[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

July 19



VIETNAM:

Court upholds death sentence for accomplice in Binh Phuoc massacre


The Supreme Court Monday rejected an appeal against the death sentence by a man 
who, together with an accomplice, killed 6 members of a family in the southern 
province of Binh Phuoc last year.

In dismissing his appeal, the court said Vu Van Tien, 25, was an active 
accomplice of Nguyen Hai Duong, 25, the mastermind of the murder-robbery in 
July 2015.

"Without Tien's help, Duong couldn't have carries out the crime. So Tien must 
be responsible for the consequences of the case."

The court also dismissed the appeal of Duong's friend Tran Dinh Thoai, 27, to 
have his 16-year sentence reduced. Thoai bought the knife with which Duong 
killed the 6 people, and failed to report Duong's conspiracy to the 
authorities.

Duong has not appealed against his death penalty.

Shocking case

Duong used to be a boyfriend of Le Thi Anh Linh, 22, the daughter of Le Van My, 
48, who owned a timber processing company in Binh Phuoc's Chon Thanh District.

After Linh broke up with him in March, Duong devised a plan to kill the family 
and rob them.

Early in the morning on July 4 he asked Thoai to accompany him to burgle the 
family's house. But when they arrived at the house, Du Minh Vy, My's 
14-year-old nephew, did not open the gate for them, and so they were forced to 
leave.

Thoai then pulled out and Duong asked Tien, who agreed.

To carry out the crime, Duong, with Thoai's help, bought 2 knives, a stun gun, 
a BB pistol, gloves, masks, plastic cable wire and duct tape.

On July 6 Duong again called Vy and asked him to open the gate for him so he 
could sneak in to steal something. Duong promised to give Vy some money.

At around 1:30 a.m. the next morning Duong and Tien rose a motorbike to My's 
house, situated off National Highway 13.

The 2 men killed Vy as soon as the boy opened the gate. They then killed Linh, 
her father My, her mother Nguyen Le Thi Anh Nga, 42, her brother Le Quoc Anh, 
15, and her cousin Du Ngoc To Nhu, 18.

Police said the victims sustained fatal stab wounds to their necks and chests.

Vy, the 1st victim, was found in the front yard while the other 5 were found 
tied up in their rooms.

However, the life of Linh's youngest sister, 18 months, was spared.

Duong later told the court he had been fond of the baby during the time he was 
still dating Linh.

Duong and Tien left the house at around 4.30 a.m. with VND4 million (US$180) in 
cash, 5 smartphones, a tablet and a laptop.

The family's housekeeper discovered the bloody scene 3 hours later and informed 
the police.

Duong was arrested at 3 p.m. on July 10 at the funeral for the victims. Tien 
was arrested at 10 p.m. the same day in his rented room in Ho Chi Minh City???s 
Hoc Mon District while Thoai was taken in on August 9 at his rented house in 
the city's District 12.

(source: Thanh Nien News)






TURKEY:

Erdogan: I will approve death penalty for coup plotters if requested


Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he would approve any decision 
by parliament on reinstating the death penalty as calls grow for executions in 
the aftermath of a failed coup plot.

"There is a clear crime of treason and your request (death penalty) cannot be 
rejected by our government. Parliament needs to discuss it and if the leaders 
agree and discuss it then I as president will approve any decision to come out 
of the parliament," he told CNN International on Monday evening.

'Why should I keep them and feed them in prisons, for years to come?' - that's 
what the people say," he added.

"They want a swift end to it, because people lost relatives, neighbours, 
children... they're suffering so the people are very sensitive and we have to 
act very sensibly and sensitively."

It is the 2nd time Erdogan has raised the issue in a matter of days. Turkey has 
arrested more than 100 senior Turkish military officers in the aftermath of 
Friday's coup attempt, amid growing calls those found guilty should face 
capital punishment.

On Sunday, at a funeral in Istanbul, Erdogan in response to a crowd chanting 
"we want executions" said: "The people's demands must be respected in 
democracies. If the people demand something it is their right to be heard. 
Parliament will discuss this matter."

It was Prime Minister Binali Yildirim who first mentioned the death penalty in 
a speech in parliament on Saturday. "If Turkey still had the death penalty 
these perpetrators would deserve to be condemned to it," he said.

Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004. The last execution to be carried 
out in Turkey was in 1984.

The deputy leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Mehmet 
Muezzinoglu, said on Saturday that the government would introduce a bill 
calling for the execution of rebel soldiers.

