[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 27



ZIMBABWE:

3 men sentenced to death



Finally, the Zimbabwean hangman has got work to do.

3 men were last week condemned to hang by the High Court after being convicted 
of murder with actual intent.

Justice Chitapi failed to find any extenuating circumstances to save them from 
capital punishment.

(source: bulawayo24.com)








PAKISTAN:

Pakistani doctors say man on death row is mentally ill



A rights group says court-appointed doctors have confirmed that a death row 
prisoner in Pakistan suffers from chronic schizophrenia and requires regular 
medical treatment.

Justice Project Pakistan, which campaigns against the death penalty, says the 
findings were submitted to a court in Lahore with the suggestion that Saleem 
Ahmed be transferred to a mental health treatment facility.

Ahmed, 63, was convicted of fatally shooting his sister during a financial 
dispute in 2001. He has been on death row since 2004. A judge delayed his 
execution in November 2017 following a petition from the Justice Project.

Pakistan is a signatory to international conventions that bar the execution of 
mentally ill prisoners.

(source: daiyjournal.net)

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

Pakistani Christian death row inmate awaits appeal hearing



Blasphemy convict Pakistani Christian Sawan Masih awaits justice as his appeal 
case is due to be herd by the Lahore High Court on November 27. He has been on 
death row since 2014, after accusations of committing blasphemy were leveled 
against him. His case remained in the limelight as Badami Bagh arson budded 
from it.

Blasphemy cases against Pakistani Christians

On March 9, 2013 Shahid Imran a non-Christian friend of Sawan Masih accused him 
of committing blasphemy. Consequently, an FIR was registered and Section 295-C 
was invoked against him. He was tried in the jail and in March 2014 the judge 
handed him Capital punishment. Sawan Masih father of 3 has consistently 
maintained his innocence since being accused of blasphemy. He claimed that the 
accusations were fabricated.

"We will appeal the sentence in the Lahore High Court," Sawan Masih's lawyer 
said at that time. An appeal was filed against his death punishment. On 
November 27, his appeal is scheduled to be heard by the divisional bench before 
the Lahore High Court.

The case is notoriously remembered as a charged mob of about 3,000 men attacked 
Lahore's Joseph Colony - a predominantly Christian neighborhood. This attack 
was a reprisal to Sawan Masih's alleged blasphemy. Sawan Masih resided in 
Joseph Colony, and the mobsters looted Christians' houses, shops and churches 
afterwards set them on fire.

No less than 180 houses, 75 shops, and 2 churches were set on fire. The police 
stood as spectators while the vandals were ransacking and torching Christians' 
houses. Sensing the looming attack by radicals, Christian residents of Joseph 
Colony fled from their homes therefore no one was killed in this arson.

The alleged mobsters were arrested by the police, who were tried by the 
anti-terrorism court. However, last year an anti-terrorism court acquitted very 
one of suspects accused of involved in the Joseph Colony arson. Sawan Masih is 
still behind the bars awaiting justice.

(source: christiansinpakistan.com)








MALAYSIA:

Govt should not abolish death penalty in a hurry----Member of Parliament for 
Teluk Intan Nga Kor Ming at Parliament, today.



The cabinet has been asked to work with the parliamentary select committee on 
the abolition of the death penalty for 32 offences under 8 Acts, before making 
a final decision.

Member of Parliament for Teluk Intan Nga Kor Ming said any decision to abolish 
the death penalty must not be done in haste, and a careful study and 
consultation should be done before a decision is made.

He said the select committee on the reconsideration of the death penalty bill 
was approved by Dewan Rakyat in August and the cabinet should work hand in hand 
to make a decision.

"The cabinet and the select committee can have a round table meeting, followed 
by a road show to get feedback from the public on the act," Nga, who is also 
the Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker, said this at a press conference he called at 
the parliament lobby here today.

Early this month, the cabinet had collectively decided to abolish the death 
penalty for 32 offences under 8 Acts. Minister in the Prime Minister’s 
Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said this also included Section 302 of the 
Penal Code (punishment for murder), adding that the government had taken into 
consideration the recent death of an 11-month-old girl recently.

Last Friday, the nation was rocked by the death of 11-monthold Nur Muarzara 
Ulfa Muhammad Zainal at Serdang Hospital after being allegedly abused by her 
babysitter's husband.

Nga is of the opinion that the death penalty bill should not "be done in a rush 
as many of the acts have been there since independence. Public and stake 
holders feedback is very important."

He added the cabinet and the select committee could also exchange views and 
ideas on the abolition and amendments to death penalty act, including 
categorising sentence based on offence committed.

Asked on who were the members of the select committee, Nga said the Dewan 
Rakyat had informed all political party leaders to nominate a name for 
submission.

(source: nst.com.my)