[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 26




IRAN----execution

A prisoner hanged, 3 dozen death verdicts issued in run-up to elections


The Iranian regime's henchmen in the main prison of the northern city of Gorgan 
secretly hanged a 52-year-old man who had been arrested on drug-related 
charges.

The Iranian regime's judiciary has recently confirmed death sentences for at 
least 40 prisoners that are being held in Gezel-Hessar Prison in Karaj, 
north-west of Tehran. Most of the prisoners had asked for their cases to be 
reviewed but their death sentence were confirmed within 1-2 days and they were 
informed of the final verdicts on Sunday.

In the run-up to the sham elections in Iran, Iran's clerical regime has 
intensified issuing death sentences, handing down long prison terms and 
carrying out cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments in public.

Amnesty International said its yearly report on violations of human rights in 
Iran: "The authorities continued to use the death penalty extensively, and 
carried out numerous executions, including of juvenile offenders. Some 
executions were conducted in public."

"Torture and other ill-treatment of detainees remained common and was committed 
with impunity; prison conditions were harsh. Unfair trials continued, in some 
cases resulting in death sentences."

"Women and members of ethnic and religious minorities faced pervasive 
discrimination in law and in practice. The authorities carried out cruel 
punishments, including blinding, amputation and floggings. Courts imposed death 
sentences for a range of crimes; many prisoners, including at least 4 juvenile 
offenders, were executed."

"Courts continued to impose, and the authorities continued to carry out, 
punishments that violate the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or 
degrading punishment. These were sometimes carried out in public and included 
flogging, blinding and amputations. On 3 March the authorities in Karaj 
deliberately blinded a man in his left eye after a court sentenced him to 
'retribution-in-kind' (qesas) for throwing acid into the face of another man. 
He also faced blinding of his right eye."

(source: NCR-Iran)






SINGAPORE:

Coffeeshop assistant charged for Hougang murder----Khor Tzoong Meng faces the 
death penalty if convicted.


A 50-year-old Coffeeshop assistant, Khor Tzoong Meng, was charged with murder 
on Friday (Feb 26).

On Thursday morning, 38-year-old Ang Kim Keat was found injured at Blk 23, 
Hougang Avenue 3. Mr Ang was pronounced dead at Tan Tock Seng Hospital at 
3.28am. Khor was arrested in relation to the case at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 later 
on Thursday.

Lawyers Josephus Tan and Tan Jin Song are representing Khor pro bono.

Khor, the youngest of four siblings, has been remanded for a week to assist in 
further investigations. His case will be mentioned again on Mar 4.

He faces the death penalty for the offence of Murder under Section 302(1) of 
the Penal Code, Chapter 224.

(source: channelnewsasia.com)




INDIA:

Chidambaram, Afzal and the Congress party's deplorable duplicity on death 
penalty


Congress party's hypocrisy on issues of nationalism, communalism and caste are 
not new. Throughout its history since Independence, it has been opportunistic. 
The party has dabbled in soft Hindutva when it saw it being useful, or taken to 
disgraceful minority-pandering when required. Rahul Gandhi's theatrics at JNU 
and University of Hyderabad recently are good examples of how the party goes on 
a moral grandstanding overdrive when it finds it convenient.

P Chidamabaram's recent interview with Economic Times however takes the cake.

After being one of the most influential ministers for 10 years under the UPA 
regime, a Home Minister directly dealing with death penalty cases for a 
considerable period, and then keeping mum while his government, with an 
apparent eye on the 2014 elections, hanged Afzal Guru in near-secrecy, the 
former Union Minister now has the audacity to say, "There were grave doubts 
about his involvement (in the conspiracy behind the attack on Parliament) and 
even if he was involved, there were grave doubts about the extent of his 
involvement. He could have been imprisoned for life without parole for rest of 
his natural life."

"I think it is possible to hold an honest opinion that the Afzal Guru case was 
perhaps not correctly decided," he told ET, adding, "But being in government 
you cannot say the court has decided the case wrongly because it was the 
government that prosecuted him. But an independent person can hold an opinion 
that the case was not decided correctly."

