[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 21




SOMALIA:

Somali Military Court Sentences Al-Shabaab Members to Death



Somali court of appeal for the armed forces has upheld the death penalty handed 
to 2 al-Shabaab fighters in Mogadishu.

The first degree of the army court had previously sentenced Anshur Osman Abukar 
and Mohamed Alio Borow to death.

The convicts moved to the appeal court to decided their cases.

In a statement, the appeal on Monday said it concluded the cases of the 2 
convicts.

Following the conclusion of testimonials and evidence brought during the 
hearing of 2 men's appeal, the Court of Appeal backed an earlier ruling which 
found two guilty of taking acts to destabilize the country.

According to the statement, the court has upheld the initial ruling of the 
1st-degree court ruling the 2 death sentence.

The court said that Anshur Osman Abukar and Mohamed Alio Borrow confessed to 
taking part al-Shabaab attacks including one in Mogadishu. Human rights groups 
have accused Somali military court previously for executions of suspects with 
unclear investigations, claiming the convicts were denied a chance to defend 
themselves.

Somali military court handles cases related to security, mainly terrorism.

It has sentenced several al-Shabaab suspected to death before.

(source: allafrica.com)








KENYA:

4 death row convicts get lesser sentence after appeal



4 men sentenced to death for robbery with violence will now serve 18 years in 
jail.

The convicts, who had appealed against the death sentence, escaped the 
hangman's noose after judge Jesse Njagi ruled that although the offence they 
had committed was serious, "it did not warrant a death sentence".

Mario Mangweni, Zadock Were, Dickson Chirade and Geoffrey Machomi were 
convicted on December 9, 2011.

They were found guilty of violently robbing a shopkeeper Sh12,000 and assorted 
airtime worth Sh26,000 while armed with a gun, machetes and a club with nails 
embedded on it.

The court heard that the complainant was closing his shop when the gang of 4, 
his long time neighbours, accosted him and fired a bullet which grazed the 
right side of his head.

The 2nd appellant, the court heard, cut him on the head while the fourth hit 
him hard on the head with a club.

As this was happening, the 1st appellant rushed to the shop and stuffed the 
day’s sales and airtime in his pocket.

The gunshot attracted police officers stationed at a police post some 400 
meters away and some neighbours who went to the shopkeeper's rescue. The 
incident occurred in Butsotso Village, Kakamega South District.

The 4 managed to escape in a waiting vehicle, but it later developed a 
mechanical problem near Sasala River. They decided to abandon the vehicle and 
went to hide in a nearby sugarcane plantation.

A cap bearing Mangweni’s name and Were’s Identity (ID) Card were picked outside 
the complainant’s house.

The 4 sought a review following the Supreme Court's declaration that the 
mandatory death penalty is inconsistent with the Constitution which guarantees 
the right to life.

(source: standardmedia.co.ke)








NIGERIA:

Death penalty will curb corruption in Nigeria -Ojikutu



Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, has expressed 
concern over the worsening security situation in many parts of the country, 
noting that the calls for restructuring as a way out of the numerous problems 
presently facing the nation is a good one which should be accorded the 
attention it deserves.

She also spoke on other national issues.

The inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari for a 2nd term is days away, 
what are your expectations?

I congratulate President Buhari on his re-election, and our prayers is that he 
will succeed in taking Nigeria to the next level as he promised during his 
campaign. We also hope that he will be able to fulfil his promise of making 
Nigeria clean, that’s talking about his anti-corruption campaign.

I believe that once corruption is successfully tackled, the economy of Nigeria 
will pick up. I believe that it is not that our economy is that bad but too 
much corruption is stifling the economy on many fronts, and that is why there 
has been no industrial growth and commerce is not thriving the way it ought to. 
I’m praying that Buhari will set up committees made up of decent people, people 
of integrity to oversee and help him expose those things that pose as clog in 
the wheel of progress of Nigeria’s economy.

Nigeria does not lack policies. We have so many policies, but the question is 
this, are these policies being implemented? Are they being implemented to give 
the desired impacts? These are some of the tasks the committee members will be 
saddled with. These committees can also help the Economic and Financial Crimes 
Commission (EFCC) to monitor policies that are being effected. Once you can 
curb corruption, there will be a boost in the economy and life will be more 
meaningful and abundant for Nigerians especially the masses.

