[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Dec. 31



INDIA:

RAPE, MURDER OF 6-YEAR OLD GIRL: COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO CONVICT----'We 
have to collectively save our society from criminality'



A court here sentenced a convict to death for raping and murdering a minor girl 
at Mehjoor Nagar area here in 2005.

In the judgment, 2nd additional sessions Judge Srinagar, Tahir Khurshid Raina, 
holding that it as a rarest of rare cases, awarded the death penalty to convict 
Farooq Ahmad Pinzoo of Mehjoor Nagar for raping and murdering the girl.

"A little doll (victim) of just 6 years of age, who was yet to bloom and add to 
the beauty of the world was crushed to death in the most horrendous and 
barbaric manner in 2005 by the convict. After doing this highly detestable act 
of extreme depravity, convict wrapped her body in a sack and threw it in a 
trench to conceal it from the eyes of the people around," the court said.

"When all members of locality were on search, he was a restless mute spectator 
of this unfortunate incident. This incident sent a shockwave in the entire area 
and every one came out to search her and yearn and prayed for her safe 
recovery. Finally, on 5th day of her missing, her body was recovered from the 
trench in a sack," the court said.

The court added that thousands of people assembled on the spot to see this 
horrible incident. "When people saw her body, there was a condemnation around 
and an outcry to nab the culprit soon. Public discontentment was so huge that 
police has to install a special camp there and after a month's they succeeded 
in nabbing the culprit who was none else but the resident of same locality whom 
the deceased of tender age would have taken with respect and custodian of her 
life," the court said.

"Convict is awarded capital punishment. He shall be hanged till death," the 
court said while referring various Supreme Court judgments, terming the case as 
rarest of rare cases.

After hearing additional public prosecutor advocate Mujeeb Andrabi and defence 
counsel on the quantum of punishment, the court said "fact remains, punishment 
is the way in which society expresses its condemnation for wrong doing and in 
order to maintain respect for law, it is essential that the punishment 
inflicted for grave crimes should adequately reflect the revulsion felt by the 
great majority of citizens for them."

Earlier, advocate Mujeeb Andrabi pleaded that to the court for award of death 
penalty to the accused for commission of horrendous crime with a child of 
tender age. He argued that keeping in view the entire complexion of the case, 
it falls in the category of "rarest of the rare" which entails death penalty.

"Let us not wait for angels to come from the sky to reform our society. We all 
have to collectively rise to the occasion and move in tandem to save our 
society from criminality and criminals and obnoxious elements to make it a 
habitat of civilized people with high morals, values and probity as their 
hallmark. This will only elevate our status in the community of nations," the 
court said while referring to the case.

[also see: 
http://kashmirlife.net/rare-judgement-kashmir-court-awards-death-sentence-160610/]

(source: greaterkashmir.com)


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


Death sentence to rape-murder convict in Srinagar



A minor girl, who was murdered after rape, finally got justice after 12 years 
when a local court sentenced a convict to death in Srinagar.

Declaring the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in 2005 as rarest of rare 
case, the Second Additional Sessions Judge Srinagar, Tahir Khurshid Raina 
awarded death penalty to convict Farooq Ahmad Pinzoo of Mehjoor Nagar.

The court in the order on Saturday after hearing arguments from prosecution and 
defence counsels said, "A little doll of just 6 years of age, who was yet to 
bloom and add to the beauty of the world was crushed to death in the most 
horrendous and barbaric manner in 2005 by the convict."

(source: uniindia.com)








NIGERIA:

Women lawyers advocate death penalty for hawkers of babies



The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) has advocated capital 
punishment for all persons caught in the act of buying and selling of babies.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association, a Non- 
Governmental, Non-Profit Organisation comprised of women lawyers, made the call 
on Saturday, at an end-of-year party organised for privileged and 
under-privileged children in Benin.

The Chairperson, Edo Chapter of FIDA, Mrs Maria Edeko, in her opening address 
at the occasion, said children were a gift from God, with rights that needed to 
be protected.

While noting that there were other legal means of having children, for those 
unable to have children of their own, Edeko said the association was mounting a 
vigorous campaign against the hawking of children.

She said that the association had evolved a plan to send a document to the 
National Assembly, on the matter.

The Chairperson noted that the document would spell out the punishment for all 
those involved in such acts.

According Edeko, "We can actually adopt children through legal means, such as 
it is being practiced in some other countries of the world.

"In these countries, we have a new jurisprudence which is called surrogacy. You 
can enter into an agreement with somebody to have a child for you, especially 
when you are unable to.

"This method or any other legal ones can be adopted, instead of hiding behind 
the markets or lurking around street corners, to buy and sell babies.

"The act of buying and selling children is not only a crime, but also against 
the will of God. Children should be protected, cared for and nurtured by their 
parents, especially mothers, and should never be put up for sale.???"

NAN reported that a former minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, who 
chaired the occasion, appealed to parents to always make the welfare of their 
children a top priority.

(source: tribuneonlineng.com)








BAHRAIN:

Mass protests against planned execution of activists continue in Bahrain



Mass protests by citizens of Bahrain continue to grow, as people take to the 
streets to protest against the regime of the Khalifa dynasty.

Local sources report heavy crackdowns on demonstrations all over the country, 
adding that people chanted slogans which called for an end to the Khalifa 
family's rule over the country. Bahraini troops used teargas to suppress a 
demonstration by women in the village of Diraz on Monday.

Demonstrations have been growing steadily since 6 civilians were sentenced to 
the death penalty on Monday. The verdict had been handed down by a military 
court, after a decree by Bahraini absolute monarch Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa 
ruled that civilian protesters should henceforth be tried under military law.

Bahrain's top military court sentenced the 6 individuals to death on Monday 
after convicting them over charges including plotting to assassinate the chief 
of the armed forces of the Gulf state, Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed 
Al-Khalifa. The court also sentenced seven other people to 7-year jail terms 
and deprived them of their citizenship, while 5 men were acquitted.

Prior to Monday's trial, there had never once been any official mention of any 
sort of plot against the life of the Field Marshall, and the Bahrain News 
Agency refused to give any further details of when or where the plan was 
alleged to have taken place.

(source: almasdarnews.com)