Chidambaram has never had it too tough in public discourse. Journalists don???t 
take him head on, and when he was a minister, he was feared. The fallout of 
that has been that he, along with the Congress party, gets away with such 
blatant political manipulation.

And if there was anyone who knew this best, it was Afzal Guru himself.

In 2008, in an interview to IANS, he said,

"I don't think the (UPA) government can ever reach a decision. The Congress 
party has 2 mouths and is playing a double game. I really wish LK Advani 
becomes India's next prime minister as he is the only one who can take a 
decision and hang me. At least my pain and daily suffering would ease then."

Afzal however was wrong on 2 counts. LK Advani never stood a chance at Prime 
Ministership, and the Congress was cunning enough to eventually take the 
political decision of hanging him, just ahead of 2014 elections. They can take 
decisions, but it just has to be a purely political one, devoid of any 
humanity.

And Chidambaram's interview is an example of such decisions, and is problematic 
at many levels.

One, why did he not make his doubts publicly known, wasn't the life of a 
possibly innocent man worth it? At the very least, he could have made it public 
that a life sentence was more appropriate?

Two, why can't you question the court when you are in government? Isn't that 
just an excuse for political convenience? Does he not disagree with the SC 
verdict on section 377?

Three, will he then agree that his politics over Afzal is marginally different, 
if not far worse, from that of the BJP's? BJP believes and says that Afzal was 
guilty, and wanted to hang him. He did not believe so, and yet he allowed for 
him to be hanged in muted silence. That he could not go against the wishes of 
the party can only be a lie, or mean that he is spineless.

What is the problem with this hypocrisy you ask? It's that the Congress party 
continues to perpetuate the injustices while not ceding space to a more genuine 
liberal politics. When you shout from the rooftops supporting Afzal is guilty 
and then go and hang him, then you are helping perpetuate the myth that a more 
sensitive India which shuns the death penalty is not possible.

When asked about the fact that it was his own government that executed Afzal, 
he told ET, "That is true, but I was not the home minister then...I can't say 
what I would have done. It is only when you sitting on that seat you take that 
decision."

True. When you are not in the hot seat, you can say anything you want.

(source: Opinion, Ramanathan S.; thenewsminute.com)






BAHAMAS:

Sister Of Murdered Sailor Says She Forgives Killers


A sibling of murdered American sailor Kyle Bruner told a judge yesterday that 
she would not hold the actions of her brother's killers against The Bahamas.

Christina Cataldo made the statement during the sentencing hearing of Craig 
Johnson, 22, Anton Bastian, 21, Marcellus Williams, 23, and 30-year-old Jamaal 
Dorfevil for their role in the events that led to Bruner's fatal shooting on 
May 13, 2013.

Cataldo, who was moved to tears, gave a victim impact statement to Justice 
Indra Charles through video conference where she described her deceased sibling 
as "my rock."

"We were very close and my brother cannot speak anymore," Ms Cataldo said.

"He was a very genuine, kind and caring person. He'd help anybody in need. If 
they would have just asked him for some money he would have given it to them."

"My brother worked in The Bahamas and he loved The Bahamas. I've been coming to 
The Bahamas and this hasn't changed the feeling that I have for The Bahamas.

"I forgive the people who killed my brother because I understand and I feel 
really bad for them. I hope they get the help that they need," Bruner's sister 
said.

"I'm not one to hold grudges for anyone and I'm forgiving you for myself," she 
concluded.

In November, a jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts for Johnson, Bastian and 
Williams for Bruner's murder.

The 3 men were further convicted with 30-year-old Jamaal Dorfevil on 2 counts 
of armed robbery as they were alleged to have accosted 2 women while armed with 
a firearm, robbing one of $150 cash and her $3,000 handbag and the other of 
cash, a handbag and an iPhone.

A 5th accused, 21-year-old Leo Bethel, had all charges discontinued against him 
by way of a nolle prosequi within moments of Justice Charles concluding her 
summation of the evidence.

