[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 16



UNITED KINGDOM:

Collection of items from the career of Britain's most famous executioner 
discovered



A MACABRE collection of items from the career of Britain's most famous 
executioner has been discovered. The archive belonging to Albert Pierrepoint 
includes logbooks he kept on his hangings, with notes on the neck size of the 
condemned person and the height of the drop they required.

Pierrepoint performed over 400 executions between 1932 and 1956.

Now a number of his possessions have emerged for sale for an estimated 40,000 
pounds.

Aside from the 2 chilling 'execution books', the archive includes a plaster 
cast of Pierrepoint's own death mask and hands taken after he died in 1992 aged 
87.

His watch strap and a number of photographs complete the collection that has 
been owned for several years by a 'legal beagle' who gave lectures on crime.

Pierrepoint came from a family of hangmen with his father Henry and uncle 
Thomas both working in the trade.

The book which is now set to sell was also used by Henry and coldly lists the 
exact details of each individual execution.

On each page there is a hand-drawn table consisting of 8 columns - date, name, 
age, height, weight, drop, remarks and town.

Comments written in the remarks section generally relate to the victims' neck 
and include observations such as 'strong neck', 'strong neck little flabby' and 
'very heavy body, ordinary neck'.

It is thought the former green grocer was responsible for the death of over 200 
Nazi war criminals after WWII and once his identity was revealed he was treated 
like a hero by many.

The collection is being sold by Summers Place Auctions of Billingshurst, West 
Sussex.

Despite his career in execution, Pierrepoint later admitted he didn't believe 
in capital punishment

They say it would be of interest to museums and similar institutions.

The vendor has decided the time is right to sell the unique piece of social 
history.

James Rylands, of Summers Place, said: "It's a very unusual thing but we really 
like those kinds of lots here.

"We think it's the sort of thing that a few people will like a lot rather than 
having lots of people expressing an interest.

"It's a wonderful piece of social history and if it could go to an institution 
or a museum of students to look at and study that would be great. "It's in 
fantastic condition, has been well looked after, and we're looking forward to 
seeing how it performs at auction." Despite his long career in execution, 
Pierrepoint later admitted he didn't believe in capital punishment.

The death penalty was scrapped in Britain in 1965 and in his 1974 autobiography 
Pierrepoint said he did not think it was a deterrent.

He said: "It is said to be a deterrent. I cannot agree. There have been murders 
since the beginning of time, and we shall go on looking for deterrents until 
the end of time.

"If death were a deterrent, I might be expected to know. It is I who have faced 
them last, young men and girls, working men, grandmothers.

"I have been amazed to see the courage with which they take that walk into the 
unknown.

"It did not deter them then, and it had not deterred them when they committed 
what they were convicted for.

"All the men and women whom I have faced at that final moment convince me that 
in what I have done I have not prevented a single murder."

The sale takes place on June 12.

(source: express.co.uk)








PHILIPPINES:

Philippines Prison Chief Says People Convicted of Minor Drug Possession Should 
be Executed



The Philippines correctional system chief has said anyone convicted of a drug 
offence - including personal possession - should be executed, as a bill 
reintroducing the death penalty gains overwhelming support in the House of 
Representatives.

Bureau of Corrections Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, who took on the senior 
role in late April 2018, said that people convicted of any drug offence should 
go "straight to lethal injection". Dela Rosa specifically noted that this 
should include people found in possession of small quantities of illegal drugs 
for personal use, during an interview with Rappler.

Dela Rosa has no legislative power, but said "if it were up to me, [any offence 
should receive the death penalty] as long as it involves drugs", in the 
interview broadcast on May 11.

His statement came days after the country's House of Representatives voted to 
approve the final reading of a bill that would introduce the death penalty for 
several drug-related offences, including one drug possession offence.

House Bill 4727 allows judges to impose the death penalty on people convicted 
of importing, manufacturing or selling drugs; maintaining a drug "den, dive or 
resort"; or possessing a quantity of drugs exceeding a certain threshold - 
including 10 grams of heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine, or 500 grams of 
cannabis. The bill allows people to be executed by hanging, firing squad, or 
lethal injection.

An excerpt from House Bill 4727

President Rodrigo Duterte has publicly endorsed the bill. In July 2017, he said 
the legislative change would "[allow] us to fulfil our mandate to protect our 
people. [...] Capital punishment is not only about deterrence, it's also about 
retribution," TalkingDrugs reported.

Dela Rosa's declaration in support of the death penalty for all drug offences 
may be unsurprising for many in the Philippines. He is the former police chief 
of Davao City - where Duterte was once mayor - and has a close relationship 
with president.

