[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 28




UNITED KINGDOM:

Ukip's Paul Nuttall 'willing to serve as executioner' if death penalty restored


Ukip leader Paul Nuttall says he would have no problem being involved in 
executing those who kill children or British soldiers.

The MEP is a supporter of capital punishment and said his party would be "only 
too happy" to offer a referendum on whether it should return or not if "enough 
people called" for one.

Speaking to The Mail On Sunday, Mr Nuttall said: "I would like to see the death 
penalty for terrorists and child killers."

The newspaper reported that when asked if he was prepared to act as executioner 
Mr Nuttall replied: "Yes."

It added Mr Nuttall cited the killers of soldier Lee Rigby and Moors murderer 
Ian Brady when adding: "'For people who kill a (British) soldier and harm 
children, I would not have a problem doing it.

"I believe in capital punishment for treason. Opinion polls show the vast 
majority of people agree with me."

Mr Nuttall said his support for capital punishment is not official Ukip policy.

(source: Evening Mail)






BANGLADESH:

Full text of blogger Rajib murder verdict released


The convicts can now move to the Appellate Division against their sentence

The High court has released the full text of its verdict reconfirming the death 
penalties handed down to 2 people for killing blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider.

The verdict, which was published on Sunday, is available on the Supreme Court 
website.

The release of the full verdict has cleared the way for the convicts - Md 
Faisal Bin Nayem alias Dweep and former Shibir leader Redwanul Azad Rana - to 
move to the Appellate Division against their sentence.

On April 2, the High Court upheld a speedy trial tribunal verdict that 
sentenced Nayem and Rana to death for the murder.

On December 31, 2015, the special tribunal handed the death penalties to the 
duo for masterminding the murder of blogger Rajib and also fined them Tk10,000 
each.

In addition, the tribunal sentenced 6 others to various terms of imprisonment 
for the murder, including a 5-year sentence for Ansarullah spiritual leader 
Mufti Jashim Uddin Rahmani.

Al-Qaeda's Bangladesh wing Ansarullah Bangla Team (now Ansar al-Islam) had 
claimed responsibility for the murder.

On March 15, 2015, the DMP announced a bounty of Tk5 lakh for top Ansarullah 
leader Rana following the murder of Mukto-Mona blog founder Avijit Roy on 
February 26 the same year.

Rana, who had instructed to attack blogger Asif Mohiuddin, also made the plan 
to attack 2 teachers of Monipur High School, police said. He was arrested on 
February 20 this year.

Rajib, known as Thaba Baba to the blogging community, was hacked to death on 
February 15, 2013 near his Pallabi residence, only 10 days into the historic 
movement at Shahbagh demanding death penalty for the 1971 war criminals and a 
ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir.

A day after the murder, the victim's father Nazim Uddin filed a murder case 
with Pallabi police station.

(source: Dhaka Tribune)






PAKISTAN:

'Hang Kulbhushan Jadhav immediately, ICJ order not binding on Pakistan', an 
appeal tells Supreme Court----The ICJ on May 18 put a stay on the death 
sentence given by Pakistan to Kulbhushan Jadhav after hearing India's request 
to grant consular access to Jadhav and Pakistan's submission.


A application filed in Supreme Court of Pakistan has sought immediate execution 
of Indian national and alleged RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav. Arguing that 
Kulbhushan Jadhav has not "appealed against his death penalty" and 
"international law was not binding" on Pakistan, the applicant Farooq H. Naik 
said he should be hanged immediately. Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death 
by the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) last month for his alleged 
involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan.

According to a report of Pakistan-based newspaper The Nation, the applicant 
argued that 'Kulbhushan as Jadhav has pleaded guilty in front of military 
courts and has not appealed against his death penalty hence he should be hanged 
immediately.' The application further stated that International Court of 
Justice did not hold binding jurisdiction over Pakistan. "Pakistan is free to 
act according to its domestic law," said the applicant.

The ICJ on May 18 put a stay on the death sentence given by Pakistan to 
Kulbhushan Jadhav after hearing India???s request to grant consular access to 
Jadhav and Pakistan's submission. While the ICJ said Kulbhushan Jadhav should 
not be hanged till a verdict is delivered, Pakistan had maintained that the ICJ 
verdict had not altered the status of Kulbhushan Jadhav case in any manner. 
"ICJ will never acquit Jadhav," said Britain-based lawyer Khawar Qureshi, who 
represented Pakistan at the International Court of Justice.

Pakistan claimed Kulbhushan Jadhav was a serving officer in the Indian Navy and 
arrested from the Baluchistan province last year. India out rightly denied the 
claims, saying Kulbhushan Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he was running a 
business, and adding he was a retired Navy officer. India approached the ICJ, 
accusing Pakistan of "egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular 
Relations" in the matter of detention and trial of Jadhav, and sought a stay on 
his death sentence. India was denied consular access to Jadhav as many as 14 
times.