Still on corruption, some Nigerians are suggesting that the government may need 
to adopt radical measure like death penalty to curb corruption in Nigeria, as 
it is being done in China and some other nations of the world, do you subscribe 
to such an idea?

If you jail anybody for corruption in Nigeria, the next administration will 
release that person, and this is what has been happening in Nigeria. But I 
believe that if some people who are found to be corrupt after thorough 
investigations are made to face the firing squad or are hanged, this will serve 
as a deterrent. We need to start making examples. But like I said earlier, 
thorough investigations must be carried out and the trial must also be fair. It 
should not be a case of vendetta or persecution. Due process must be followed. 
If after all these, a person is still found guilty of corruption, then let him 
or her face the music. There is nothing wrong with death sentence for corrupt 
elements because through their own acts of corruption, they are also killing 
some people.

If you are stealing money that is meant to buy drugs and put some vital 
equipments in place in hospital, through your selfish and unpatriotic action, 
you are killing some people or if you are diverting money meant for road 
construction into your personal accounts, you are also killing some people 
because the bad roads you fail to fix will cause accidents which will result in 
the death of some people. It is high time we let Nigerians realise that 
corruption is evil, and that it doesn’t pay. We have to start from somewhere. 
I’m not one of those who is against death penalty for corruption, but there 
must be thorough investigation and fair trial. It must be established that the 
person that is being sentenced to death for corruption has through his action 
of being corrupt caused the death of others. It should not be a case of 
somebody being sentenced to death, and then later investigations will reveal 
that he was wrongfully convicted and meanwhile the man has been executed, it 
should not be like that. There must be thorough investigation devoid of 
vendetta or persecution.

But if you cause the death of others through corrupt practices, then you also 
deserve to die. It should be an eye for eye, tooth for tooth like in mosaic 
laws. If we can do this, sanity will be restored fast. Corruption is thriving 
because some corrupt elements believe that they will always get away with a 
slap on the wrist, but when you introduce death sentence, everybody will fall 
into line. Nigerians don’t want to die, they love life. The moment you 
introduce death sentence for corruption, everybody will sit up. But then you 
will still have people who want to dare it, but when they dare it, then they 
should go for it. We need death sentence to serve as a deterrent in the fight 
against corruption.

(source: sunnewsonline.com)

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

Lawyers urge FG to save Nigerians on death row abroad



A group, the Legal Advocacy Response to Drugs Initiative (LARDI), has urged the 
Federal Government to intensify efforts to save more innocent Nigerians who are 
on death rows abroad.

It said the bursting of an alleged drug cartel that specialises in planting 
drugs on air passengers’ bags has made it imperative that all diplomatic 
channels are explored to stop execution of potentially innocent Nigerians.

LARDI said such executions should be halted “until proper and exhaustive 
investigations are done to determine the level of their culpability’’.

It added: “The fact that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has 
confirmed that this practice is longstanding gives little comfort and makes the 
request for a more comprehensive intervention by government even more 
compelling and urgent.”

In the statement, LARDI’s National Coordinator Chinelo Uchendu and 
Secretary/Head of Publicity Emeka Nwadioke, said: “Drug offences are punishable 
by death in at least 35 countries and territories across the world.

“Harm Reduction International (HRI) reports that over 4,366 persons were 
executed in 2018 for drug offences. At least 29 of the 59 people executed in 
Saudi Arabia were either from Pakistan or Nigeria. More than 7,000 people are 
on death row globally.

“While the Federal Government states that over 20 Nigerians are awaiting 
execution in Saudi Arabia alone, Saudi authorities say about 88 people were 
held in Saudi prisons mid last year for drug-related offences.

“The figures for other countries, such as Malaysia, Philippines, China, 
Vietnam, Iran, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia, are unknown. The Nigerian 
Constitution guarantees the right to life to every citizen. It will be tragic 
and unacceptable if any Nigerian is executed for a crime which he or she is 
innocent of.

“The Federal Government should set up a judicial panel of enquiry to unravel 
the extent to which drug cartels including airport cargo handling personnel may 
have contributed in the purported guilt of Nigerians convicted abroad, 
especially those awaiting execution.