In an unctuous Facebook post prior to Duterte's election in 2016, Dela Rosa 
praised the then-candidate as "the greatest influence in [his] career" and "the 
greatest leader on earth". His loyalty to Duterte seemed to pay off, as Dela 
Rosa was appointed chief of the Philippines National Police (PNP) one day after 
the presidential inauguration in June of that year. The PNP is the key law 
enforcement body behind the killing of thousands of people for alleged drug 
offences - without charge or conviction - that has taken place across the 
country since Duterte and Dela Rosa took control of the government and police 
force respectively.

Now that is has cleared its final legislative reading, House Bill 4727 will 
proceed to the Senate for consideration. While Dela Rosa's hopes for capital 
punishment for all drug offences may not come to fruition any time soon, there 
is a good chance that the penalty will soon be imposed for people convicted of 
certain narcotic crimes. Regardless, the extrajudicial killing of people for 
alleged drug crimes seems set to continue.

(source: talkingdrugs.org)








GLOBAL:

13 Countries that will kill you for being gay



There are the countries places on earth that have specific laws which call for 
the death penalty of those who are found to have engaged in homosexual acts.

Afghanistan

Men could face execution but are more likely to receive long prison sentences. 
No executions are known to have been handed out since the end of the Taliban 
rule.

Brunei*

Gay men in Brunei could be stoned or given 10 years in prison if found guilty 
of homosexual acts.

Iran

In Iran, gay men can be lashed up to 74 times for "immature men" and the death 
penalty for mature men of sound mind - and where the acts were consenting. 
Women can be lashed 50 times and can face the death penalty after their 4th 
conviction.

Mauritania

Homosexuality is against the law in Mauritania and could attract the death 
penalty, however, there have been no public executions since 1987.

Qatar

In Qatar, gay men may face execution if they are Muslim otherwise men can face 
fines and a prison sentence which lasts 7 years.

Saudi Arabia

A 2nd conviction of homosexuality in Saudi Arabia will land a death penalty. 
For the 1st offence, men can face fines, castration, flogging, prison and 
torture.

Sudan

Homosexuality has been illegal in Sudan since 1899. Death penalty occurs on the 
3rd offence for men and 4 offences for women.

Yemen

Married men can expect to be stoned to death if caught having same-sex 
relations. Unmarried men will receive 100 lashes or 1-year imprisonment.

Libya

Gay men could face death in Libya.

Nigeria

Homosexuality is illegal in some states of Nigeria and could attract the death 
penalty. These states include: Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, 
Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara

Somalia

Homosexuality is illegal in Somalia and could attract a death penalty. Islamic 
courts have sentenced men to their deaths using Sharia law as their legal 
basis.

Syria

The actual penalty that gay men should face for homosexual acts is a prison for 
up to 3 years, however, due to the rise in ISIS a highly advertised death 
awaits those found guilty of engaging in same-sex sexual acts.

Iraq

Despite homosexuality not being illegal in Iraq, there have been reported 
executions of gay men in ISIS-controlled areas.

* Brunei is a Sovereign state and not a country. There are some countries where 
although capital punishment might not be constitutionally ratified there are 
cases where gay people have been killed because of their sexuality.

(source: thegayuk.com)



EUROPE/SUDAN:

Europe ambassadors oppose Sudan teen's death sentence



European embassies in Sudan on Tuesday expressed joint opposition to the 
sentencing to death of a Sudanese teenager for killing her husband who 
allegedly raped her.

A Sudanese court last Thursday condemned to death Noura Hussein Hammad, 19, for 
the "intentional murder" of the man her father had forced her to marry, in a 
ruling that has triggered outrage online.

The embassies of EU countries, Norway and Switzerland are "following with close 
attention and concern the situation of Noura Hussein", the missions said.

"The Heads of Mission recall their firm opposition to the death penalty, 
whatever the place and circumstances," they said in a statement.

Hammad was married against her will to Abdulrahman Hammad at the age of 16 when 
her father and the husband signed a marriage contract, according to rights 
group Amnesty International.

In April 2017, under the contract, she was forced to move to her husband's home 
after completing high school.

When Hammad refused to consummate the marriage, her husband invited 2 of his 
brothers and a male cousin to help him rape her, Amnesty alleged.

"On 2 May 2017, the 3 men held Noura Hussein down while Abdulrahman raped her," 
it said.

"The next morning he tried to rape her again but she managed to escape to the 
kitchen where she grabbed a knife. In the ensuing scuffle, Abdulrahman 
sustained fatal knife wounds."

Hammad fled to her family home after the incident but her father handed her 
over to the police, Amnesty said.

At her trial in July 2017, the court found her guilty of "intentional murder" 
after applying an outdated law that does not recognise marital rape, the rights 
group added.

