[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

June 21



GHANA:

J.B Danquah's 'killer' mentally unstable - Lawyer



Lawyer Yaw Obuor, counsel for Daniel Asiedu one of the suspects standing trial 
in the murder of the former MP for Abuakwa North Constituency, Joseph Boakye 
Danquah Adu, has said the suspect is a minor and is mentally unstable.

Daniel Asiedu aka Sexy Dondon, on Wednesday, told an Accra District Court that 
he was hired by some persons in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to kill the 
Legislator and was rather told to mention the opposition National Democratic 
Congress (NDC) as his 'contractors' whenever he's questioned about the crime.

According to him, he was promised to be provided with whatever he asks for 
after he's been able to carry out the assignment. He added that he's still not 
heard from his "contractors".

Daniel Asiedu who was arrested after he stabbed the late MP in his East Legon 
home while sleeping on the dawn of Tuesday, February 9, 2016, told the court 
that only 1 person from the NPP has visited him since his arrest and is ready 
to mention the names of the persons who contracted him if he is asked to.

But the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen who has 
followed the case in court in an interview with host Akwasi Nsiah on Si Mi So 
on Kasapa FM described Daniel Asiedu as a dishonest character whose words 
should not be taken seriously.

He said the suspect has not been consistent with his statements about his 
involvement in the murder making his not a credible character.

"We need to be serious and not waste our time on such baseless allegations, he 
should mention the name of the persons he claims contracted him to commit the 
murder. This guy has not been consistent. Initially, when he was caught he told 
the police that he knew nothing about the crime, later he said it was the NDC 
who contracted him and now he's saying it's the NPP. Can you take such a person 
seriously?"

But Daniel Asiedu's Counsel, Lawyer Obuor insists his client is not in the 
right state of mind.

"I can tell you and I've said it that he has a mental problem, I applied for 
bail for him last week but the bail was refused. He's aware that we were going 
to apply for bail for him again, it will be filed early next week." He told Joy 
FM.

Meanwhile, Criminal Lawyer, Martin Kpebu has said the suspect's confession is 
not enough and expects the case to move to the High Court where the suspect 
will face the death penalty if convicted.

(source: ghanaweb.com)








PAKISTAN:

The life of a condemned prisoner



Recently, 17 prisoners were released under Article 45; however, there remain 
many more that are waiting to be set free.

During the recent Eid-ul Fitr celebrations, the president of Pakistan announced 
his decision to grant remissions to prisoners across the country, under Article 
45 of the Constitution. In light of this decision, 17 prisoners were released; 
however, there remain many more that are waiting to be set free.

One such example is that of Muhammad Iqbal alias 'Bali', who has been in jail 
for 18 years without any respite in sight.

Bali was a juvenile when he committed the offense that landed him in prison, 
back in 1999. Despite this, he was sentenced to death by the Special Court 
under the Anti Terrorism Act of 1997, and his subsequent appeals to the High 
Court, as well as the Supreme Court, were also turned down.

While the co-accused persons in his case were discharged from jail after 
completing their sentences, Iqbal has not been offered the same respite, and he 
was not even allowed to go to his parent's funerals either, both of them having 
died without seeing their son receive the justice he deserved.

Iqbal was set to be sent to the gallows last year, after the dismissal of his 
1st mercy petition by the president of Pakistan. His 2nd mercy petition was 
filed on humanitarian grounds by a third party, and it was tentatively 
acknowledged by the office of the President's Secretariat (Public) in 
Islamabad, which forwarded it to the Office of Ministry of Interior for further 
follow up. This acknowledgment of his 2nd mercy petition resulted in a 
temporary stay in his execution, subject to the result of his clemency plea, 
which is currently pending adjudication in the office of the President.

Bali was a juvenile when he committed the offense that landed him in prison, 
back in 1999. Despite this, he was sentenced to death by the Special Court 
under the Anti Terrorism Act of 1997.

It is disturbing to note that the case of 'Bali' is unfortunately not the only 
such case that needs to be highlighted. There are countless other prisoners in 
similar situations, including Abdul Basit, a wheelchair bound prisoner 
currently housed in Faisalabad Central jail. It is important for the president 
of Pakistan to understand that he cannot keep procrastinating over decisions of 
such importance, especially when a person's life is on the line.