‘’The report of the panel should form the basis for appeals to foreign 
countries to review the cases of Nigerians who are innocent of the charges. 
This will help in saving innocent Nigerians from execution as well as mitigate 
the odium which has often attended the Nigerian passport at international 
airports across the world,” it stated.

LARDI also urged the government to improve its oversight on the trial of 
Nigerians abroad, especially for crimes that carry death sentence.

“This has become imperative given that foreigners are generally disadvantaged 
in foreign jurisdictions.

“A recent report by HRI showed that foreign nationals, ‘especially from Asia 
and Africa,’ are disproportionately affected by the death penalty.

“The report also notes that ‘where foreign nationals are unable to afford to 
appoint their own private lawyer, are without family and friends nearby, and/or 
have little or no assistance navigating a foreign justice system or clemency 
applications, they are exceptionally vulnerable and may spend years on death 
row.’ This makes government intervention even more compelling.”

According to LARDI, “there is need for the federal government to provide legal 
aid to indigent Nigerians facing trials in foreign jurisdictions.”

The group commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his intervention which led 
to the freedom of Miss Zainab Aliyu and Mr. Ibrahim Abubakar.

It also commended the Senate, Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar 
Malami (SAN), Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema, the Senior Special 
Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the 
NDLEA for their roles in the matter.

The group, however, advised the government to go beyond the cases of Aliyu and 
Abubakar to overhaul the security framework at the airports.

Aside from adequate funding and support for NDLEA, it emphasised that there is 
an urgent need to review the screening, equipment and personnel at the airports 
to ensure that they meet global standards.

(source: The Nation)



MALAYSIA:

2 nabbed with 121kg of meth in shopping mall car park



Police crippled a drug syndicate with the arrests of 2 men and seizure of 121kg 
of methamphetamine worth about RM230,000 in Bandar Sunway on Monday. Federal 
police Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department acting director Datuk 
Kamarulzaman Mamat said the arrests were made at 9.25am during a raid at the 
parking lot of a shopping mall.

He said initial investigations revealed that the duo were members of a local 
drug syndicate.

“During Inspection, we found 119 compressed blocks of drugs, believed to be 
methamphetamine, in the rear seat and boot of a car.

“We believe the men, aged 28 and 33, had obtained the drugs, worth 
approximately RM230,000, from a neighbouring country and were to distribute it 
in the local market,” he told reporters at the district police headquarters.

Kamarulzaman said police also seized a Toyota Vios, a Yamaha LC135 motorcycle 
and RM1,150 in cash from the duo.

He said checks revealed that the duo did not have past criminal records, adding 
that both tested negative for drug abuse.

He said police would conduct further operations to track down other syndicate 
members.

The men were remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations for 
trafficking under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a 
mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

(source: nst.com.my)








SINGAPORE:

Man found guilty of murdering waitress by throwing her over parapet in dispute 
over phone repairs



A 28-year-old man was found guilty of murder on Tuesday (May 21) for throwing a 
woman over a parapet at a multi-storey car park.

Syed Maffi Hassan, who had claimed trial, faces the death penalty or life 
imprisonment and caning.

The murder took place on Aug 31, 2015. Syed Maffi threw Pizza Hut waitress 
Atika Dolkifli over the railing at Deck 5A of the car park at Block 146A Toa 
Payoh Lorong 2, after a dispute over the cost of repairing a phone.

The got to know each other on Facebook in early 2013 and reconnected in May 
2015, the court heard.

Ms Atika, 23, had lent Syed Maffi a green iPhone 5C that was her spare phone, 
as he did not have a mobile phone.

However, the phone was faulty and Syed Maffi sent it for repairs, which cost 
him about S$125 in total.

He told Ms Atika that the repairs cost S$300, and tried to get the money from 
her family but did not manage to.

On the day of the murder, Syed Maffi met Ms Atika at the car park at about 
9.50pm after her shift had ended.

They went to the roof garden at the top deck, where they began arguing over the 
cost of repairing the phone, which he demanded from her.

Syed Maffi pushed Ms Atika on her chest and she fell backwards off the edge of 
a flight of stairs, hitting the back of her head on the steps, said Deputy 
Public Prosecutor Bhajanvir Singh.

