[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 13




CHINA:

Communist Party Honcho Turns Godfather of Meth Gets Death Sentence----He was a 
Chinese Communist Party branch secretary with a dark side - and he's been 
sentenced to death. But the country???s drug problem is still widespread.


Cai Dongjia appeared before a judge in a courtroom in southeast China last 
month to hear the court condemn him to death. 2 of his partners are due to be 
executed as well, although not for another 2 years.

Cai was no common thug. He was a Chinese Communist Party branch secretary in 
Guangdong Province. Those who join the party and receive the CCP???s political 
indoctrination are told the position is a bit like a class prefect, a figure 
meant to set an example for new members of the party as he presides over its 
daily affairs. But Cai had a very dark side. Aside from his official title, he 
was also known as "The Godfather of Meth."

The saga apparently began in 2011, when Cai decided that his salary as local 
party boss was not enough and, a la Breaking Bad, chemistry could yield a 
second income. He located a source for ephedrine and periodically purchased 
clusters of the stuff at around US$300,000 per barrel. His partners cooked meth 
from it. When they had a stockpile of a few dozen or even a couple of hundred 
kilos, quick sales turned their product into a few million yuan.

As the operation expanded, Cai transformed the rural community of Boshe 
village, population 14,000, into a meth production hub, much like factory towns 
that specialize in assembling a single type of product. Adults were mules, 
dealers, or cooks. Children split open cold medicine capsules and earned a 
monthly wage of up to US$1,600.

Homes in Boshe were traditional houses built generations ago, and wouldn't look 
out of place in Cantonese period films, but the cars parked in dirt lots were 
imported European vehicles, well beyond the means of countryside peasants. 
Eventually, old houses were knocked down and luxurious villas took their place. 
Outsiders were not welcome, and lookouts blanketed the territory. Locals called 
Boshe "The Fortress."

At around 4:00 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2013, Chinese police mounted an incredible 
assault on what the authorities called "Guangdong's Number One Drug Village."

3000 police officers were mobilized for the operation, supported by canine 
units, speedboats, and helicopters. The reported results were staggering. 18 
separate drug gangs were arrested. 77 drug production sites were shut down. A 
bomb maker's lab was raided. In total, 3,000 kilos (over 3 tons) of 
methamphetamine were seized, as well as 260 kilos of ketamine and 23 tons of 
chemicals used in the production processes. In some houses, all areas except 
the bedroom were converted into meth labs. The raid was a massive success for 
the police, with 182 men and women taken into custody, including 14 CCP 
officials.

In the center of it all was Cai Dongjia, whose ascent to kingpin status made 
him one of China's most wanted men. A senior narcotics officer claimed Cai's 
network in Boshe produced 1/3 of all the meth sold in the country. Even though 
Cai was arrested and now faces the death penalty, his intimidating presence 
lingers in Boshe. Villagers claim they know nothing about the drug trade or 
their former party chief's arrest. Is it omerta? Amnesia? Fear?

Cai's meth empire could not have blossomed without police and other officials 
looking the other way. In his heyday, Cai wielded incredible influence over 
Boshe. When unwelcome police officers tried to enter the village, townsfolk 
blocked them under the direction of Cai. If drug lords were arrested, the party 
chief would use his influence to secure their release. Bribes and threats were 
part of everyday business, and even the former head of the region's Public 
Security Bureau was in Cai's pocket.

All this was possible, not least, because China has a serious drug problem. 
Last year, the Xinhua news agency reported the country had three million 
registered drug addicts. Synthetic drugs, like methamphetamine, are more 
popular than other narcotics, likely because land use is strictly controlled by 
the government, which means drugs that require agricultural cultivation, like 
opium, simply cannot be grown.

Even though meth labs have been found in various parts of the country, a report 
published by the Brookings Institute suggests narcotics produced in Burma make 
up a much larger share of the drugs available in China. More meth is coming in 
from North Korea as well.

All this has triggered what might be called China's own war on drugs, but with 
some particular historical twists.