"We will put forward a motion, which will demand the execution of those who 
have been involved in the coup attempt," Muezzinoglu said on Twitter.

On Saturday, the hashtag #Idamistiyorum [I want death penalty] was the top 
trend on Twitter in Turkey.

Earlier today EU chief Federica Mogherini warned that if Turkey reinstated the 
death penalty the door to the EU will be shut to it.

"Let me be very clear... no country can become an EU state if it introduces the 
death penalty," Mogherini said when asked about the possible impact on 
long-stalled accession talks with Ankara.

Her comments come after the detention of 7,500 people, including senior 
military figures, judges and soldiers, in connection with the coup attempt on 
Friday which Erdogan has blamed on his rival, the US-based cleric Fethullah 
Gulen.

Meanwhile, the former head of the Turkish air force has denied any role in last 
week's coup plot, a prosecutor's statements says in a contradiction of reports 
of an alleged confession carried by a state-run news agency.

Pictures released by Anadolu news agency showed Akin Ozturk, 64, a general, 
with injuries to his head and upper body. Anadolu's statement on Twitter said 
Ozturk had told interrogators he "acted with intention to stage coup".

Within minutes that post was deleted, however, as other media organisations 
including the centrist newspaper, Hurriyet, reported a prosecutor's statement 
as saying Ozturk denied any role in the putsch.

The court formally charged Ozturk and 25 other senior military officers with 
treason, and will remain in prison without bail.

(source: Middle East Eye)

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

Turkey's Nationalist Party Supports Reintroducing Death Penalty After Coup


Following the Friday unsuccessful coup in Turkey, the Interior Ministry sacked 
close to 9,000 personnel across the country, including members of the armed 
forces, from foot soldiers to commanders, as well as police officers, 
governors, military advisers, prosecutors and judges.

On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told crowds of supporters 
gathered outside his residence in Istanbul that parliament must consider the 
public demand for the death penalty to be applied in the case of the coup 
plotters.

"The issue of return of the death penalty is now raised. If the ruling party is 
ready, we will stay together and do everything necessary with peace of mind," 
Bahceli said at his party's weekly parliamentary group meeting at the Grand 
National Assembly of Turkey.

Death penalty was abolished in Turkey in 2004 to bring its legislation in line 
with the EU standards.

On Monday, at a joint news conference, EU foreign policy chief Federica 
Mogherini and US Secretary of State John Kerry called on Turkey to respect 
democracy and human rights in its response to the failed coup. Western 
politicians said that the introduction of the capital punishment would close 
the way for Turkey to enter the European Union.

(source: Sputnik News)

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

Death penalty in Turkey would 'spell the end of EU membership bid'


President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has angered European institutions and sparked 
fear among NGOs by claiming the death penalty could be restored in Turkey 
following a failed military coup to oust him from power.

A massive crack down on suspected coup plotters and participants among the 
branches of Turkey's military was still underway on Tuesday, fuelling concerns 
over the respect of human rights amid the political chaos.

In response to demonstrators who chanted "Death Penalty, Death Penalty!" during 
recent pro-government rallies, Erdogan has promised the demand would be 
considered in the wake of the short-lived revolt.

Turkish lawmakers abolished the death penalty in a 2-fold process between 2002 
and 2004 as part of the country's bid to join the European Union, but calls for 
reinstating capital punishment have surged on social networks in recent days. 
The hashtag #Idamistiyorum, or "I want the death penalty", has been shared tens 
of thousands of times.

Erdogan, who has previously evoked the possibility of bringing back the death 
penalty, brandished the threat again during a funeral service for some victims 
of the coup on Sunday.

"You cannot push the wish of the people to one side," Erdogan said in reference 
to calls for the death penalty, while referring to supporters of his rival, the 
US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen as a "virus" that had to be cleaned from the 
state.

Almost 20,000 members of the army, police, civil service and justice system - 
1/5 of the country's entire judiciary, according to some estimates - have been 
detained in a purge that started over the weekend.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also raised the possibility over the weekend, 
but tempered his remarks on Monday. "It would not be correct to act in haste 
but we cannot ignore our citizens' demand," Yildirim said in comments following 
a cabinet meeting, noting that re-establishing the death penalty would require 
a constitutional change.

European scowl

Samim Akgonul, a professor at Strasbourg University and an expert on Turkey, 
said Erdogan and Yildirim's threat should be taken seriously. "The president 
and prime minister are very interested in getting rid of the coup plotters by 
reinstating the death penalty, under the cover of meeting voters??? demands."