All 4 convicts denied having any involvement in the armed robbery and the 
killing of Bruner, who was shot in the neck as he tried to help 2 women who 
were being mugged by 2 armed men.

They testified that they were at home on the early morning in question and had 
been lied on and assaulted by the police, who produced videotaped interviews of 
Johnson, Williams and Dorfevil taking officers through the crime scene.

The jury heard evidence from Sean William Cannon, a first mate aboard the 
Liberty Chipper sailboat, who witnessed the shooting and later identified 
Johnson during an identification parade.

The Crown also submitted the police statement of another witness, Delano Smith, 
which implicated the remaining accused men concerning the crimes.

Ambrose Armbrister, trial prosecutor, has asked the court to impose the 
discretionary death penalty for Johnson, Bastian and Williams when the verdict 
was announced.

Dr John Dillard, a licensed psychiatrist with the Public Hospitals Authority 
testified yesterday that although the trio had used marijuana prior to their 
incarceration, he found no evidence or record of mental illness.

The matter was further adjourned to March 8 for continuation.

Bethel, Johnson, Bastian, Dorfevil and Williams were defended by attorneys Ian 
Cargill, Nathan Smith, Roberto Reckley, Sonia Timothy and Walton Bain 
respectively.

(source: tribune242.com)






NIGERIA:

Supreme Court Of Nigeria Affirms Death Penalty Judgement On Reverend King


The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ruled that the General Overseer of the 
Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King must 
die by hanging for murder after dismissing his appeal for lack of merit.

Justice Sylvester Nguta read the lead judgement of the 5-man panel at the 
Supreme Court in Abuja earlier today.

Rev. King was charged to court by the Lagos State Government on September 26th, 
2006 on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder of one of his members 
including Ann Uzoh on August 2nd, 2006. Specifically, The Lagos State 
Government said that the convict poured gasoline (petrol) on the deceased and 
five other persons and that Uzoh died on August 2, 2006; 11 days after the act 
was perpetrated against her.

Rev. King pleaded not guilty to the allegation but was sentenced to death by 
the then Justice Joseph Oyewoleof Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on January 11, 
2007, for the murder of one of his church members, Ann Uzoh. Ezeugo was 
convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the attempted murder and 
death by hanging for the offence of murder.

Justice Oyewole is now a judge of Appeal Court sitting in the Calabar division.

Dissatisfied, Ezeugo challenged the verdict before the Court of Appeal in 
Lagos, but the appeal was thrown out.

"I at this moment, I rule that the prosecution effectively discharged the 
burden of proof on it. This appeal is devoid of any basis and accordingly 
fails.

"The judgment of the High Court is hereby affirmed, and the conviction imposed 
on the appellant, (which is death by hanging) is also affirmed," Justice Fatimo 
Akinbami who read the judgement held. The 2 other members of the panel of 
Justices, Amina Augie and Ibrahim Saulawa, concurred with the lead judgement.

Ezeugo, still dissatisfied, turned to the Supreme Court, asking for the 
judgment to be upturned. However, the Supreme Court justices showed no mercy on 
Rev. King during today's judgement.

(source: Sahara Reporters)






SOMALIA:

A Somali Military Court Sentences 6 Al Shabaab Members


A military court in Somali capital, Mogadishu has sentenced 6 alleged Al 
shabaab members, five in jail and one to death penalty on Thursday.

Abdirisack Mohamed Barrow has been sentenced to death penalty after he was 
found guilty of attaching a bomb to the slain Somali female journalist Hindiye 
Hajji Mohamed.

Mohamed Shute the chairman of Somali military tribunal said 3 of the defendants 
were sentenced to life in prison, while the 2 others have given to 5 year-jail 
term.

The court said the Al shabaab operatives were involved the murder of Hindiya 
Hajji, a female journalist working for the state-run media who was killed in a 
bomb fitted into her car in Mogadishu.

(source: allafrica.com)