Women and children's rights activists in Sudan have stepped up a campaign 
against forced unions and marriage of underage girls, a widespread phenomenon 
in a country where the law allows children over the age of 10 to marry.

(source: news24.com)



AZERBAIJAN:

Issue of death penalty again raised in Azerbaijan



Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs 
Aghia Nakhchivanli considers it important to carry out activities to prevent 
cases of child abuse.

According to Oxu.Az, the committee chairman noted that the prison term is 
insufficient punishment for people who commit violence against children.

"When we see that children are victims of violence, we are horrified. One 
cannot understand whether it is the environment that affects people so much, or 
they are brought up like this?

Such atrocities must be stopped. We were in a children's shelter and saw such 
things that we are still unable to come to our senses.

It's terrible that 5-year-old children are subjected to violence. Is the prison 
term sufficient punishment for the person who did it? Of course not, so one 
must bear the death penalty."

(source: news.az)








PAKISTAN:

SHC orders inquiry into age of juvenile offender on death row for 2 decades



The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed an anti-terrorism court in Karachi to 
conduct an expedient inquiry into the age determination inquiry for Muhammad 
Azam, a juvenile offender on death row.

The directive to hold an age determination inquiry came after a petition was 
filed by Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) on April 23, 2018.

A 2-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Muhmmad 
Karim Khan directed the trial court to conduct the inquiry and submit its 
findings before the court.

Advocate Saadat Yar Khan and JPP???s counsel, Barrister Raja Hashim Javed, 
argued before the court that Azam's birth records, Karachi Central Prison's 
records and the jail roll confirm that he was 17 when he was first admitted 
into custody.

Pakistan's Juvenile Justice Systems Ordinance 2000 excludes death penalty for 
persons under 18 years.

The petitioner's counsel further upheld that Azam's juvenility was never in 
question as he was originally held in the Youthful Offenders Industrial School, 
Karachi - a facility for juvenile offenders.

In light of the 2001 Presidential Notification, the petitioner is entitled to a 
commutation of his death sentence if proven to be a juvenile offender, the 
counsel further said.

Azam was sentenced to death in 1999 by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi for 
murder during robbery.

Following Azam's death sentence, the government enacted the Juvenile Justice 
System Ordinance 2000 which prohibited the death penalty for all juvenile 
offenders. Further, a Presidential Notification granted all juveniles automatic 
remission of their sentences on the basis of an age determination inquiry.

However, Azam has been denied this inquiry for almost 2 decades now.

In August 2004, a trial court rejected a request sent by jail authorities to 
determine Azam's age after the presidential notification.

The Sindh High Court's directive to conduct an age determination inquiry comes 
days after the Senate passed the Juvenile Justice System Bill 2018, legislation 
that makes age determination protocols mandatory for cases involving juvenile 
offenders.

(source: Pakistan Today)

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

PHC stays execution of military court-convicted terrorist----Izzat Khan was 
awarded capital punishment for involvement in multiple terror attacks



The Peshawar High Court has stayed the execution of a terror convict, 
suspending the capital punishment awarded to him by a military court.

The PHC bench comprising Justice Roohul Amin Khan Chamkani and Justice Syed 
Afsar Shah issued notices to the defence ministry, asking it to produce the 
records of the case of the convict, Izzat Khan.

The convict is a resident of Shamozai area in Swat and his wife Nargis Bano had 
filed a petition challenging his conviction.

In her petition, Rao pleaded that her husband surrendered to the security 
forces in 2010, and since then he had been in their custody.

Claiming that Izzat Khan was innocent, Rao argued that his trial by the 
military court wasn't fair.

Additionally, Mohammad Arif Jan, the counsel for the petitioner, said the 
convict was handed over to the security forces in 2010 and claimed that the 
family was told that he would be set free in few days.

He contended that the convict was first kept at an internment centre in Lakki 
Marwat and was later shifted to another such centre in Swat.

"The convict's family was first given visitation rights at the Swat centre but 
around 8 months ago, it was not allowed to meet him," said the counsel.

The lawyer added that the convict had no affiliation with any terrorist outfit 
and was falsely implicated in the case.

The bench fixed May 22 for next hearing of the case.

COAS Gen Bajwa Ratifies Death Warrants

General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Chief of Army Staff had ratified the death 
sentences of 11 terrorists including Izzat Khan on May 5, 2018.

The military's media wing had claimed that the convict was a member of a 
proscribed organisation.

According to an official press release, he was involved in the killing of 
innocent civilians and attacking Armed Forces of Pakistan as well as Malakand 
University and was involved in the destruction of 3 different educational 
institutions.

"The convict had also confessed his offences before the judicial magistrate and 
the trial court." ISPR had confirmed in its statement.