Imagery from the 19th century Opium Wars is still vividly present in the 
collective awareness in China. The British, who were selling opium grown in 
their Indian colonies to the Chinese, went to war to preserve their market and 
imposed demeaning treaties on the ruling dynasties. Nationalists see the wars 
as the starting point of what they call the century of humiliation, a period of 
severe political, economic, and social degradation, and drug trafficking is 
intimately tied to the concept of colonial invasion. Addicts are not only seen 
as individuals with personal flaws, but tumors that form a national weakness.

The use of meth is particularly widespread. Chinese celebrities have been 
arrested and tested positive for it. Factory workers use it to stay awake 
during extended or consecutive shifts. Meth is used in karaoke bars, where male 
patrons pay hostesses to get high with them. In some cases, businessmen share 
drugs to seal partnerships.

With plenty of users in China, it is not difficult to see why others have 
followed in Cai's footsteps. Though Guangdong Province near Hong Kong is the 
epicenter of meth production in China, police have raided makeshift drug labs 
in other parts of the country as well. Last May, a 50-year-old chemistry 
professor from Shaanxi was arrested with 6 other people. That raid yielded 128 
kilos of methcathinone, which is similar to methamphetamine, along with 2,000 
kilos of ingredients. The professor also provided recipes and instructions on 
how to make methcathinone to dealers. In September, a former science teacher in 
Guangxi was found to have set up a drug lab in his apartment. He had resigned 
from his teaching position to make drugs, which he sold online.

The crackdown in Cai's old stomping grounds, Boshe, continues to this day. Last 
year, police began to offer US$80,000 in reward money for tips that lead to the 
arrests of leaders in the Chinese drug trade. Remnants of Cai's network still 
operate in Guangdong. Together with their North Korean and Southeast Asian 
counterparts, they supply the meth addicts of China and beyond. Australian 
authorities have seized 2 major meth shipments from China this year: a haul 
worth US$128 million in January; and a $1 billion worth of the stuff hidden in 
gel bra inserts.

Boshe is now lauded by the Chinese government as a showcase for the 
achievements in their war on drugs, and to their credit, the police have made 
great strides in eradicating makeshift meth labs, but the root of the problem 
persists. The chemicals used in meth production are not difficult to acquire in 
China. A report by Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post indicates all of 
the materials are regulated but legitimate, suggesting deep-rooted corruption 
in China's chemical and pharmaceutical industries. With such easy access to the 
basic ingredients, there is little to stand in the way of the next Walter White 
who wants to set up shop in China.

(source: The Daily Beast)






MALAYSIA:

Dead before he was put in drum


Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais did not drown in concrete, 
despite being found in a concrete filled oil drum, a forensic expert told the 
High Court.

Nurliza Abdullah, 51, ruled out death by drowning, saying the autopsy found no 
water or foreign objects in the victim's lungs nor water in the stomach, which 
would be caused by swallowing water.

"There is a high probability that the cause of death was suffocation, where the 
deceased suffered from external factors blocking him from breathing," she said, 
adding that the moderate level of decomposition made it difficult to identify 
the asphyxiation injury.

In a career spanning 20 years, Nurliza had handled 4,500 cases, from high 
profile murders of Altantuya Shaariibuu, Stephanie Foray and Datuk Sosilawati 
Lawiya; to disasters like the Rohingya mass graves in Perlis, the MH17 flight 
disaster and Highland Towers collapse.

Questioned by DPP Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin during the examination in chief 
whether Morais was strangled, Nurliza said it was unlikely as there was no 
signs of trauma or impact on his neck.

She said there were external injuries: contusions to the top lip, the right and 
left chest, above the ribs, the right shoulder, front left ankle, middle back, 
and left buttock.

She added contusions only occurred if a person was still alive, and in Morais' 
case, were in line with compression injury caused by having something pressing 
him over a long period.

