratorium on death penalty


One of Indonesia's most senior ministers has denied there will be a formal 
moratorium on executions in Indonesia.

Co-ordinating Minister for political, legal and security affairs Luhut 
Panjaitan had earlier on Thursday said there would not be any executions for 
the time being because Indonesia was focusing on its economy.

This prompted media reports that the Indonesian government had declared a 
moratorium on the death penalty.

However when asked by reporters if it was true Indonesia would stop executions, 
Mr Panjaitan said: "No, I told them we will not carry out executions for the 
time being because we are now focusing on the economy."

The softening economy, the international backlash and a desire to attract 
foreign investment have dampened talk of a further round of executions in the 
near future, although many prisoners remain on death row.

Indonesian Attorney-General Muhammad Prasetyo said in October that his office 
would not carry out a third round of executions of inmates until the country 
got out of the current economic slowdown.

"The Attorney-General's Office is currently helping the government in 
prioritising the economy," Mr Prasetyo told The Jakarta Post.

"We are still very busy with our economy," Mr Panjaitan said, when asked about 
executions at the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club last week.

14 people were executed by firing squad in Indonesia this year, including Bali 
9 heroin smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

(source: Sydney Morning Herald)






MALAYSIA:

MP welcomes govt plan to abolish death penalty


Stampin MP Julian Tan Kok Ping welcomes the government's proposed move to 
abolish the mandatory death sentence especially for drug-related offences.

He said he was glad the government was moving in the right direction to have 
the law amended.

"This issue affects us Sarawakians as highlighted by the case of Kho Jabing a 
Sarawakian who is on death row in Singapore. With the removal of the mandatory 
death sentence for drug-related offences, it gives more powers and discretion 
to the courts to decide on case-to-case basis.

"Death penalty is also an irreversible form of punishment and it runs the risk 
of sending an innocent man to his death," said Tan through a press statement 
yesterday.

He said he and few others met with the family of Kho Jabing and heard of their 
plight.

"Together with the family, we met Minister in the Prime Minister's Department 
Nancy Shukri who told the family that the state government has conveyed a 
humanitarian plea to the Singapore High Commission."

The PGA Parliamentary Roundtable meeting on the Abolition of the Death Penalty 
is Malaysia was held in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 17.

Tan, who also attended the meeting chaired by Minister of Tourism and Culture 
Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said: "The mandatory death penalty 
currently is imposed for 5 main offences in Malaysia including murder, offences 
against the King and Heads of States, Trafficking of Dangerous Drugs, 
Discharging of Firearms and Accomplice in case of Discharge of Firearms."

Apart from Nancy, those attending the meeting were several other MPs from both 
sides of the house as well as MPs and High Commissioner from multiple 
countries, ex-court judges, the Bar Council and members of various NGOs.

(source: The Borneo Post)

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

Freeze all executions pending mandatory death penalty review, says Ambiga


The National Human Rights Society of Malaysia (Hakam) has urged the government 
to impose a moratorium on the execution of 1,022 prisoners on death row for the 
time being, following Putrajaya's announcement that it planned to abolish the 
mandatory death sentence on drug-related offences.

Hakam president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said the plan was a step in the right 
direction and added that it should also be applied to all criminal offences. 
She said the mandatory death sentence deprived the sentencing judge the 
discretion to consider all the relevant facts of the case and the individual 
circumstances of each convicted person.

"A sentencing judge must be given the option to impose the appropriate 
sentence," Ambiga said in a statement today.

On Tuesday, de facto law minister Nancy Shukri said Putrajaya planned to table 
a bill in March to abolish the mandatory death penalty in drug-related 
offences. She had said this would allow judges to use their discretion to 
choose between sentencing a person to jail and the gallows in non-criminal 
cases.

"What we are looking at is the abolition of the mandatory death sentence. It is 
not easy to amend and we are working on it. "We can get rid of the word 
'mandatory' to allow judges to use their discretion in drug-related offences," 
the minister said.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali had told The Malaysian Insider in 
an exclusive interview recently that he would propose scrapping the mandatory 
death penalty to the Cabinet, adding that it was a "paradox", as it robbed 
judges of their discretion to impose sentences on convicted criminals. Apandi 
said that this would be in line with the "universal thinking" on capital 
punishment, although he dismissed total abolition of the death penalty 
altogether.

Ambiga said today that a recent Public Opinion Survey on Death Penalty in 
Malaysia undertaken by Emeritus Professor Roger Hood QC from the University of 
Oxford revealed that the majority of Malaysians did not support the death 
penalty.

It violated the right to life guaranteed under Article 5 of the Federal 
Constitution and was undoubtedly a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment 
contrary to international law, she added. As such, the activist and lawyer said 
Malaysia should show genuine commitment to abide by international norms in 
relation to the right to life and the prohibition against cruel, inhuman and 
degrading punishment, given that it had been on the United Nations' Human 
Rights Council and was presently on the Security Council as a non-permanent 
member.

"We hope that the government will continue taking steps in the right direction 
towards the ultimate abolition of the death penalty," Ambiga said.

(source: themalaysianinsider.com)