[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

June 20




UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:

Filipina on death row in Al Ain spared----Filipina maid has been acquitted from 
the murder charge, sentenced to 5 years


The Filipina domestic worker sentenced to death in Al Ain for killing her 
employer has been saved from death row, a Philippine envoy said.

Jennifer Dalquez, 30, a domestic worker, was given the death penalty by the Al 
Ain Court of First Instance in May 2015 after she was found guilty of killing 
her employer in December 2014. She claimed it was self-defence because her 
employer tried to rape her.

Philippine Ambassador Constancio Vingno Jr said the hearing for the case of 
Jennifer Dalquez was held on Monday.

"Ms Dalquez was acquitted for the murder charge. She will not be paying diyyah 
or blood money. However, she was sentenced for 5 years for theft for stealing 
the mobile phone of the person who was killed, less the number of years she had 
spent in jail," Vingno told Gulf News.

Vingno said Dalquez was arrested about a week after the incident on December 7, 
2014. This means she has been serving time for 2 1/2 years since.

"We are still waiting for the official report from our lawyer to ascertain the 
details of the case, but this is definitely good news for her family and the 
Filipino people."

Dalquez' parents visited her in Al Ain in October 2015 and in March 2017, 
through the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila.

(source: Gulf News)






MYANMAR:

'Exorcist' who pled guilty to murdering 3 children sentenced to death by 
hanging


The self-proclaimed 'exorcist' who beat 3 children to death has been handed the 
death sentence, a court ruled earlier today.

After pleading guilty to the murder charges last November, the perpetrator, Tun 
Naing, was tried under Sections 302 and 325 for committing grievous harm and 
murder. Today, the Yangon Southern District Court sentenced him to 7 years in 
jail under Section 325, and to death by hanging under Section 302, Mizzima 
reports.

Tun Naing was arrested last October for beating 3 children - aged 3 years, 2 
years, and 8 months - to death in an attempt to rid their bodies of evil 
spirits. He also reportedly gave the children's families and other villagers 
'blessed' water and put them in a 'trance', and killed the children as they 
watched. Police reports noted that the bodies showed signs of being kicked, 
punched, and stamped on.

While the death penalty still exists in Myanmar, it is rarely carried out. The 
most recent death sentence was handed out in the case of Uruma, the man who was 
found guilty of leading the October attacks on the Maungdaw border posts. 
According to official records, the last known execution under the death 
sentence took place in 1988.

In January 2014, then-President Thein Sein commuted all outstanding death 
sentences to life in prison.

Today, those handed the death penalty can make an appeal to the Chief Justice 
within a week to commute the verdict to a life sentence. If their appeal is 
rejected, a similar appeal can be made to the President.

(source: coconuts.co)






INDIA:

Man gets death penalty for daughters honour killing


A Nashik court today sentenced a 47 -year-old man to death for killing his 
daughter four years ago for marrying a man outside their caste.

District and Sessions Judge Suchitra Ghodake awarded death penalty to Eknath 
Kisan Kumbharkar for committing the penal offence of murder under section 302 
of the Indian Penal Code.

Since the victim was pregnant at the time of her murder, the court also 
sentenced him to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 5,000 for 
causing death of unborn child (under section 316 of IPC) and life imprisonment 
for kidnapping in order to murder (under section 364 of the IPC).

Kumbharkars daughter Pramila had tied the knot with a man, who belonged to a 
different caste and he was not happy with her decision.

On June 28, 2013, Kumbharkar, a resident of More Mala Bhadange Baba chawl in 
Panchavati, went to Pramilas house in the city and told her that her mother 
wanted to meet her. He hired an autorickshaw and on the way strangulated her to 
death using a rope. The incident took place near KTHM College, Sarkarwada 
police had said.

Kumbharkar was arrested by the police immediately after the incident.

According to the police, this was the 1st honour- killing case in the city.

(source: intoday.com)






BANGLADESH:

Death sentence in honour killing


In a landmark verdict vis-a-vis honour killing and khap panchayats, a sessions 
court in Nashik has awarded capital punishment to a man who had killed his 
pregnant doctor in 2013 for marrying outside the caste.

District and Sessions Judge Suchitra Ghodake awarded death penalty to Eknath 
Kisan Kumbharkar to Eknath Kisan Kumbharkar after prosecution proved the 
charges of murder and satisfied the court that it was a rarest of the rare 
case.

Kumbharkar's daughter Pramila had tied the knot with a man, outside the caste.

"This is a landmark judgement and would be a deterrent," said social activist 
Krishna Chandgude, who had been pursuing the case.

There were 10 witnesses in the case.

(source: Deccan Herald)



GHANA:

I Support Putting Criminals To Death - Kabila


Sentencing criminals to death has over the years become a controversial issue 
as Ghanaians are divided on whether the government should scrap death penalties 
or not.

Some section of Ghanaians have argued that death penalties are archaic and an 
infringement on the people's right to life, while another section seem to go by 
the proverb "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword" meaning those who 
commit violent acts must expect to suffer violence themselves.

James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called Kabila delivered his submissions on the 
issue of death sentence in the country.

Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's flagship programme, the CPP 
stalwart supported the idea for death penalties to be meted out to criminals in 
the nation.

He explained that until death penalties are excluded from the laws of the 
country, he would have it being exercised.

He wondered how an armed robber, for instance, will attack a family mercilessly 
resulting in the loss of lives and when found guilty of crimes punishable by 
death, should receive a lesser sentence.

"From the Christian point of view, an advocate of Christ principles and so 
forth; you'll say we shouldn't kill the person. We should give him/her 
opportunity to repent but our laws point out that in order not for it to be a 
trend, we should punish the culprit. And the punishment is death penalty and if 
we haven't changed that law, I am not against it".

(source: peacefmonline.com)






SOMALIA:

Naval officer sentenced to death over Somali minister's murder


A Somali military court sentenced a naval officer to death Monday for shooting 
dead the minister of public works in what the defense argued was an accident.

A young minister seen as an inspiration to many in the conflict-torn nation, 
Abbas Abdullahi Siraji, 31, was killed last month when armed guards shot at his 
vehicle outside the presidential palace.

The naval officer, Ahmed Abdullahi Abdi, 29, a bodyguard to the auditor-general 
-- who was fired after the incident -- was arrested and charged with the 
minister's murder.

"After considering the evidence brought in front of the court, including the 
testimonies of the witnesses, pictures of the vehicles used, evaluations of the 
crime scene and the gun used for the murder, the court is convinced that the 
accused is guilty as charged," said Colonel Hassan Ali Nur Shute, head of the 
military court.

"The court sentenced him to the death penalty for the killing of Abas Abdullahi 
Siraji."

The verdict was handed down after only 3 court appearances, with government 
under pressure to bring a culprit to book.

The defense had argued that the accused opened fire when a vehicle carrying 
Siraji drove up behind that of the auditor-general, seeing it as suspicious in 
a country that faces regular such attacks by Shabaab Islamists.

Many government officials, wealthy individuals and foreigners drive around 
Mogadishu with squads of armed bodyguards who are frequently nervy and 
trigger-happy. Many civilians have been killed in similar shootings.

Shabaab militants linked to Al-Qaeda carry out regular bombings and 
assassinations targeting government officials, and it is rare for a government 
minister to drive himself, making mistaken identity a strong possibility.

Somalia still actively carries out the death penalty by squad shooting.

(source: Gulf News)