[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Jan. 4




KUWAIT:

Death penalty sought in bid to cut murders in the family - Drugs, broken 
families cause of rise in domestic crimes


There has been a recent increase in the rate of domestic crimes in the country, 
which are uncommon in the Kuwaiti society, such as parents killing their child 
and putting the corpse inside a deep freezer or a child killing his parent and 
sibling, and many such incidents.

These incidents necessitate urgent well-studied responses for curbing such a 
phenomenon that threaten the family entity as well as social stability. In an 
investigative report, experts affirmed that the spread of crimes and violence 
in Kuwait is attributed to the ease in acquiring weapons, lack of religious 
principles and family disintegration, in addition to widespread use of 
narcotics and lack of respect for the law.

They stressed the importance of intensifying awareness campaigns inside schools 
for children as well as for parents on proper upbringing of children, and 
initiating fierce war against drugs, which have been attributed to many of 
these crimes.

Citizens who participated in this report called for imposing tough penalties on 
criminals in order to reduce the rate of domestic crimes, insisting that 
capital punishment should be given to those who kill their parents, siblings 
and even friends.

They said responsible parents should be aware of the risks involved in the 
presence of weapons inside homes, stressing that proper and secure storage for 
such weapons should be ensured. They insisted that law enforcers should ensure 
reverence of the law is maintained in order to deter crimes.

In this regard, a professor of Psychology at Kuwait University Dr. Khodar 
Al-Baroun said the increase in the rate of domestic crimes in the society is 
due to high level of family disintegration, which is usually caused by high 
divorce rate, and growing use of narcotics.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Hamdan Al-Namshan stressed that domestic crimes in Kuwait 
have increased, which could be attributed to lack of family atmosphere compared 
to the past, as well as congestion of family members who live under the same 
roof. He insisted that a proper housing welfare solution might reduce the 
number of domestic crimes in a significant manner due to the fact that it will 
reduce the number of family disputes that erupt among the members of a huge 
family who live under the same roof.

Furthermore, a Muslim preacher Saleh Al-Ghanim affirmed that the penalty 
imposed on those who kill intentionally is to be killed in retribution. He 
stressed that domestic crimes are considered worse than other crimes due to the 
family ties, adding that implementation of Sharia law is the right solution due 
to its strictness in dealing with such crimes.

(source: Arab Times)






SAUDI ARABIA:

Saudis to Behead 23-Year-Old Disabled Man for Protesting Government


The Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a member of the United Nations Human Rights 
Council, is expected to decapitate a disabled 23-year-old man who was sentenced 
to death for participating in anti-government protests in the predominantly 
Shiite eastern part of the country.

Munir al-Adam is awaiting his execution after being sentenced for "attacks on 
police," among other crimes, which prosecutors claim he partook in during a 
series of protests in 2011, reports the Independent.

Adam, who is appealing his sentence, was reportedly arrested in February 2012 
when he was 18 years old and accused of taking part in protests in his 
Shiite-majority hometown of Qatif the previous year.

"There are regular protests in the [Qatif] area against the Saudi government," 
notes the Independent.

"The 23-year-old is partially blind and was already partially deaf at the time 
of arrest; he alleges he is now completely deaf in 1 ear as a result of being 
severely beaten by police," it adds.

In a statement, his family rejects the verdict and claims Adam was tortured 
into confessing to the alleged crimes, reports the Times.

The Independent cites Adam as indicating that "he had only signed a document 
admitting the offenses after being repeatedly beaten."

Adam reportedly noted that the had been accused of "sending texts" when he was 
too poor to own a cell phone.

"Munir Adam's appalling case illustrates how the Saudi authorities are all too 
happy to subject the most vulnerable people to the swordsman's blade," declared 
Maya Foa, of human rights organization Reprieve. "Saudi Arabia???s close 
allies, including the UK, must urge the kingdom to release Munir, along with 
juveniles and others who were sentenced to death for protesting."

As of mid-October, Saudi Arabia had executed 134 people this year, most of them 
by public beheading, according to a tally by Agence France-Presse (AFP) and 
Human Rights Watch.

"Most people executed in Saudi Arabia are convicted for murder and drug 
trafficking, although nearly 50 people convicted of terrorism offences were put 
to death on a single day in January, among them the prominent [Shiite] cleric 
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr," noted the BBC.

The Saudi kingdom had reportedly been on track to exceed its 2015 execution 
total.

The Independent adds:

Saudi Arabia is one of the world's most prolific executioners. Research last 
year by human rights organization Reprieve found that, of those identified as 
facing execution in Saudi Arabia, some 72 % were sentenced to death for 
non-violent alleged crimes, while torture and forced confessions were common.

The traditionally close relationship between Saudi Arabia and Britain has 
become strained in the past year as people in the West have protested against 
the use of the death penalty, including against minors. Protests also erupted 
across the Middle East in January.

Saudi Arabia is also a U.S. ally.

Sara Hashah, a spokesperson for Amnesty International's Middle East and North 
Africa branch, has revealed that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran are 
responsible for 90 % of all the executions across the world.