Even though Article 45 of the Constitution does not specify a specific time 
period in which such decisions are to be made, this does not allow the state to 
take all the time in the world to come to a final decision. In fact, the Indian 
Supreme Court holds that an inordinate delay in deciding a clemency plea is not 
only inhumane, but is also reasonable grounds for the condemned prisoners to be 
discharged from jail.

Considering the curious case of 'Bali', another point to be considered is that 
following the introduction of the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO) in 
2000, the then President of Pakistan issued notification No F.8/41/2001-Ptns, 
granting a remission in death sentences to those whose sentence had been 
confirmed prior to the enactment of the JJSO.

Thus, it is fair to say that Muhammad Iqbal's death sentence and execution are 
in violation of Pakistan's international obligations under the CRC and the 
ICCPR, as well as domestic law.

I implore the president of Pakistan to decide the pending mercy petitions as 
quickly as possible, and provide these helpless victims of the system, the 
respite they so desperately need. The life of a condemned prisoner is one rife 
with pain and misery, and it is high time that unfortunate prisoners like 
'Bali' receive the attention and consideration they deserve from the people in 
power as well.

( source: Sarmad Ali; The writer is an advocate based in Lahore----Daily Times)








THAILAND:

Resuming Death Penalty a Major Setback----Government Executes a Prisoner After 
9-Year Moratorium



The Thai government should halt further executions and publicly resume its de 
facto moratorium on the use of the death penalty, Human Rights Watch said 
today. Thai authorities executed a 26-year-old man by lethal injection on June 
18, 2018, the country's 1st execution since August 2009.

"Thailand's resumed use of the death penalty marks a major setback for human 
rights," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "The Thai government's many pledges 
about moving toward abolishing the death penalty clearly meant nothing."

The Corrections Department stated that the execution of Theerasak Longji, who 
was found guilty of aggravated murder 6 years ago, reflected Thailand's 
standpoint that "focuses on protecting society, rather than the rights and 
freedoms of wrongdoers," and sends a warning message that serious crimes will 
be severely punished. The decision reverses a de facto moratorium on executions 
that Thailand had adopted over the past 9 years and incorporated into the 
national action plan on human rights.

Human Rights Watch opposes capital punishment in all countries and in all 
circumstances because of its inherent cruelty.

According to the Corrections Department, as of April, there were 517 prisoners 
(415 men and 102 women) on death row in Thailand. Most were convicted of 
drug-related offenses. The fate of many of these people, who have sought 
commutation of their sentences, is now at risk.

The United Nations General Assembly has continually called on countries to 
establish a moratorium on the death penalty, progressively restrict the 
practice, and reduce the offenses for which it might be imposed - all with the 
view toward its eventual abolition. In addition, the UN Human Rights Committee 
and the UN expert on unlawful killings have specifically condemned the use of 
the death penalty in drug cases.

"The ineffectiveness of the death penalty in combating crime is evident the 
world over, and this cruel practice has no place in modern society," Adams 
said. "Thailand should immediately stop all executions and abolish the death 
penalty once and for all."

(source: Human Rights Watch)

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

Polls point to strong backing among Thais for death penalty



Capital punishment, despite growing opposition among international 
organisations and other countries, is strongly supported by the majority of 
Thai people, according to surveys.

At least 4 online polls were conducted immediately after Thailand's 1st 
execution in 9 years took place on Monday. In every one, the majority of 
respondents agreed with the death penalty.

The findings came after a convicted murderer, identified only as Thirasak by 
the Corrections Department, was killed by lethal injection at Bangkwang Central 
Prison, bringing an end to a nine-year hiatus for executions in Thailand. He 
was convicted of fatally stabbing his 17-year-old victim 24 times in 2012 and 
making away with his cellphone and a small amount of cash.

About 2,300 people voted on Kom Chad Luek's website in response to the 
question, "Do you agree with execution?" An overwhelming 92 % said "Yes" while 
just 8 % said "No".

Nation TV conducted a similar survey at www.nationtv.tv, garnering more than 
20,000 votes. Of them, 95 % said the death penalty should continue to apply on 
Thai soil.