When asked if it was fatal, Nurliza said the pressure could restrict breathing 
and cause the victim to pass out, but in this case was not the cause of death 
as it did not cause serious internal damage to the vitals.

When questioned if Morais was still alive when placed in the oil drum, Nurliza 
said there was a high probability he was already dead before being stuffed 
inside a plastic sack, and then placed in the drum.

Nurliza also based her findings on lack of signs that the deceased tried moving 
or struggling while in the drum.

"The body was also in an abnormal state, a foetal-like posture - the knees and 
hip joint were bent and his arms were tied behind his back with a neck tie," 
Nurliza said, adding that the body was fully clothed except for a lack of shoes 
when it was found.

On Jan 27, the 6 men - G. Gunasekaran, 48; R. Dinishwaran, 24; A. K.Thinesh 
Kumar, 23; M. Vishwanath, 26; Nimalan, 23; and Ravi Chandaran, 35, claimed 
trial to charges of murdering Morais.

They are accused of committing the offence between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, 
between Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul and No. 1 Jalan USJ1/6D, Subang Jaya.

Army pathologist Colonel Dr R. Kunaseegaran, 53, pleaded not guilty to abetting 
the 6 in the murder.

They face the mandatory death penalty if convicted, under Section 302 of the 
Penal Code.

Counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan and Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent acted for 
Kunaseegaran, counsel V. Rajehgopal defended Gunasekaran, Vishwanath, Nimalan 
and Ravi Chandaran, while lawyer M. Manoharan acted for Dinishwaran and Thinesh 
Kumar.

The trial before Justice Azman Abdullah continues today.


FIJI:

Nikisha Nisha To PM: We Need Harsher Penalities for Rapists


While students her age are perhaps thinking of the upcoming Coca-cola Games and 
the hype that awaits, Nikisha Nisha thought of a much more serious topic that 
continues to rock our nation.

The Year 13 student of Savusavu Secondary School asked the Prime Minister 
Voreqe Bainimarama for a review on the maximum sentence penalty for rape.

Nikisha met Mr Bainimarama when he visited the school yesterday. He encouraged 
students to exercise their voting rights in 2018 and also assessed damages in 
the wake of Tropical Cyclone Winston.

During the discussion, Mr Bainimarama asked students to talk about things they 
wanted to see change in the nation.

"You tell me what you want or what changes you hope to see in the future or 
what can be done," the Prime Minister urged the students.

Within seconds, Nikisha stood up and told Mr Bainimarama that she was shaken by 
the numerous rape incidences here.

"The Fijian law on offenders who rape innocent girls is lenient and I hope the 
Government can implement harsher punishment like death penalty," Nikisha said.

Nikisha claimed she had posted a letter on the Fijian Government Facebook page 
giving her opinion on what she felt about rape and what may be done.

Mr Bainimarama said he would follow up on her request.

"I agree with Nikisha that rape cases is increasing in Fiji and her request for 
changing the law is something that must be looked into at a more deeper level," 
Mr Bainimarama told the students.

An emotional Nikisha told Fiji Sun she was prompted to speak on the topic as 
she was a victim of sexual harassment.

"In 2012 while I was having my shower at home, one of my close family members 
was watching me through a small opening on the wall," Nikisha said.

"Although he is no longer staying with us I still live with this memory and 
whenever I see him I can only cry.

"My mother who always reads the Bible has been encouraging me to pray to God 
and ask him to give me strength," the 2nd eldest of 4 siblings said.

"From that time I have been praying to God to give me the opportunity to talk 
to Mr Bainimarama face to face and ask him to change the law."

(source: Fiji Sun)






IRAN----executions

At Least 6 Prisoners Hanged at Rajai Shahr Prison


On the morning of Wednesday April 13 between 6 and 9 people were reportedly 
hanged at Rajai Shahr Prison on murder charges.