"In Saudi Arabia, where people are routinely sentenced to death after grossly 
unfair trials, we have seen a dramatic surge in the number of executions in the 
past 2 years which has shown no sign of abating in 2016," she told the 
Independent in July.

"This clearly demonstrates that Saudi Arabia???s authorities are increasingly 
out of step with a global trend of states moving away from the death penalty," 
also said Hashah, adding, "Saudi Arabia's authorities must end their reliance 
on this cruel, inhuman and degrading form of punishment immediately."

(source: breitbart.com)






IRAN:

4 Drug Related Prisoners in Imminent Danger of Execution


At least 4 prisoners were reportedly transferred to solitary confinement in 
Ghezel Hesar Prison in preparation for their executions.The transfer to 
solitary confinement for the 4 prisoners, who are on death row for drug related 
offenses, occurred on Monday January 2.

Close sources have identified the prisoners as Khashiar Behrouzi, Mehdi 
Kavousi, Anoush Baluch, and Harif Gholami.

According to close sources, Mr. Gholami was transferred to Ghezel Hesar from 
Tehran Central Prison.

(source: Iran Human Rights)






CHINA:

Chinese businesswomans death penalty commuted to life term


A Chinese court today commuted the death sentence of a businesswoman, who was 
found guilty of fraudulent fundraising, to life imprisonment.

Su Yenyu, 45, was sentenced to death by the Erdos Intermediate Peoples Court 
and the higher peoples court in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2013 for 
cheating investors out of 1.23 billion yuan (USD 177 million).

However, the Supreme Peoples Court remanded the case in March 2015, upon 
consideration that Su had surrendered herself to the police.

Erdos Intermediate Peoples Court retried the case publicly in July 2016 and 
commuted the sentence to life in prison today.

She was also deprived of political rights for life, and all her personal 
property was confiscated.

Su began illegally raising money in 2006 and cheated investors out of 1.23 
billion yuan, luring them with promises of high returns, and personally 
misappropriated 552 million yuan.

She used the funds to invest in restaurants, health clubs, coal mines and 
farms, as well as to buy property, cars, lottery tickets and jewelry for 
herself, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

She burned all documents related to her business between 2006 and October 2009 
out of fear her illegal acts would be exposed.

She surrendered to police on September 20, 2011. Ren Wenxiang, who supported 
Sus endeavours, was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison and fined 
500,000 yuan.

(source: Indiatoday.in)


SUDAN:

Pastor Is Now Free After Facing Death Penalty, but 3 Others May Be Hanged


Christians campaigning for the release of 2 Sudanese pastors facing a potential 
death sentence are celebrating partial victory after one of the men was 
released, but others remain in prison facing serious charges.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported on Tuesday that the Rev. Kuwa Shamal, 
one of four men on trial, has been released from prison after a judge found 
that there was no evidence against him.

Another pastor, the Rev. Hassan Abduraheem, remains in prison, however, on 
suspicion of committing national security crimes with the 2 other men.

"CSW welcomes the judge's decision to release Reverend Shamal after finding no 
evidence against him. However we are disappointed that the trial of Reverend 
Abduraheem, Mr. Ja???ek and Mr. Abdumawla continues despite being based on the 
same evidence that was deemed to be insufficient in Reverend Shamal's case," 
said CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas.

"In reality, none of them have committed the serious crimes with which they 
have been charged. We urge the Sudanese government to ensure the immediate and 
unconditional release of these men, who have been detained since December 2015, 
simply for an act of kindness," he added.

The accusations against Abduraheem center around the premise that he helped 
facilitate a meeting in December 2015 where $5,000 was donated toward the 
medical treatment of a young man who was injured in a demonstration in 2013.

Sudanese authorities intercepted the money, however, and claimed that the 
pastor and the men involved in the donation were supporting rebel movements in 
the South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur regions, something which the accused 
firmly deny.

"By framing the case in this manner, [the] National Intelligence and Security 
Service has attempted to exploit the fact that Revs. Abduraheem and Shamal are 
originally from the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan and Mr. Abdumawla is from 
Darfur," the CSW report explained.

Several international persecution watchdog groups, such as the American Center 
for Law and Justice, have spoken out against the treatment of the pastors, and 
warned in a global petition that unless others speak out, a death penalty could 
be handed down.

"They could be sentenced to hang for their faith if the world is silent," ACLJ 
Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow wrote in December.

"Christian Pastors Hassan and Kuwa need your voice now. Time is of the essence, 
as the trial continues. Our silence could be their death," he added.

"Other Christians facing death in Sudan are now free because you spoke out. Be 
heard now for these persecuted Christians."

Christian pastors have been arrested on numerous occasions in the Muslim 
majority nation of Sudan, with South Sudanese Presbyterian Pastors Yat Michael 
and Peter Yein Reith also facing a possible death penalty until they were freed 
from prison in August 2015.

(source: christianpost.com)






PHILIPPINES:

MILF execution video leaked on Facebook


A video clip of an execution of 3 people in the southern Philippines has gone 
viral after it was leaked on Facebook.

The 12-minute execution video was uploaded by a certain "Abu Haneef Tabarusaw." 
It showed heavily armed men wearing dark clothes and bonnets, positioned in 
front of three men who were blindfolded and tied to poles.