According to court documents, Syed Maffi then dragged Ms Atika by her armpits 
down the remaining steps to Deck 5A.

She was semi-conscious and groaning, the court heard, and he grabbed her by her 
collar and trousers and threw her over the railing of the parapet.

HE TOOK HER PHONE, THREW AWAY SOME BELONGINGS

Ms Atika landed head first on the landing at Deck 3A.

Syed Maffi picked up some of her belongings, including her right shoe and keys, 
and threw them in a drain.

He also took her iPhone 6 Plus from her handbag before leaving it in a drain 
near a bus stop and went home, where he threw away the SIM card.

Ms Atika's father made a police report a day later, saying that his daughter 
had not returned home.

The day that police began investigations, Syed Maffi told Ms Atika's brother 
that he last saw her at a multi-purpose hall in Toa Payoh, claiming that she 
walked there by herself "and never returned".

3 days after the murder, a passer-by discovered Ms Atika's decomposing body at 
the 3rd floor of the car park.

An autopsy found that she had lacerations on her scalp and head, with the cause 
of death being consistent with a head injury.

Closed-circuit television camera footage showed Syed Maffi and Ms Atika 
entering the car park together before Syed Maffi left alone, carrying her 
handbag about 40 minutes later.

A psychiatric assessment of Syed Maffi found no psychiatric disorder or illness 
in him.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

(source: channelnewsasia.com)








INDONESIA:

French Drug Smuggler Sentenced to Death in Indonesia



Indonesia on Monday sentenced a French drug smuggler to death by firing squad, 
in a shock verdict after prosecutors had asked for a long prison term.

The three-judge panel in Lombok handed a capital sentence to Felix Dorfin, 35, 
who was arrested in September at the airport on the holiday island next to 
Bali, where foreigners are routinely charged with drugs offenses.

Indonesia has some of the world's strictest drug laws -- including death for 
some traffickers.

It has executed foreigners in the past, including the masterminds of 
Australia's Bali 9 heroin gang.

While Dorfin was eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors instead asked for 
a 20-year jail term plus another year unless he paid a huge fine equivalent to 
about $700,000.

But Indonesian courts have been known to issue harsher-than-demanded 
punishments.

Dorfin was carrying a suitcase filled with about three kilograms (6.6 pounds) 
of drugs including ecstasy and amphetamines when he was arrested.

"After finding Felix Dorfin legally and convincingly guilty of importing 
narcotics ... (he) is sentenced to the death penalty," presiding judge Isnurul 
Syamsul Arif told the court.

The judge cited Dorfin's involvement in an international drug syndicate and the 
amount of drugs in his possession as aggravating factors.

"The defendant's actions could potentially do damage to the younger 
generation," Arif added.

The Frenchman made headlines in January when he escaped from a police detention 
center and spent nearly 2 weeks on the run before he was captured.

A female police officer was arrested for allegedly helping Dorfin escape from 
jail in exchange for money.

It was not clear if the jailbreak played any role in Monday's 
stiffer-than-expected sentence.

Wearing a red prison vest, Dorfin, who is from Bethune in northern France, sat 
impassively through much of the hearing, as a translator scribbled notes beside 
him.

After the sentencing, he said little as he walked past reporters to a holding 
cell.

"Dorfin was shocked," the Frenchman's lawyer Deny Nur Indra told AFP.

"He didn't expect this at all because prosecutors only asked for 20 years."

The lawyer said he would appeal against the sentence, describing his client as 
a "victim" who did not know the exact contents of what he was carrying in the 
suitcase.

"If he had known, he wouldn't have brought it here," Indra added.

In Paris, the French foreign ministry said it was "concerned" by the sentence 
and reiterated France's opposition to the death penalty.

"We will remain attentive to his situation," the statement said, adding that 7 
French people faced the death penalty worldwide.

In 2015, Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran -- the accused 
ringleaders of the Bali 9 -- were executed by firing squad in Indonesia.

The Bali 9 gang's only female member was released from jail last year, while 
some others remain in prison.

The highly publicized case sparked diplomatic outrage and a call to abolish the 
death penalty.

"The death penalty verdict marks another setback for human rights in 
Indonesia," Human Rights Watch campaigner Andreas Harsono said Monday.

"The Indonesian government's many pledges about moving toward abolishing the 
death penalty clearly meant nothing in Lombok".