A popular Facebook page, Drama-addict, asked whether Thailand should put to 
death those convicted of extremely grave crimes. More than 124,900 people have 
responded so far, with 96 % or 119,900 of them in no doubt that capital 
punishment should be meted out to the worst criminals. The poll is open to 
voters for 5 more days.

Thirasak's mother yesterday said her son may have been wrongfully convicted, as 
he had always maintained that he had not committed the murder.

"That's why he always refused to plead guilty in court, even though [he knew] 
doing so would provide grounds for leniency," she said.

Among those protesting Thailand's resumption of executions was Germany's 
Commissioner for Human Rights, Barbel Kofler. "It is impossible to entirely 
rule out the possibility of wrongful convictions - with irreparable 
consequences if the defendant has been executed," she pointed out, adding that 
the death penalty was an inhumane form of punishment.

The European Union, meanwhile, said it was opposed to capital punishment under 
all circumstances.

"The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a 
deterrent and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and 
integrity," the EU said.

That sentiment apparently has little support in Thailand, where threat of 
execution is often held up as an effective deterrent against committing serious 
crimes.

More than 86,000 people responding to a poll at Kapook's Facebook page said 
they believed the death penalty reduced crimes. Only 1,451 respondents thought 
otherwise.

Maynart Nantakwang, whose popular author-mother was stabbed to death in a 
robbery, responded to the aftermath of Monday's execution by lamenting that so 
many people were so keen to defend the rights of cold-blooded murderers.

"If laws were more lenient, there would be more innocent victims," she 
commented.

(source: nationalmultimedia.com)

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

Capital punishment----'Thailand's resumed use of the death penalty marks a 
major setback for human rights'



A 26-year-old Thai man has been executed by lethal injection, making it the 1st 
case of capital punishment in the country since 2009. Despite the decision 
being slammed by international human rights groups, polls have suggested a 
majority of Thais support the death penalty.

Theerasak Longji was charged with aggravated murder 6 years ago and despite 
repeatedly claiming innocence, was put to death on 18 June. It is the 1st time 
in 9 years that a prisoner has been executed in Thailand, breaking a de facto 
moratorium on capital punishment that had been incorporated into the national 
action plan on human rights.

"Thailand's resumed use of the death penalty marks a major setback for human 
rights," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The Thai 
government's many pledges about moving toward abolishing the death penalty 
clearly meant nothing."

Thailand's Corrections Department stated that the country was focused on 
"protecting society, rather than the rights and freedoms of wrongdoers," and 
this stance has been backed up by public opinion.

A series of online polls were conducted in the immediate aftermath of the 
execution, and in most it was shown that a large majority of Thai citizens 
agreed with capital punishment as a form of justice.

In one, conducted by a popular Facebook page called Drama-addict, 96% of nearly 
125,000 people stated that they were in favour of Thailand continuing to 
execute the worst criminals, the Nation reported.

Longji was convicted of stabbing a 17-year-old 24 times before running off with 
the victim's mobile phone and some money. However, Longji???s mother has said 
that her son may have been unjustly charged.

"That's why he always refused to plead guilty in court, even though [he knew] 
doing so would provide grounds for leniency," she told the Nation.

As of April of this year there were 517 prisoners, of which 102 were women, on 
death row in Thailand, according to the Corrections Department. In a statement, 
Human Rights Watch decried this form of punishment, citing its "inherent 
cruelty".

"The ineffectiveness of the death penalty in combating crime is evident the 
world over, and this cruel practice has no place in modern society," Adams 
said. "Thailand should immediately stop all executions and abolish the death 
penalty once and for all."

(source: Southeast Asia Globe)








SOUTHEAST ASIA:

Capital punishment far from dead in Southeast Asia



In July 2013, then-US president Barack Obama sat down with his Vietnamese 
counterpart, Truong Tan Sang, to talk about Thomas Jefferson. It was Jefferson, 
Sang said, who had inspired the words of Ho Chi Minh's Proclamation of 
Independence, which carried as its opener a passage of America's Declaration of 
Independence.

Just 2 weeks after this high-minded discussion on autonomy and liberty, Vietnam 
executed a young man named Nguyen Anh Tuan.

It was thought to have been one of the first executions in Vietnam since it 
changed to death by lethal injection years earlier. But because Vietnam was 
banned from purchasing "authorized" lethal drugs, Tuan was administered with a 
home-made concoction that reportedly took 2 hours to kill him.