And indeed, European leaders appeared to take umbrage. "Let me be very clear," 
the bloc's foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday. "No country 
can join the European Union if it introduced the death penalty".

It was a statement that was later echoed by German officials. "Germany and the 
EU have a clear position: we reject the death penalty categorically," said 
government spokesman Steffen Seibert. "The introduction of the death penalty in 
Turkey would spell the end of membership negotiations to the European Union."

Turkey's EU membership bid has made little headway amid fears of immigration 
across Europe and differences on how to deal with the Islamic State (IS) group, 
but the country is a member of the Council of Europe.

Akgonul said membership in that organisation would be in jeopardy if Turkey 
reinstated the death penalty, since any member of the Council of Europe is 
bound by the European Convention on Human Rights, which rejects the death 
penalty.

NGOs 'very worried'

For non-governmental organisations fighting for the abolition of the death 
penalty, Erdogan's statement set off alarm bells.

Anne Denis, head of Amnesty International France's campaign, told FRANCE 24 her 
group was "monitoring the situation very closely". Especially since Erdogan 
"has the means to force parliament, where his supporters have a majority, to 
call a vote on restoring the death penalty".

The London-based NGO Reprieve shared a similar view. "The statements by the 
Turkish president are extremely worrying," said Maya Foa, who directs the 
group's death penalty division. "The reintroduction of capital punishment will 
not bring more justice in Turkey, quite the opposite actually."

Asked to what extent Erdogan's threats were to be taken seriously, given his 
penchant for populist rhetoric, Foa said Western governments should not wait to 
find out.

"It's still unclear if the Turkish president's proposals are serious or mere 
words. But it is crucial that European countries and others with close 
relations with Turkey intervene swiftly before this suggestion goes any 
further," she insisted.

Foa believes that it is in Turkey's best interest to also "remain consistent" 
on this issue, recalling that during a UN summit earlier this year Turkey 
publicly reaffirmed its clear opposition to the death penalty "under all 
circumstances".

(source: france24.com)


IRAN:

Maryam Rajavi calls for condemnation of increasing executions, effective action


Iranian Resistance President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi described the 
unprecedented increase in mass and arbitrary executions in various cities 
across Iran as the religious dictatorship's utter fear of increasing social 
unrest and escalating popular protests.

"An increase in vicious executions has come at a time when 2 weeks ago the 
mullahs' regime staged a rocket attack against Camp Liberty and was on the 
verge of killing refugee members of the Iranian Resistance. During the past 
week at least 30 prisoners in different cities of Iran were mass executed and 
in some cases hanged in public. 16 of these prisoners were executed on Sunday, 
July 17th alone," Mrs. Rajavi said.

"All signs indicate the mullahs' weakness and utter fragility more than ever 
before, and it being terrified of its indispensable toppling. This is the same 
fear that the regime showed hysterically in response to the grand annual 
gathering held by the Iranian Resistance. During the past few days Tehran has 
summoned representatives of foreign governments, made ridiculous threats and 
launched a choir of senior regime officials in all its propaganda organs in 
this regard," she added.

The increasing trend of executions, especially 1 year after the signing of the 
nuclear agreement, once again proves the defeasance of the reform theory inside 
the regime. This also shows that the appeasement policies encourages this 
medieval regime in its criminal policies.

Dealing with and appeasing this regime at a time when mass executions, 
warmongering and its export of terrorism to regional countries are on the rise 
is considered practical collaboration with the mullahs, Mrs. Rajavi underscored 
as she called on the United Nations Security Council and member states of the 
European Union to strongly condemn these criminal executions and adopt 
effective measures against Tehran. All economic and political relations with 
the mullahs must be conditioned on abolishing all executions and improving the 
human rights situation in Iran, she added.

(source: Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran)






INDONESIA:

Key: Indonesia won't be ending death penalty soon


Indonesia is unlikely to drop the death penalty, but is keen to make progress 
in other areas of human rights, Prime Minister John Key says.

Mr Key is in Indonesia to talk business, trade and terrorism and has had his 
first meeting with President Joko Widodo.

He says the discussion was wide-ranging, but included talk about the conflict 
in West Papua and Indonesia's use of the death penalty.

The country of around 255 million people has a chequered human rights record, 
including the use of firing squads.

