[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 17



INDONESIA:

UK surfer faces death penalty in Bali for medicinal cannabis possession



A British man has revealed the sheer terror of facing time inside one of the 
world‘s most notorious prisons and the death penalty after his arrest in Bali 
last week.

Pip Holmes, a 45-year-old father from Cornwall in England‘s southwest, was 
arrested on December 3 as he went to pick up a package sent from Thailand which 
contained bottles of cannabis oil.

Indonesian police said he received nearly 31g of cannabis oil in the mail and 
could face the death penalty if convicted. Indonesia has strict drug laws and 
dozens of convicted smugglers are on death row.

Mr Holmes, who describes himself as an artist and surfer, claims he was caught 
with just a tiny amount — around 3g — of medicinal THC oil, which he uses to 
treat his arthritis.

“Marijuana makes a considerable difference to the pain — it‘s not a leisure 
activity for me,” he told the .

“I knew what I was getting into … I knew there were very strict laws, but I 
chose to come here anyway because the surf is the best in the world.

“It feels like a great injustice, but I‘m not in the UK, I‘m in Bali, so it‘s 
my own fault … I‘m afraid because I don‘t know how long it‘s going to be before 
I can hug my children again. They are the only thing keeping me going right 
now.”

Pip Holmes said he went to Bali 2 months ago for the surf.

Mr Holmes was 1 of 5 detained foreigners paraded by officials at a news 
conference in Denpasar, Indonesia last week.

In a written statement, Mr Holmes said he had already been moved from a cramped 
police cell in Bali to a rehabilitation centre. He told supporters that “for 
the last few days, each morning I have woken up in a terrible nightmare” and 
asked for them to donate money to cover his legal fees.

“I still can‘t believe that I‘m here and I feel sick with fear,” he wrote.

“As it stands, I don‘t know if I‘m about to spend a few months in a 
rehabilitation or if I‘m about to face 5 to 15 years in Kerobokan — one of the 
toughest prisons on earth.”

Pip Holmes was arrested on December 3

He said he wants to be able to hug his children for their future birthdays and 
Christmases

In his desperate plea for help, Mr Holmes said he had been “very stupid” and 
that he “knew what (he) was getting into”.

“This is Asia, it‘s not like the west. I am guilty under Indonesian law of 
possession of narcotics, there‘s no denying that,” he wrote.

“Even though medicinal THC is something so widely accepted elsewhere and it was 
such a small amount, I foolishly crossed the line in a very strict country.

“The only way now to ensure my sentence is something I will survive is to 
invest in the right legal representation and rehabilitation.”

Mr Holmes said he was hoping to serve a short sentence in rehabilitation before 
being deported to the UK.

Pip Holmes‘ full statement

Thank you for taking time away from Christmas shopping and making plans for the 
holidays.

I so wish I could spend this Christmas exchanging gifts and pulling crackers 
with my loved ones too but as I write these words, I have recently been moved 
from a cramped Balinese police cell to a rehab facility and although things are 
looking up, I have no idea what is going to happen to me next.

My children have been sending me pictures and voice messages telling me about 
all the things they want to us do for their birthdays next spring.

My family, friends and loved ones are constantly telling me that everything is 
going to be OK and that they‘re going to get me the help I need.

They keep on saying I‘m the strongest person they know and I can get through 
this.

But the truth is, I‘m afraid. I‘ve never been so afraid. It‘s hard to be strong 
when you read the words “death penalty” in the paper in relation to your story.

I‘m also afraid because I don‘t know how long it‘s going to be before I can hug 
my children again.

They are the only thing keeping me going right now.

What I‘d give to read them a story.

To surf … to paint … or even just to be able to have a shower.

For the last few days, each morning I have woken up in a terrible nightmare. I 
still can‘t believe that I‘m here and I feel sick with fear.

(source: clarksburgcaller.com)








SRI LANKA:

13 prisoners at risk of 'imminent execution' in Sri Lanka warns Amnesty 
International



At least 13 prisoners in Sri Lankan prisoners are “at risk of imminent 
execution” warned Amnesty International, as they launched an urgent action 
appeal this week.

“After 43 years without using the death penalty, the President of Sri Lanka, 
Maithripala Sirisena, is reportedly planning to execute prisoners on death 
row,” said Amnesty.

“There is completely secrecy around the dates identities of the prisoners who 
are expected to be imminently executed. No information about their case 
histories has been shared. It is unknown whether the individuals had fair 
trials, access to lawyers or whether they were able to engage in a meaningful 
clemency process. The last execution in Sri Lanka was in 1976. 2019 cannot be 
the year that we see this this progress reversed.

No details have been released about the prisoners thus far.

Earlier this month Amnesty International found that “people who are from less 
advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, or belonging to racial, ethnic or 
religious minorities, are disproportionately vulnerable to being sentenced to 
death”.