Also seen in the video are flags similar to those belonging to the Moro Islamic 
Liberation Front (MILF).

The men tied to a pole were identified only as Udi, Sabar and Patrol. They were 
allegedly convicted for the crime of murder and sentenced to death by a Sharia 
court last year.

The video also showed MILF Northwestern Division Commander Abdullah Macapaar 
alias Commander Bravo witnessing a last-minute plea for the lives of the 3 men. 
However, a man and an elderly woman refused to spare the lives of the 3.

At a commander's cue, the men were shot dead in a fusillade of automatic 
rifles' gunfire.

The executioners shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before they untied the dead men and 
laid them down on the ground.

The incident happened in Watu Balindong, Lanao del Sur last year.

'Death penalty not uncommon in Islam'

In a telephone phone interview with ABS-CBN News, Commander Bravo explained 
that in Islam, convicts can settle with the aggrieved party through blood money 
or be pardoned.

He added that death penalty is not uncommon in Islam.

Commander Bravo added that the men who were executed were tried fairly in a 
court by 11 Islamic law scholars or ulamas. He was the last to sign the court's 
execution order.

The MILF commander said the death of the 3 ended a feud between families.

Bravo also told ABS-CBN News that they also took videos of previous executions 
and only one has been leaked online so far.

(source: abs-cbn.com)

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

Death penalty opponents warn of EU trade risks


Members of the House said they will work when session resume this month to 
highlight the economic consequences of restoring the death penalty, 
particularly the expected negative response from the European Union (EU), a 
major export destination.

Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman (1st district) told BusinessWorld that he and his 
colleagues plan to focus on the risks to the country's membership in the 
Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) scheme, a zero-tariff privilege 
granted by the EU on condition of compliance with key international 
conventions, including commitments to abolish the death penalty.

"We are going to take that up again in the plenary. That is a very important 
repercussion," he said in a phone interview last month.

"We are going to tell them that we have these tariff-free privileges from the 
Europe and if we insist on restoring death penalty we are going to lose these 
privileges."

Mr. Lagman said that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has not 
approached his group on the matter, while clarifying that he and his colleagues 
are acting under their "own initiative." As of press time, DTI Secretary Ramon 
M. Lopez has not responded to requests for comment.

The GSP+ was granted to the Philippines in December 2014, making it the lone 
country in the ASEAN region which has benefited from tariff-free exports of 
over 6,000 product categories.

The Philippines bagged wider EU access for its products on the condition that 
the comply with 27 international conventions, including a commitment against 
the death penalty.

The country ratified in 1986 the United Nations??? International Covenant on 
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which binds parties to ensure basic 
freedoms, as well as avoid cruel forms of punishment. Then in 2007, the country 
did the same for ICCPR's Second Optional Protocol that bound signatories to 
support efforts to abolish the death penalty.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy B. Baguilat said that the discussions on the death penalty 
still have not focused on the possible risks to exports, adding that many 
representatives are still undecided.

"There is still not much focus on economic costs. What has been discussed so 
far is the crime deterrence and crime statistics," he told BusinessWorld in a 
phone interview on Dec. 22.

More than a decade has passed since the death penalty was abolished through 
Republic Act No. 9346, approved in June 2006.

The government is seeking to bring back capital punishment as a deterrent to 
crime.

A bill on this matter hurdled the justice committee of the House of 
Representatives earlier this month and is expected to bag plenary approval when 
lawmakers return next month from their Christmas and New Year break.

In December, senior officials in the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the 
United Nations appealed to Congress to honor the second optional protocol, 
which would otherwise be breached with the passage of the death penalty bill.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in an open letter 
dated Dec. 6 that there is no opt-out mechanism in the protocol, pointing to a 
clear violation of the international commitment should Congress go through with 
the law.

This breach, according to CHR Commissioner Karen Lucia S. Gomez Dumpit, would 
"negatively affect" the country's GSP+ status eventually.

Nevertheless, she said that the commission is still hoping that Congress would 
have a change of heart.

"Initially, the Speaker was very confident that he will get to pass the 
proposal before Christmas. It hasn't happened and we are hopeful that it won't 
run its course. We are not yet throwing in the towel," she said in a Dec. 22 
interview, referring to House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez.

"We have our champions in the House. We also have our champions in the Senate. 
But right now, the ball is in the House."

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority suggest that exports have 
received a boost since the grant of the GSP+ privilege.

Before the grant of the GSP+ status 2 years ago, the Philippines was covered by 
EU's regular GSP which accorded zero duty treatment on only 2,442 products and 
reduced tariffs for 3,767 others.

Merchandise exports to EU grew 2.6% in 2014 -- the year when the country had 
only regular GSP status -- to $6.73 billion from $6.55 billion in 2013, PSA 
data showed.

A full year with wider access for exports saw a 6.8% jump in 2015 to $7.17 
billion from a revised 2014 trade figure of $6.71 billion.

However,there was a 4.6% decrease in the first 10 months of 2016 to $5.69 
billion.

(source: bworldonline.com)