(source: Daily Pakistan)








IRAN----executions

3 Executions in Western Iran



2 prisoners were hanged at Urmia Central Prison and 1 at Ilam Central Prison, 
located in North-Western and Western Iran, respectively. All of the prisoners 
were sentenced to death on murder charges.

According to IHR sources, on the morning of Monday, May 14, 2 prisoners were 
hanged at Urmia Central Prison. The prisoners, identified as Khalil Agoush from 
ward 3-4 and Soheil Mirbakhsh from the youth ward, were both sentenced to death 
on murder charges.

It should be noted that Soheil Mirbakhsh had been held in prison since 2014 and 
he was under 25 when he was executed.

Moreover, another prisoner was executed at Ilam Central Prison on murder 
charges.

The prisoner was identified as Mojtaba Karamiyan from Ilam.

The executions of these prisoners have not been announced by the state-run 
media so far.

According to Iran Human Rights annual report on the death penalty, 240 of the 
517 execution sentences in 2017 were implemented due to murder charges. There 
is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran which results in 
issuing a death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intensity and 
intent.

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

2 More Public Executions in Iran



2 prisoners were hanged in public in Mashhad on rape charges. According to an 
IRIB News Agency's report, on the morning of Tuesday, May 15, 2 prisoners were 
hanged in public in Mashhad.

The prisoners were sentenced to death on rape charges.

Only 2 days before, on Sunday, May 13, another prisoner was executed in public 
in the Southern city of Bandar Abbas.

It should be noted that the United Nations condemns public execution. The 
Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur 
on the situation of human rights in Iran, had earlier demanded that public 
executions be banned.

According to Iran Human Rights (IHR)'s annual report on the death penalty, 31 
prisoners were hanged in public in 2017.

(source for both: Iran Human Rights)

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

The Untold from a Mother, About Her Son's Execution



It has been a few weeks since the painful execution of a young athlete in Iran. 
Bahman's death sentence was suspended last minute, and the news of his pardon 
was also released to his family; but the regime's judiciary went ahead with his 
execution the next day, with everyone in utter disbelief.

"Bahman Varmezyar is a hair stylist and a personal trainer in Hamedan. On 31st 
March 2015, he and a few other armed thieves, robbed a jewellery shop. 18 days 
after, he surrendered himself along with the stolen property, to the 
authorities; despite being pardoned by the plaintiff, he and 1 of the other 
accused thieves were sentenced to death by hanging."

On Monday 16th April, when Bahman's family last visited him, they received a 
phone call in which they were informed that he was pardoned. Bahman was saved 
from death, and his family were so happy that they were planning a celebration. 
But shortly after, their world turned upside down as they were notified that 
the death sentence was only delayed, not cancelled.

It has been weeks since Bahman's execution, but his mother refuses to believe 
his death. She still cries and reviews that day over and over: "how is this 
possible? how can everything change in just half a day? if they were going to 
execute him, why did they tell us that he was pardoned, instead?".

She recalls: "on Monday (16th April) we went to the prison to say Goodbye to 
Bahman. They were going to hang him the next morning. We went to whoever and 
whatever organisation that we could think of, to ask for help; but it was no 
use"; until "a man called and told me excitedly that Bahman was pardoned, and 
the execution cancelled. I could not believe what I was hearing, so I asked him 
a few times to confirm. All details were correct. I was so happy that I could 
hardly breathe. I shared the news with my husband too. The prison informed us 
that Bahman was transferred from solitary confinement to jail. We sacrificed a 
ship (as part of a religious ritual) to celebrate; our relatives and friends 
visited us too, to congratulate. We also spoke with Bahman on the phone. He 
kept on thanking me for my prayers and kept on saying that he owed his life to 
me".

Unfortunately, their happiness did not last for too long. Whilst the news of 
Bahman's pardon (which, as claimed by some, was approved by high-ranking 
officials) was being published in the media, Hamedan's judiciary was denying 
the news, and attributed the false information to some judicial errors. 
Bahman's lawyer was also informed that the execution was going to be carried 
out the next morning, at Hamedan's prison.

This was unbelievable. Bahman's family were shocked, as just hours ago they 
were celebrating the cancellation of his sentence. His mother even describes 
how she had obtained the consents of more than 300 residents and tradespeople 
of the area where Bahman had robbed from. But the judiciary insisted on 
Bahman's execution due to the "terror and fear" that he had apparently caused 
others.

Despite no previous criminal records at all, Bahman was executed at 6:30 am on 
Tuesday 17th April 2018.

According to the annual report of Amnesty International, Iran has the highest 
rates of executing its own citizens.

(source: NCR-Iran)