(source: Tamil Guardian)








SAUDI ARABIA----executions

Saudis beheaded 2 Punjabis on February 28



The ministry of external affairs (MEA) has confirmed that two persons from 
Punjab, Satwinder Kumar of Hoshiarpur and Harjeet Singh of Ludhiana, have been 
beheaded in Saudi Arabia. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia, however, was not 
informed by the authorities before their execution.

The families of the both the deceased, who had gone to Saudi Arabia on work 
permits in 2013, may not get their bodies because of restrictions in place in 
that country. The MEA, however, expected to get their death certificates by the 
end of April.

These details were revealed by MEA after a petition was filed by Satwinder's 
wife Seema Rani of Safdarpur Kullian village in Hoshiarpur district to get 
information on the whereabouts of her husband. In a letter, from the MEA to 
Seema on Monday evening, it was revealed that Satwinder and Harjeet, a native 
of Machhiwara village in Ludhiana, were arrested on December 9, 2015 in 
connection with murder of Arif Imamuddin, another Indian national.

‘Executed without informing embassy’

According to the ministry, Harjeet and Satwinder were arrested and kept in 
Dammam jail for drinking liquor and fighting, but on completion of their 
sentences in the liquor case and during deportation formalities that involved 
fingerprinting for final exit from Saudi Arabia, they were found to be linked 
to the murder of Imamuddin.

“They were, therefore, shifted to Riyadh jail for trial of the murder case and 
during investigation both of them confessed to their crime. The hearing of 
their case on May 31, 2017 was attended by an embassy official. At that time, 
the case file was transferred to an appeal court adding an additional charge of 
‘hirabha (highway robbery that also invites capital punishment)’,” according to 
the MEA communication.

The letter, signed by Prakash Chand, director (consular), added that embassy 
officials used to visit the jail where the two Punjabi men were confined to 
follow up about the status of their trial.

“However, both were executed on February 28, 2019 without informing the 
embassy. Several communications were made to ministry of foreign affairs, Saudi 
Arabia to get the mortal remains but it has been learnt that the Saudi system 
does not permit handing over the bodies of those executed, to the embassy or 
families of the deceased,” the MEA claimed in the letter to Satwinder’s wife.

Reacting to the MEA letter, lawyer of deceased Satwinder's family, advocate 
Vinod Kumar said it was shocking that the embassy was not informed about the 
execution. He also claimed that residents of Satwinder’s village are in shock 
as they could not believe that Satwinder could be involved in so many criminal 
activities, as claimed by the MEA.

Satwinder had gone to Saudi Arabia in 2013 as a truck driver for a company 
called Al-Majid.

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

2 Indians executed for murder in Saudi Arabia



The foreign ministry has confirmed that 2 Indians, Satwinder Kumar of 
Hoshiarpur and Harjeet Singh of Ludhiana, have been beheaded in Saudi Arabia on 
charges of murdering a fellow Indian. The 2 were executed on February 28 this 
year.

The Indian embassy in Riyadh, however, was not informed by the Saudi 
authorities before the executions. The families of the deceased may not get the 
bodies because of rules against it.

Harjeet and Satwinder killed Imamuddin after a scuffle broke out between them 
over distribution of some money they had looted. A few days later, the two were 
arrested for drinking liquor and fighting. While deportation formalities were 
being completed, they were found to be linked to the murder.

Indian duo were shifted to Riyadh jail for their trial

The details of the fate of Satwinder Kumar and Harjeet Singh were revealed by 
the foreign ministry after a petition was filed by Satwinder’s wife Seema Rani. 
In the letter, delivered to Seema on Monday, it was revealed that Satwinder and 
Harjeet were arrested on December 9, 2015 for allegedly killing Arif Imamuddin.

“They were shifted to Riyadh jail for trial and they confessed to their crime. 
The hearing of their case on May 31, 2017 was attended by an embassy official. 
At that time, the case file was transferred to an appeals court, with an 
additional charge of ‘hirabha (highway robbery that also invites capital 
punishment)’,” according to the MEA communication.

The letter, signed by Prakash Chand, director (consular), added that embassy 
officials used to visit the jail to know about the status of their trial. “But, 
both were executed on February 28, 2019 without informing the embassy. Several 
communications were made to the ministry of foreign affairs, Saudi Arabia, to 
get the mortal remains but Saudi system does not permit handing over the bodies 
of those executed to the embassy,” the letter said.

(source: timesofindia.com)








BRUNEI:

Stoned to death for being gay? Americans immune to cruelty must wake up and 
speak out----Americans should condemn a penal code that sentences gays to death 
by stoning in the tiny nation of Brunei instead of immunizing ourselves to 
cruelty.