Between the month of Tuan's death, August 2011, and June 2016, Vietnam executed 
439 people, according to one estimate by its Ministry of Public Security, which 
normally doesn't publish such lists.

In early 2013, one could have been forgiven for thinking that Southeast Asia 
was moving in the right direction on capital punishment. That year, 2 scholars, 
David Johnson and Franklin Zimring, described Asia as the "next frontier" in a 
global movement against capital punishment, since it is where almost 95% of 
such executions take place.

The death penalty was abolished in Cambodia in 1989, in East Timor a decade 
later and in the Philippines in 2006. What's more, in countries where capital 
punishment was still wielded, moratoriums were in place. No executions took 
place in Indonesia between 2008 and 2013, and none in Singapore between 2010 
and 2013.

But since 2013, things have deteriorated. The most recent case was in Thailand, 
where a convicted murderer was executed by lethal injection on June 18 this 
year. It was reportedly the country's 1st use of capital punishment since 2009. 
"The Thai government's many pledges about moving toward abolishing the death 
penalty clearly meant nothing," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights 
Watch, in a recent press release.

In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has in effect privatized the 
state's monopoly on the death penalty by allowing for extrajudicial executions 
of alleged drug users and dealers. He also wants to reinstate capital 
punishment formally.

Indonesia attracted global headlines when, in 2013, it executed a Malawian 
national for drug trafficking. It has continued to use capital punishment 
since. In May, an Australian national, Maria Exposto, was sentenced to death 
for transporting drugs in Malaysia.

In Vietnam, death sentences have been common in recent years, including for 
those convicted of corruption.

When defending the use of capital punishment, Indonesian Attorney General 
Muhammad Prasetyo stated in a 2015 interview: "We are fighting a war against 
horrible drug crimes that threaten our nation's survival.... I would like to 
say that an execution is not a pleasant thing. It is not a fun job. But we must 
do it in order to save the nation from the danger of drugs."

Give ear to 2 parts in this statement, which are fairly representative of the 
apologia given for the death penalty. First "our nation's survival," and second 
"it is not a fun job." The latter is a mere euphemism. No one says executions 
are ever fun, but such a statement provides a sense that the government is 
forced to commit a "necessary evil," if you will.

But capital punishment is not a necessary evil. It is, in fact, simply a 
choice. A simplistic reading is that the death penalty lies somewhere between 
laziness and nihilism. It is an admission by the state that some criminals 
cannot be reformed or returned to society; worse still, that the state 
shouldn't even try reforming offenders. In another sense, it is a purely 
utilitarian response that says killing some prisoners frees up space in 
Southeast Asia's already overcrowded prisons.

Upon doing away with its peine de mort in 1981, France's minister of justice 
and future president Francois Mitterrand correctly rationalized that capital 
punishment - represented by the imposing symbolism of the guillotine, the 
"national razor" - had come to embody "a totalitarian concept of the 
relationship between the citizen and the state."

Fine words, though finer were those of the 18th-century Italian philosopher 
Cesare Beccaria, who in his distinguished essay Of Crimes and Punishments wrote 
of the death penalty as a "war of the whole nation against a citizen whose 
destruction they consider necessary."

In short, capital punishment allows a government to pretend that it is 
eradicating people considered a risk to a "nation's survival," a necessary act 
"in order to save the nation," in the words of the Indonesian attorney general. 
Or, in the recent words of the leader of Thailand's military junta, General 
Prayut Chan-ocha, "capital punishment exists to guarantee national peace."

But what it's really about is a state's belief that it can make the ultimate 
decision on a person's life, that being death. It also allows governments to 
define what they think are national menaces.

For Vietnam, this means those who want to end the Communist Party's reign and 
install a multi-party system. In the 2000s, Vietnam reduced the number of 
crimes that can garner a death sentence, down from 44 to 18. But still on the 
list are political offenses. Article 109 of the reformed Criminal Code makes it 
a crime, one punishable by death, to try to overthrow the people's 
administration - that is, the Communist Party. Article 114 makes it illegal to 
weaken the apparatus of the party.

In Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, it means people connected to 
the drug trade. Indonesia's National Anti-Narcotics Agency reportedly said last 
year that there were nearly 6 million drug users in the country. That's roughly 
2% of the population. In 2016, President Joko Widodo asserted that there were 
30 to 50 deaths per day because of drugs, using highly questionable statistics.

But even if true, it pales next to the roughly 550 deaths per day in Indonesia 
because of tobacco-related illnesses. Yet smoking cigarettes is not considered 
a threat to the "nation's survival" - maybe because tobacco firms are among the 
biggest taxpayers in Indonesia.

(source: David Hutt is a Cambodia-based political journalist who has been 
covering Asian affairs since 2014. He is Southeast Asia columnist for The 
Diplomat and a regular contributor to international publications----Asia Times)




IRAN:

The Mullahs and Hanging



"I am innocent and I had to confess under the torture."

These are the last words of Mohammad Salas, who was executed by the Iranian 
regime authorities at dawn on June 18, 2018.

Mohammad Salas was a 51-year-old bus driver from one of Iran's largest Sufi 
communities, the Nemattolah Gonabadi. He was arrested on February 19, 2018 
while taking part in a protest against Sufi repression which turned violent 
after regime security forces resorted to beatings and the use of live 
ammunition, water cannons, and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Accused of killing 3 policemen during the protests, Mohammad Salas's attorney, 
Ms. Zaynab Taheri, stated several times that "We have many documents indicating 
Mohammad Salas is innocent."

The sole piece of evidence used to convict him was a "confession" that Mohammad 
Salas said was forcibly extracted after he was severely beaten by police 
officers. He later retracted his "confession," but the Supreme Court rejected 
his request for a judicial review.

In spite of an international campaign by human rights organizations, Amnesty 
International in particular, calling for Sala's sentence to be dropped, it 
appears that the Iranian authorities have been more interested in vengeance at 
any cost than in justice.

Will Ramin Hossein Panahi be the next victim of the Iranian regime killing 
machine?

The Iranian regime killing machine continues to take more lives.

Ramin Hossein Panahi's death penalty is politically motivated and he may be 
executed at any moment.

Mr. Panahi was arrested in June last year for alleged membership of the Kurdish 
nationalist group Komala and was held in solitary confinement until January 
2018. His family received no information about his fate or whereabouts for 4 
months after his arrest.

Ahmadi Niaz, Panahi's lawyer, stated that the Iranian authorities had 
mistreated Panahi in prison after his arrest while injured following 
controversial armed clashes last year in Sanandaj, capital of the Kurdistan 
province in Iran.

International pressure along with an extensive campaign by Iranian social media 
users seem to have been behind the recent delay of his execution, which was 
scheduled to take place at Sanandaj prison before dawn on May 3.

Amnesty Press announced on May 5, 2018 that Ramin Hossein Panahi's death 
sentence violates international law as there is no evidence linking him to 
activities involving intentional killing.

On June 18, 2018 UN human rights experts have made a new call to Iran to annul 
the death sentence imposed on Ramin Hossein Panahi.

Ramin Hossein Panahi, has published an open letter to the public regarding the 
implementation of the death penalty, drawing on the history of Iran, from 
Constitutionalism to today, and stated that various governments regard such a 
penalty as "the most fearsome tool for the elimination of dissents."

This letter states:

"Taking the life of human beings by death penalty is one of the most ancient 
methods of punishment. Throughout the history of Iran's legitimization, all 
central governments including the constitutional government (which could have 
ended in a democratic system) have adopted the death penalty as a tool to 
eliminate their oppositions."

In the case of the current Iranian regime, execution is used primarily as a 
means to an end, to keep the disaffected citizens in check, a sharp reminder 
that dissidence and opposition will have dire consequences.

While the regime has tried to sugarcoat their action and sell it to the rest of 
the world as religious retribution, on scratching the surface and going a 
little deeper, it is clear it is not just a mere form of punishment, but more 
an instrument for spreading fear among its citizens.

Even in China, with a population 17 times larger than Iran, and a regime that 
is by far the world's leading advocate of the death penalty, there is hardly 
any case of public hanging or juvenile execution.

Iran is second only to China in its number of executions, and the majority who 
receive death sentences have been convicted of drug-related crimes, or 
opposition to the Iranian regime.