There are scores of foreigners on death row in Indonesia, including 
cocaine-smuggling British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford and Serge Atlaoui, a 
Frenchman who has been on death row since 2007.

Last year, 8 Taiwanese drug smugglers were sentenced to death by an Indonesian 
court after being caught with around a tonne of crystal methamphetamine.

(source: voanews.com)





PHILIPPINES:

Lagman to Senate: Reject bills reviving death penalty, lowering age of criminal 
liability



Reelected Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Tuesday called on the Senate to reject the 
“draconian and regressive” measures prioritized by the Duterte administration 
in the remaining session days of the 17th Congress.

In particular, the leader of the Magnificent 7 bloc said the Senate should 
reject two measures: the death penalty bill and the lowering of the age of 
criminal responsibility.

He enumerated his reasons for his opposition to the 2 bills.

“The unsubstantiated claim that the death penalty is a fitting response to 
criminality, will restore respect for laws, is a path to achieve justice, and 
is geared towards genuine reform in the criminal justice system, are not 
impressed with compelling reasons because:

Data show that the death penalty is not a deterrent to the commission of crimes 
even as the crime rate has gone down.

Punitive justice is not the avenue to achieve justice because vengeance is 
never justice.

The imposition of capital punishment is not a precursor to judicial reforms.

As for the bill lowering the age of criminal responsibility, Lagman cited the 
following reasons:

Neuroscientific research documents that the brains of children do not fully 
develop until their early 20s meaning children between the ages of 12 to 15 may 
still have reduced discernment to justify the imposition of criminal 
culpability on them.

It will not result in lower crime rates. Data show that children commit only 
1.72% of reported crimes and most of them are poverty-induced crimes like 
theft.

The present Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 must be fully implemented 
with the assurance of adequate funding for non-penal institutions and programs 
for children in conflict with the law.

Children must not be exposed to the adversities of prosecutory and judicial 
processes just because government has failed to implement the juvenile justice 
law.

Children in conflict with the law are bound to be confined in jail-like 
facilities, and no prison is fit for a child.

(source: politics.com.ph)

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

Analysts: Death penalty revival to bear on 2022 election chances



The revival of capital punishment being pushed in the Duterte administration 
will have some bearing on the 2022 elections, analysts sought for comment said.

In a press conference last Thursday, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said 
passing the death penalty bill, which is pending in the Senate, is a 
“possibility” in the 18th Congress given that there are more pro-death penalty 
senatorial candidates in the midterm elections who are poised to win.

Sought for comment, University of Santo Tomas political science professor 
Marlon M. Villarin said in a phone message on Saturday: “In less than 3 years, 
the 2022 presidential election is coming, and to push this kind of infamous 
legislation is a kiss of death for those who are planning to run both for 
reelection and higher positions. The revival of (the) death penalty may sound 
promising but I think those ambitious members of Congress will practically 
choose the proactive and more socially sound approach.”

Also sought for comment, Ateneo Policy Center senior research fellow Michael 
Henry Ll. Yusingco said via e-mail on Sunday: “I expect many lawmakers will 
just sit on such bills rather than risk the ire of the public. After all, in 
their minds, all they need to do is simply survive the next three years because 
2022, being a presidential election year, will be a new political battle 
altogether.”

For his part, sociology professor Louie C. Montemar of the Polytechnic 
University of the Philippines said via chat on Saturday: “If the new Congress 
prioritizes this in its agenda, we may see the lines drawn in the recent 
elections between the Duterte Administration in one side and the Catholic 
Church and human rights advocates in another redrawn and even more solidly.”

He also said that it would be “a more difficult fight for human rights group 
notwithstanding potential support from the international community.”

‘RIGHT NUMBER’

Mr. Villarin noted that President Rodrigo R. Duterte has the “right number” to 
push for the restoration of the death penalty, but the country is not “socially 
and legally” ready for it.

“Our institutions manifest unreadiness for its revival. Socially, what we need 
is a proactive or preventive approach that will address criminality like 
accessible social services, livelihood opportunities, responsible parenting, 
active citizen engagement in community peace and order,” he added.

He said the country’s justice system has to be “reexamined” first, noting that 
there has been “corruption in the judiciary which made (the) death penalty 
law…anti poor.”