Like many Americans, my first exposure to death by stoning came from reading 
Shirley Jackson’s short story, "The Lottery," in high school. First published 
in 1948 in The New Yorker, the story is the tale of a fictional New England 
town where one very unlucky resident is chosen by chance — to be killed. The 
magazine responded to outraged readers by explaining that Jackson had chosen “a 
nameless little village to show, in microcosm, how the forces of belligerence, 
persecution, and vindictiveness are, in mankind, endless and traditional and 
that their targets are chosen without reason.”

I’ve been thinking about "The Lottery" since I read that Brunei — a tiny 
monarchy in Southeast Asia ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world’s 
wealthiest people — had enacted a new penal code that includes death by 
stoning. Crimes that warrant this penalty include adultery, and consensual sex 
between men. (The punishment for theft is amputation of limbs, for abortion it 
is flogging.) Sadly, the sultan’s decision to enact such horrific penalties 
echoes Jackson’s point about the persistence of persecution and vindictiveness.

Brunei joins a handful of other countries that call for death by stoning based 
on a draconian interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. But as Melody Moezzi, 
a Muslim-American attorney and author, told me, “There is no one such thing as 
Sharia. Islamic law is all about interpretation, and there are as many 
interpretations as there are individual Muslims.” “Death by stoning,” she adds, 
“is antithetical to the highest tenets of Islam, chiefly that of a most 
compassionate and most merciful Creator.”

Why should Americans care about a brutal law in a tiny nation on the other side 
of the globe? After all, human rights abuses and hate crimes are taking place 
much closer to home, including here in the U.S.

Why should Americans care about Brunei?

I can think of 2 reasons, starting with a personal example. On a flight to 
Southeast Asia earlier this year I had a brief layover in Dubai, part of the 
United Arab Emirates, half a world closer to Brunei. The UAE also calls for 
death by stoning for “crimes” that include sex between men. Waiting at the 
airport I looked at my Facebook feed, and then out of curiosity and boredom, 
opened a gay dating app. I found dozens of guys, with profile photos, seeking 
everything from “right now” sex to a partner or husband.

After being cleared through 2 security checkpoints, a guard pulled me out of 
line for “a random search.” “No problem,” I thought, until the officer demanded 
my iPhone, which still displayed profiles and photos of the gay Dubai locals. I 
froze. I imagined these men hunted down and charged with breaking Sharia law, 
and feared the same for myself.

Fortunately, the officer merely confiscated my cup of coffee, and then told me 
to put the phone away. My relief was immense, palpable. Still, I understood in 
a flash how these laws “create a culture of fear,” which is what a group of 115 
civil society organizations in South East Asia asserted in an open letter to 
Brunei’s sultan. Even for those who don’t travel frequently, or who aren’t 
LGBT, any spread of this climate of fear should be cause for concern.

The second reason is more fundamental. “People anywhere should care when 
others’ human rights are being abused,” Neela Ghoshal, senior researcher in the 
LGBT Rights program at Human Rights Watch, a nongovernmental organization, told 
me. Is that harder these days when acts of incivility and hate crimes are 
front-page news stories? Are we becoming immune to cruelty?

I fear the answer is, “yes.”

We have to speak out for human rights

I did some research on death by stoning and discovered "The Stoning of Soraya 
M.,” a film based on the true story of the execution of an Iranian woman in the 
1980s. Soraya Manutchehri had been falsely accused and convicted of adultery by 
a Sharia court; death by stoning was her punishment. The film’s narrator 
explains how Manutchehri is buried to her waist as villagers, including her 
sons, throw rocks at her “until there is nothing left but a bloody stump." You 
would need to see it for yourself to fully appreciate the horror. (I had to 
turn the sound off, even cover my eyes.)

Some nations and organizations have spoken out strongly against the sultan’s 
decision. The Canadian government raised its “concerns directly with Brunei,” 
urging the sultan “to suspend the implementation of its new penal code.” Human 
rights groups called the laws “barbaric to the core” and “cruel and inhuman.” 
The U.S. State Department was tepid in a statement that said it “opposes 
violence, criminalization, and discrimination targeting vulnerable groups,” 
including LGBTQ people.

We can do more. Ghoshal, from Human Rights Watch, seeks a travel ban on 
Brunei’s leaders and a freeze on the government’s financial assets. Celebrities 
like George Clooney have called for a boycott of the luxury hotels owned by the 
sultan. President Trump, a seeming friend of dictators and despots around the 
globe, should have taken a much stronger response. After all, this is a horror 
that requires our outrage — and action.

We have other tools at our disposal as well. “This is an appeal to the basic 
humanity of people in the United States,” Ghoshal added. We have to speak out. 
We must acknowledge that “the forces of belligerence, persecution, and 
vindictiveness” may indeed be traditional, but they need not be endless.

(source: Steven Petrow, Opinion Columnist, USA Today)