[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 30



QATAR:

Killer who murdered British teacher in Qatar and burned her body in the desert 
loses his appeal against his death sentence


The killer of Lauren Patterson, 24, has lost his appeal against his death 
sentence. Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah al-Jabr was convicted of the murder of 
the teacher, from West Malling, Kent, in Doha in 2013.

Badr Hashim Khamis Abdallah al-Jabr faces the death penalty after he was 
convicted for the murder of teacher Lauren Patterson, 24, in Doha in 2013.

Ms Patterson, from West Malling, Kent, was sexually assaulted, stabbed and her 
burnt remains were left in a remote desert location.

Al-Jabr was sentenced to death in 2015 but a re-trial was called in February 
2016.

Abdallah Hassan Abdul Aziz served a 3-year sentence for helping to dispose of 
Miss Patterson's body.

Mother Alison Patterson wrote on Facebook: 'The judges have upheld the original 
death sentence.

'It will now go to the court of cassation within 60 days as they have the right 
to appeal.

Due to the thoroughness of the judicial system here the likelihood of another 
appeal is highly unlikely (praying that is the case).

Mother Alison Patterson wrote on Facebook: 'The judges have upheld the original 
death sentence. Thank you to everyone for all your amazing support. Love to 
everyone'

'Thank you to everyone for all your amazing support without all of you I don't 
know how I would have got this far. Love to everyone.'

Ms Patterson was teaching in Doha when she disappeared on a night out and was 
found with a knife in her ribcage.

In an appeal hearing in 2015, al-Jabr's defence lawyer said he had been kept in 
solitary confinement for 40 days between interviews with prosecutors.

He said the abuse they suffered would have 'clouded anybody's judgement'.

She and friend Lea Monet left a nightclub at La Cigale Hotel in Doha around 
3.30am. Miss Monet testified that Miss Patterson was not drunk and had just 
returned from her grandmother's funeral in England.

During the 2014 trial Miss Patterson's friend Lea Monet testified how she, Miss 
Patterson and the 2 men, who she said they were 'casually acquainted with', had 
left a nightclub at La Cigale Hotel in Doha around 3.30am on October 12.

She said Miss Patterson, who had just returned from attending her grandmother's 
funeral in England, was not drunk and was 'aware of her surroundings'.

In 2015, Alison said: 'Lauren was a hard-working girl who loved her job and 
spent most evenings of her time after work giving private tuition to pupils in 
their homes or studying to complete her degree.'

(source: dailymail.co.uk)






PHILIPPINES:

Removing death penalty in PH was a mistake, Duterte tells media


President Rodrigo Duterte held a press briefing on Saturday, April 29, 2017, 
before hosting a gala dinner for the Asean Summit leaders. (Photo from the 
official website of the 30th Asean Summit)

Pushing for the reimposition of the death penalty, President Rodrigo Duterte 
claimed that the Pangilinan law created lawlessness in the Philippines.

He was referring to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (Republic Act 9344) 
which was authored by Sen. Francis Pangilinan.

Speaking at a press conference at the Philippine International Convention 
Center, he cited other Southeast Asian countries, like Malaysia, Indonesia, and 
Singapore, which have the death penalty.

"It is only the Philippines that has abrogated or ended the death penalty," he 
stressed.

He added that he had informed other heads of state of the Association of 
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that he was advocating the reimposition of the 
death penalty.

He pointed out that, during his stint as a member of the House of 
Representatives, he was among those who objected to the abrogation of the death 
penalty - and the votes against abrogation won. But he noted that, when he 
became Davao City mayor again, the imposition of the death penalty was 
suspended. Duterte claimed that the act of copying legislation from another 
country, referring to the Pangilinan law, "produced a generation of criminals" 
because criminal offenders below 15 years old never spent time in detention.

"It (Pangilinan law) was short-sighted," he said. "It was a disaster because we 
have produced a generation of criminals now who were the minors before who went 
in and out of prison without being lectured on the sense of responsibility or 
accountability."

He pointed out that the "disaster" started with Pangilinan, who copied the law 
from the United States without providing for the remedy after the arrest of a 
minor, was the case in the US.

The President said that the senator copied the law but "did not copy all 
because you should have provided the billions needed to place them in 
correctional just to be lectured on responsibility and their duties."

"That created the lawlessness - the Pangilinan Law," he went on.

He cited Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who said that with right 
came responsibility.

"If you are given the right to live by God, you have a responsibility to other 
people's lives," he said. "if you have a right, you have a responsibility too. 
It's not just a right. You have your human rights but that human right given to 
you must be used to preserve the human right of others also."

(source: Philippine Inquirer)