The names of 6 of the prisoners have been confirmed to Iran Human Rights by a 
close source: Mostafa Ejlali, Ebad Mohammadi, Javad Sadeghi, Mehdi Haghshenas, 
and Mohammad Javad Mozaffari. Iranian authorities had transferred these 6 
prisoners along with at least 4 others to solitary confinement on Monday April 
11 in preparation for their executions. One of these prisoners, Mehdi Kaheh, 
was reportedly taken out of solitary confinement and returned to his cell after 
receiving a reprieve from the plaintiff on his case file. Close sources say 
Mehdi Kaheh was taken to the gallows twice last year, but his execution 
sentence was postponed both times and he was returned to his cell.

Iranian official sources, including state media and the Judiciary, has been 
silent about these executions.

(source: iranhr.net)

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

Iran president under scrutiny over juvenile executions


The case presented by the Iranian judiciary was simple: In the southern 
province of Fars, Fatemeh Salbehi suffocated her husband after drugging him, a 
capital crime in the Islamic Republic.

What made the case controversial is that Salbehi was only 17, a minor by 
international legal standards, when she allegedly committed the crime. Her 
alleged confession also came during a series of interrogations where there was 
no lawyer present.

The case was retried but Salbehi was hanged in the Adel Abad prison in Shiraz 
last October.

The issue has come under scrutiny because of a scathing U.N. report on human 
rights in Iran last month which highlighted what it called the "alarmingly 
high" rate of executions in the country, including juveniles.

That report, along with an Amnesty International report in January, spurred 
commentary from ordinary Iranians on social media at least some of which 
criticized President Hassan Rouhani for not doing more to stop the juvenile 
executions.

Iran has the highest rate of juvenile executions in the world, despite being a 
signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international human 
rights treaty that forbids capital punishment for anyone under 18.

Only a week before Salbehi's execution, another juvenile offender was executed.

"The fact that there were 2 executions in less than 2 weeks just shows how 
indifferent and contemptuous the Iranian authorities are of their obligations," 
said Raha Bahreini, the Iran researcher for Amnesty International.

In the past decade, Iran has executed at least 73 juvenile offenders, according 
to the January Amnesty report.

The juvenile executions have continued despite campaign promises made by 
Rouhani in 2013 to reform human rights. Since coming to office, Rouhani has 
been focused on foreign policy, such as the nuclear deal sealed with world 
powers last summer, and domestic issues like juvenile execution have been 
largely ignored, observers say.

"The administration can't just keep hiding behind the nuclear issue," said Hadi 
Ghaemi, the executive director for the International Campaign for Human Rights 
in Iran. "Rouhani doesn't seem at all interested to push for it, fight the 
battle and improve the human rights situation. And that's a problem because 
we're now into the 3rd year of his term."

DOMESTIC LAW

Juveniles have been executed regularly since the establishment of the Islamic 
Republic in 1979. Under Iranian law, the age for legally defining adulthood is 
determined by puberty, 15 for boys and 9 for girls. When there is a discrepancy 
between domestic law and international legal obligations, Iranian authorities 
have turned to domestic law.

A request for comment sent to the Iranian judiciary was not answered. The head 
of the Iranian judiciary, Sadeq Larijani, has previously said that allegations 
that Iran executes juveniles under 18 is a "complete lie". No comment was 
immediately available from the presidency.

In recent years, the judiciary has generally held off on executing minors until 
after they turn 18. Salbehi was 23 when she was executed last fall. And there 
are at least 160 minors currently on death row, according to the United 
Nations.

"The trick they have come up with for the past 10 years or so is to wait until 
the children turn 18 in prison and then execute them," said Ghaemi. "Then they 
tell the international community that they were over 18."

The juvenile executions have prompted an outcry. "The execution of juveniles 
has led to both domestic and international criticism," said Saleh Nikbakht, a 
prominent lawyer in Tehran.

One prominent human rights activist who started a campaign to end the death 
penalty in Iran, Narges Mohammadi, was arrested last year on unspecified 
charges.