On Monday, Amnesty International called on Mr Key to bring up the death 
penalty, which it says was used at least 14 times last year.

Indonesia's Attorney-General indicated last month that 16 people were set to 
face a firing squad this year, and they had a budget to execute another 30 in 
2017.

Mr Key told Mr Widodo New Zealand was strongly against the use of the death 
penalty. But he doesn't expect changes any time soon.

"We registered our feelings that the death penalty is something we cannot and 
do not support, despite the severity of the crimes that people may have 
committed that they get the death penalty.

"It's not an issue I don't think the Indonesians are going to change their 
position on any time soon. They've got a major narcotics issue here in 
Indonesia, they've got a lot of Indonesians who are addicts and are trying to 
send a strong message, now we in New Zealand believe that can be said in a 
different way."

But Mr Key says Mr Widodo was more receptive to investigating any human rights 
breaches in West Papua, which he says was "proactively" raised by the 
Indonesians in the meeting.

Last month, Indonesian police were accused of arresting more than 1000 people 
at rallies in West Papua, demanding an independence referendum.

The conflict over West Papua - part of Indonesia's easternmost Papua province 
on New Guinea island - has been going on for decades. The population is 
ethnically distinct from the rest of Indonesia.

Prior to the meeting, the Green Party urged Mr Key to discuss the 
"deteriorating human rights situation" in West Papua.

Mr Key said Mr Widodo and was "keen" for him to understand the situation and 
the issue of human rights.

"They raised the point specifically about human rights, and said if there are 
specific issues with human rights, then they take up those issues, they 
investigate them and make sure they're not repeated.

"They seem to be quite keen to have greater transparency.

"We don't dispute the issue of territorial rights of Papua. I think that's been 
a long-standing New Zealand Government position - that we recognise territorial 
rights - but on the broader issue of human rights, we said to them that's a 
matter that's always of great concern to New Zealanders."

Mr Key said Mr Widodo and the country's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi "gave us 
assurances they were observing human rights there".

Asked whether he believed them, Mr Key said they'd made "genuine" progress, and 
weren't dismissive of New Zealand's concerns.

(source: newshub.co.nz)






SAUDI ARABIA----executions

Saudi Arabia executions near 100 this year ---- The country imposes death 
penalty for offences including murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape 
and apostasy.


Saudi authorities executed two men on Tuesday, bringing to 98 the number of 
executions carried out in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom so far this 
year.

Saudi citizen Ali Assiri, who was found guilty of stabbing a fellow tribesman 
to death, was executed in the southwestern region of Asir, the interior 
ministry said.

Pakistani Mohammed Mokhtar, who was convicted of heroin trafficking, was 
executed in the eastern city of Dammam, the ministry said.

Saudi Arabia imposes the death penalty for offences including murder, drug 
trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy.

Most people executed are beheaded with a sword.

There were no beheadings during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which 
began in the kingdom on June 6.

However, executions resumed on Sunday when authorities put a Saudi murderer to 
death.

Human rights group Amnesty International says the kingdom carried out at least 
158 death sentences last year, making it the 3rd most prolific executioner 
after Iran and Pakistan.

Amnesty's figures do not include secretive China.

The London-based watchdog says the Saudi rate of executions this year is 
"higher than at the same point last year".

Murder and drug trafficking cases account for the majority of Saudi executions, 
although 47 people were put to death for "terrorism" offences on a single day 
in January.

They included prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, whose execution prompted 
Iranian protesters to torch Saudi diplomatic missions, leading Riyadh to sever 
relations.

(source: Deccan Chroniclec)






INDIA:

Hazare seeks death penalty for accused in Kopardi rape case


Social activist Anna Hazare today sought death penalty for those accused of 
brutally raping and killing a 15-year-old girl at a village in Maharashtra's 
Ahmednagar district.

"The case should be tried in a fast track court and the guilty be hanged," 
Hazare said in a statement issued here.

The girl was raped last week allegedly by 3 men who inflicted injuries all over 
her body and broke her limbs before strangulating her at Kopardi village.

The incident sparked outrage as well as political slugfest, with the Congress 
demanding Fadnavis' resignation on "moral grounds".

Making a statement after ruckus by the opposition in the Assembly yesterday, 
the Chief Minister had said the accused in the heinous crime have been arrested 
and the case will be heard in a fast-track court.

Noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam has been appointed as the public prosecutor in the 
case and the government has given Rs 5 lakh solatium to the victim's family, he 
said.

(source: State Times)