Mr. Villarin said further that “there is no reliable data that the death 
penalty law in our country deters crime more effectively than imprisonment.”

For Mr. Montemar, the new Congress can “easily” push the death penalty agenda 
given the “support from the public” and President’s “high popularity.”

“Let us be reminded that Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan Survey held from March 15 
to 20, 2017, showed that Filipinos’ support for the reimposition of the death 
penalty on heinous crimes may have dropped by 14 % points — from 81% in July 
2016 to 67% in March 2017. But still, there is still a clear public majority 
that can prop up such an agenda,” he said.

For his part Mr. Yusingco said it is “still hard” to know the general public’s 
view of the death penalty as the high trust rating of Mr. Duterte “is not a 
proper gauge of the current public sentiment about this matter.”

“I believe the best way to determine what Filipinos think about bringing back 
the death penalty is to ask them directly. This can be done by calling for a 
special session of the Barangay Assembly to facilitate debate on this issue at 
the community level,” he added.

Mr. Yusingco said further a nationwide tally of all the results would be an 
“accurate demonstration of the peoples’ will” on the issue.

“As of the moment, there is no acceptable barometer of public sentiment on this 
issue except the Barangay Assembly process. Surveys will simply be not enough 
given the gravity of the question. Moreover, it is imperative that Filipinos 
undergo a deliberation process prior to making a stand on this issue. If the 
administration decides to pursue the reimposition of the death penalty without 
the clear mandate of the people, they will encounter strong opposition in 
Congress. It is very possible that civil society, led by religious groups, will 
literally storm the halls of the Senate and the House of Representatives to 
protest bills reinstating the death penalty.”

HUMAN RIGHTS

Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Commissioner Karen S. Gomez-Dumpit said in a 
phone message on Sunday that the agency “is ready to engage Congress in a frank 
and factual conversation” on the matter.

“We are ready to present the ineffectiveness of the death penalty and offer 
viable programs that result in crime prevention and lowering crime incidence. 
These include police visibility or increasing police to population ratios and 
community vigilance. We fully support these initiatives that do not diminish 
our principles to uphold the right to life,” Ms. Gomez-Dumpit added.

She also said that the CHR has to “ensure that our legal obligations as a state 
party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 
Second Optional Protocol aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty are 
respected and fulfilled. As a state party to these human rights treaties, we 
have perpetually committed not to impose nor reintroduce capital punishment.”

“The Commission does not want crime to go unpunished. However, the 
apprehension, prosecution, conviction and punishment of those who have 
committed wrong doings must be in accordance with human rights standards and 
principles,” she said further.

(source: Business World)








MYANMAR:

Death penalty possible in Myanmar cannabis farm case



A court in Myanmar on Tuesday formally charged an American man and 2 local 
co-workers with violating drug laws concerning marijuana, with potential 
penalties ranging from five years’ imprisonment to death.

The court in the central Mandalay region charged John Frederic Todoroki with 
violating 5 sections of the drugs and narcotics law covering possession, sale 
and trafficking of illegal drugs, lawyer Thein Than Oo said by phone. The 
defendants contend they were growing hemp, not marijuana. Both are subspecies 
of the cannabis plant genus.

The mildest penalty facing the defendants is 5 years if they are convicted of 
growing narcotic drugs. The most severe penalty is 15 years to death for 
trafficking narcotic drugs.

The company that operates the 20-acre (8-hectare) farm on an industrial estate 
where police arrested the three late last month says it had official permission 
from the Mandalay regional government to grow hemp, which can be processed into 
CBD — cannabidiol — a non-intoxicating compound that many believe has health 
benefits.

Hemp can be grown legally in many countries, and is often used for making CBD 
products. Myanmar law does not seem to clearly distinguish between hemp and 
marijuana.

Police who raided the III M Nutraceutical Co. plantation said they found about 
349,300 marijuana plants, 5,200 seedlings, 380 kilograms (838 pounds) of 
marijuana seeds, 1,804 grams (64 ounces) of marijuana oil, and chemicals and 
laboratory equipment.

The company said in an April 26 statement that the plants are actually hemp, 
and its project was approved by the Mandalay region government last August for 
research and development purposes. It said its farm has been growing industrial 
hemp, kenaf, peppermint, coffee and eucalyptus, and is strictly doing research, 
with no sales or distribution.