(source: india.com)

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

3 murderers get death in 3 cases


The courts handed down capital punishment to 3 murder accused while pronouncing 
verdict on 3 murder cases here on Saturday.

In Gujranwala, Additional District and Sessions court awarded death sentence to 
a murder accused. According to prosecution, Ziaullah along with his accomplices 
had gunned down Muhammad Shahid over a lover marriage issue on July 19, 2015. 
After completion of the hearing of the case, Additional District and Sessions 
judge Sher Muhammad handed down death sentence to the accused.

In Chiniot, Additional District and Sessions Judge Ali Zulqarnain sentenced 2 
accused to death in 2 separate murder cases.

The court sentenced to death Muhammad Ishaq with Rs300,000 for killing Shahid 
Iqbal on February 29, 2016. Shahid and Ishaq had old enmity as Ishaq had killed 
2 brothers and father of Shahid and the former was pursuing murder case against 
the latter.

Ishaq through a woman Bushra Bibi called Shahid to Chiniot last year where he 
killed him along with his accomplices Bushra; Khalida, Mohri Khan and Muhammad 
Hussain.

The court, however, acquitted co-accused, giving them the benefit of the doubt.

In another case, the court awarded death penalty and Rs300,000 fine to Sarfraz 
Ahmad, resident of Muhammad Wala village. According to prosecution, Sarfraz had 
shot dead Shahid Bibi for rejecting his marriage proposal on September 13, 2016 
in front of her parent.

(source: The Nation)






MALAYSIA:

Lovers staring at death penalty over death of toddler


An unemployed woman and her lover were charged in the Sessions Court here today 
with the murder of her 20-month-old son.

Sofia Nabila Naim, 22, and mechanic Mohd Hanafi Misban, 28, nodded after the 
charge was read out to them before Judge Salawati Djambari via an interpreter 
but no plea was recorded.

They were jointly charged with murdering Muhammad Zahril Sufyan Abdul Zahir at 
a house in Block 4, Felda Bukit Easter here between 7.10am and 2.30pm on May 
15.

The charge, under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 
of the same code, carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

Sofia is now 3 months pregnant.

Judge Salawati set July 3 for mention pending the full post mortem and 
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test reports.

Deputy public prosecutor Suhaila Shafi'uddin appeared for the prosecution while 
both accused were unrepresented.

(source: themalaymailonline.com)






IRAN----execution

Iran hangs renowned Kurdish wrestler after 10 years in prison - rights org


An accomplished Kurdish wrestler in Iranian Kurdistan was executed by 
authorities after an order from the judiciary.

The organization Human Rights Activists in Eastern Kurdistan reported that 
Hujatolla Tedro was hanged to death this week. The report added that Tedro had 
been charged with attacking someone; however, he repeatedly dismissed the 
claims.

According to the rights organization, the Kermanshah wrestler had been 
imprisoned for 10 years.

Tedro from the Kurdish city of Kermanshah had won international championships 
in the 74-kilogram weight class.

A yearly report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization stated that the 
number people executed in Iran in 2016 "might be as high as 437."

The European Union Parliament adopted a strategy in 2016 for relations with 
Iran after the nuclear agreement in which it expressed concerns about the 
alarming rate of executions.

President Hassan Rouhani had campaigned in 2013 promising greater respect for 
civil and political rights.

"Despite 3 years in his office, President Hassan Rouhani has not delivered," 
HRW reported ahead of the May presidential elections.

Rouhani was re-elected to a 4-year term on May 19 after winning 57 % of the 
vote.

(source: rudaw.net)






SOMALIA:

Puntland Military Court Sentences 5 Al-Shabab Suspects to Death


A military court in Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland has sentenced 5 
Al-Shabab suspects to death for planning and attempting to carry suicide car 
bomb in Bosasso town before they were intercepted, Somali Update reports. The 5 
young men were arrested with a car allegedly laden with explosives on April 
25th, 2017 by the Puntland security forces following a tip off from the public.

On Saturday, Puntland Military Court Judge Abdifatah Haji Aden announced the 
court ruling on the 5 men- Ibrahim Mohamed Ashuur, 20 ; Abaas Ibrahim Yare 
Aadan, 26; Dhaqane Adan Abdi Xadsan, 20; Aadan Nuur Aadan Cali, 27; Nuur Cabdi 
Aadan Isaaq 22.

"The court have seen the testimonials made one of the defendants, and reviewed 
all the alleged persons' cases, has sentenced a death penalty on all 5 of 
them." The Judge said as he was reading the court verdict against the 5 men who 
were sitting in front of him in a room inside the Prison in the coastal town of 
Bosasso.

The Judge noted that the court will soon carry the execution of the 5 men. It 
was unclear if the regional-based military court will allow appeals for the 5 
young men despite the Saturday's verdict of death sentence.

The court ruling comes following a suicide bomber explosion in Bosasso last 
week killing at least five in a military checkpoint.

(source: somaliupdate.com)