But there have been some cases where juvenile offenders have been spared the 
noose. A non-governmental organization called Imam Ali's Popular Students 
Relief Society has had some measure of success in bringing together families of 
the victim and the accused. If the family of the victim agrees to forgive the 
accused, the execution is not carried out.

Judicial reforms were also put into place in 2013, prior to Rouhani's taking 
office, which led to the retrial of a number of cases involving juvenile 
offenders. The sentences of the offenders were commuted in a handful of cases 
but in at least half a dozen cases the death sentence was upheld, according to 
Amnesty.

Inability to bring about any change on this controversial issue may cost 
Rouhani support for the presidential elections next year.

"It is a battle that he can win. There are so many aspects that are not 
defensible," said Ghaemi. He added, "He may not get elected to a 2nd term 
because he's undercutting his own popular support."

And without pressure from the other branches of government, it is unlikely that 
the judiciary will make significant changes to halt the execution of juvenile 
offenders.

"When it comes to executions the responsibility lies first and foremost with 
the judiciary but that doesn't mean that the other branches of the state aren't 
responsible," said Bahreini.

(source: Reuters)

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

see: 
http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/iran-teenager-faces-imminent-execution-ua-8516

(source: Amnesty International)






PAKISTAN----executions

4 more executed in Pakistani jails


4 more prisoners, convicted of murder, were hanged in various jails in Pakistan 
on Wednesday.

The executions took place in the jails of Multan, Jhang and Sialkot in Punjab 
province and in Larkana in Sindh province.

A death row convict Anwarul Haq was executed in Multan for murdering his 
brother over a land dispute in year 2000, prison officials said.

Another prisoner Ghulam Farooq was hanged in Sialkot prison for killing 2 women 
and a man in a family feud in 1999.

In Jhang prison Muhammad Irfan was executed for killing a woman during a 
robbery in her home in 2006.

In Larkana jail Waris Mirbahar was hanged for the 1995 murder of a PIA employee 
during an attack on a cash van of the airlines, prison officials said.

Human rights group Amnesty International last week described Pakistan, with 326 
hangings last year, as the world's 3rd most prolific country conducting 
executions after China and Iran.

Pakistan had ended a moratorium on the death penalty after Taliban attackers 
gunned down more than 150 people, most of them children, at a school in 
Peshawar on December 16, 2014.

The country had initially reinstated hangings only for those convicted of 
terrorism, but later the decision was extended to all capital offences.

(source: arynews.tv)

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

PHC upholds death penalty for 6 militants


The Peshawar High Court upheld on Tuesday the military courts' verdicts, 
maintaining death sentences awarded to 6 militants and dismissing all judicial 
review petitions.

The petitions were dismissed after a PHC division bench examined the record, 
produced in the court during the hearing.

The bench issued its decision during its in-camera session, matching verdicts 
issued by PHC in earlier cases in which the high court had suspended similar 
petitions and appeals had been filed with the Supreme Court.

The high court had earlier stayed the executions of 6 militants. They are Fazal 
Ghaffar, Taj Gul, Mushtaq Ahmad, Fateh Khan, Bakht Ameer and Ikramullah.

Ghaffar, 38, had been handed over to the security forces on December 27, 2009 
in the Charbagh area of district Swat.

Ghaffar's counsel, who requested anonymity, argued that the applicant was a 
teacher at a local seminary before his arrest by the security forces.

He said that his client was detained and subsequently kept at an internment 
centre until his conviction and the award of death sentence by a military 
court.

He argued that the applicant's family had only come to know about the death 
sentence through the media. Ghaffar was charged with attacking security forces. 
The counsel contended that charges levelled against his client were not true.

He held that the applicant had neither been given a chance to defend himself 
nor any substantive evidence had been produced against him.

He requested the bench to stay his execution till the final disposal of the 
case, and the plea was accepted by the court.

Similarly, Mushtaq Ahmad's lawyer Alamzeb Khan said that the applicant had been 
picked up by security forces on December 20, 2011 and since then his 
whereabouts had been unknown.

(source: The Express Tribune)