Another lawyer working on the case, Khin Maung Than, said the company received 
official permission for the enterprise because it was growing hemp.

Thein Than Oo said there was nothing stealthy about the project, and any action 
against the company should be done administratively rather than prosecuting it 
under the drug laws.

He expressed concern for the health of 63-year-old Todoroki, who he said had 
lost considerable weight since being detained after the raid.

“The heat is too strong even for locals, how could he resist the heat,” the 
lawyer said.

The Ngunzun township court in Mandalay’s Myingyan district scheduled its next 
hearing for June 4.

Todoroki’s co-defendants are Shein Latt and Shun Lei Myat Noe. When they were 
in court last week, Shun Lei Myat Noe’s parents said she was a simple worker at 
the enterprise, ignorant of what was going on and seeking mainly to improve her 
English-language skills.

(source: Associated Press)








JAPAN:

Third of Japan's lay judges say experience was stressful, but system viewed 
positively overall



1 in 3 citizen judges recently surveyed by Kyodo News said passing judgment on 
their fellow peers in court was stressful, but a large majority still reflected 
on their experience as being positive.

Of the 342 respondents in the survey conducted ahead of the lay judge system’s 
10-year anniversary on Tuesday, 31 percent said they were “stressed to some 
extent,” and 3 percent felt a “high degree of stress” from the experience.

The lay judge system was introduced on May 21, 2009, in order to reflect the 
opinions of ordinary people.

One of the main difficulties cited by respondents was the necessity of seeing 
photos of dead bodies and other disturbing types of evidence.

Some also said it was difficult to take part in court proceedings that would 
ultimately decide on whether to put a guilty person to death.

Of those who said they experienced a “high degree of stress,” one respondent 
said she felt ill and everything she ate at the time tasted bad.

But the survey found that 51 % still believe citizen judges should be involved 
in decisions involving possible capital punishment, while 22 % disagreed and 27 
% said they have no opinion.

Approximately a quarter of respondents said their experience of the citizen 
judge system was not stressful.

The survey, conducted by mail or email from March involving people that Kyodo 
News has come into contact with in its reporting, found 87 % believe their 
experiences were “very good” and 11 percent think they were “good to some 
extent.”

It showed 92 % view the lay judge system as having helped reflect the common 
sense of ordinary people in rulings, and 84 % supported the system’s continued 
use. Only 3 % said it should be abolished.

According to a Supreme Court report released last week, from the system’s 
initial implementation in 2009 through March this year, about 91,000 people 
have served as citizen judges, overseeing around 12,000 cases.

More than 10 % of rulings handed down by lay judges were overturned by high 
courts, the report showed.

Asked about how they feel when a ruling made in a citizen judge case is 
overturned, 40 % said it is acceptable, while 19 % said it is not, and 41 % 
said they are not sure.

Under the system, citizens chosen at random become eligible to act as lay 
judges. Those selected can refuse to accept a request if court officials deem 
their reasons sufficient.

In principle, 6 lay judges chosen from among the candidates in a lottery plus 3 
professional judges are on the bench in district court trials for serious 
crimes such as murder, robbery, arson and rape.

If no consensus is reached, a simple majority is required for a defendant to be 
found guilty, however, at least one professional judge must support the verdict 
for it to be accepted.

(source: Japan Times)








MALDIVES:

Abdul Muheeth's murderers put on death row



Criminal Court, on Monday, passed capital punishment on the 2 individuals 
convicted of murdering Abdul Muheeth (Bobby)..

The state charged Mohamed Maimoon from Naifaru, Lhaviyani Atoll, Muhujath Ahmed 
Nasih from Gahdhoo, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll and Ali Mushaffau from Maradhoo, Seenu 
Atoll over Muheeth's murder.

However, Mushaffau was later acquitted of his charges.

The 2 perpetrators were found guilty of murdering Muheeth in a narrow street in 
front of the Ministry of Finance in February 2012.

The Juvenile Court also charged an additional 3 individuals over Muheeth's 
murder. The court sentenced 2 of them to capital punishment. The High Court 
upheld the lower court's verdict on the matter.

(source: edition.mv)