Since becoming president, Donald Trump has withdrawn the nuclear agreement 
forged in 2015 between Iran and the world powers and repeatedly addressed the 
Islamic Republic as the greatest menace facing the Middle East. This is good 
news!

Iran's clerical dictatorship is at an impasse, the product of years of 
steadfast perseverance of the people of the Iranian diaspora combined with the 
new horizon which has emerged through the uprisings in December and January 
inside the country. It is these ongoing and widespread protests in cities all 
around Iran, which have led to President Trump voicing his support for the 
people of Iran and their clear desire for change, that are going to answer the 
question of regime change by the Iranian resistance.

(source: americanthinker.com)

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

Iranian Lawyer Arrested For Asserting Executed Sufi Man's Innocence



Iranian authorities have arrested a lawyer for spreading "lies" after claiming 
that a Sufi man executed this week was wrongfully convicted of killing three 
police officers, local media report.

The semiofficial Fars news agency said on June 20 that an arrest warrant was 
issued against Zeinab Taheri for making "false statements" and because of "her 
lies propagated online claiming [Mohammad Salas] was not guilty."

The judiciary chief for Tehran Province, Gholamhossein Esmaili, was quoted as 
saying that Taheri was never a lawyer for Salas and did not have reliable 
information on the case.

Salas, 51, was hanged near Tehran early on June 18 after being convicted of 
killing 3 police officers during clashes involving members of a Sufi order, 
despite calls to stop his execution.

Taheri has been a vocal advocate for Salas by publicly denouncing the 
unfairness of his trial.

On the day of the execution, posts from a Twitter account bearing Taheri's name 
said it would "reveal for public opinion all possible" evidence of his 
innocence -- later stating it would not do so over requests from the family, 
AFP news agency reported.

In a statement condemning Taheri's arrest, Amnesty International described her 
as Salas's lawyer.

"Her arrest exposes yet again the Iranian authorities' relentless persecution 
of lawyers who speak out against torture and unfair trials," Philip Luther, 
research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa at the 
London-based group, said.

A statement released by Human Rights Watch earlier this week also presented 
Taheri as Salas's lawyer.

The statement, which addresses "serious allegations of torture to force 
confessions," refers to an interview Taheri gave with another nongovernmental 
organization in which the lawyer claims that Salas was violently beaten in 
prison.

Salas was sentenced in March following what Amnesty International described as 
a "grossly unfair trial."

The man was found guilty of killing three officers who were left dead in Tehran 
in February after they were run over by a bus during battles between security 
forces and followers of one of Iran's largest Sufi orders, the Nemattolah 
Gonabadi order.

Salas's supporters have said he maintained his innocence but claimed he was 
tortured into a forced confession.

Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, is not illegal in Iran but rights groups 
accuse the Iranian government of harassment and discrimination against their 
followers, including the Gonabadis, known as dervishes.

Taheri has also defending Iranian-Swedish academic Ahmadreza Djalili, who was 
sentenced to death last year for spying for Israel and is at risk of execution.

(source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)








CHINA:

Man caught with 5kg of meth gets death sentence



A man who stashed nearly 5 kilograms of drugs in his car door panels has been 
sentenced to death with 2-year reprieve, according to Shanghai No. 1 
Intermediate People's Court.

The man, surnamed Lu, managed to contact a drug seller on the Internet in April 
2017. They reached a deal on 4.93 kilograms of methamphetamine, according to 
the court.

On April 5 last year, Lu rented a car from east China's Jiangsu Province and 
drove all the way down to south China's Guangdong Province to trade with the 
seller. In a lane near the toll gate of the expressway, Lu spent 250,000 yuan 
(US$38,632) buying 5 packages of methamphetamine.

Lu wrapped the packaged drugs with tape and towel. He opened the panel of a 
front door and a rear door and jammed the drugs in the middle.

When he drove by Shanghai, police stopped and nabbed him. Inside the door 
panels, police confiscated the narcotics.

According to China's Criminal Law, punishment ranges from 15 years or more 
behind bars to the death penalty for the trafficking of 50 grams or more of 
methamphetamine, or 1,000 grams or more of opium or heroin.

Lu was granted a reprieve as he admitted guilt, the court said.

(source: shine.cn)