[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 18


LEBANON:

Fist fight erupts as court postpones Abra trials


The trial of Abra detainees ended Tuesday in a clash between 1 of the suspects 
and the police as the military court decided to postpone the trial until Dec. 
2, judicial sources said.

The military court delayed the trial of the Abra detainees after interrogating 
8 suspects.

When the session ended, 1 of the captives requested to talk to the judge. 
Military police refused to let him, and the suspect began to yell. A scuffle 
then broke out between the suspect and the military police, who were able to 
put the situation under control.

The military court is trying 71 people, including radical preacher Ahmad 
al-Assir, over last year's clashes in Abra.

The suspects, including Assir and 24 other fugitives, are accused of murdering 
and attempting to murder soldiers and civilians, of committing terrorist 
operations, possessing weapons and explosives, instigating sectarian tension 
and calling for sectarian fighting.

If convicted, many of the detainees could face death penalty.

The anti-Hezbollah preacher, whose followers clashed with the Lebanese Army in 
June 2013, is still on the run, while many of his followers were arrested after 
the clashes.

The attacks resulted in the death of 18 Army soldiers and around 40 of Assir's 
followers. The Army was able to arrest 46 suspects.

Assir was the imam of the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque in Abra, near which the 
clashes occurred, and a critic of Hezbollah's activity in Sidon. He claimed 
that the Lebanese government was controlled by Hezbollah and that state 
institutions, especially its security forces, were biased against Sunnis.

The families of the detainees have demonstrated on several occasions to demand 
the quick and fair trial of their sons, after the case has been delayed 
multiple times.

(source: The Daily Star)






INDIA:

Man sentenced to death for killing 2 children


A local court today awarded capital punishment to a person for killing 2 
children last year.

Additional District Judge, Bhudev Gautam, gave death penalty to Mahipal for 
killing 6-year-old Vikash and his cousin Jitendra (7) on January 9, 2013 over a 
land dispute with their family.

Both the brothers were abducted by Mahipal from their house in Kanakpur village 
in Dataganj area and were later killed.

The police had later arrested the accused.

(source: Press Trust of India)






PAKISTAN:

Christian Professor in Pakistan Accused of Blasphemy, May Face Death Penalty 
Like Asia Bibi


A Christian professor was arrested for blasphemy in Lahore, Pakistan, and has 
been accused of desecrating the name of the Prophet Mohammad, the same charge 
brought against Christian mother Asia Bibi, who is currently facing the death 
penalty.

According to Fides News Agency, Qaiser Ayub, a computer science professor, had 
been a fugitive for close to three years after hiding from police when accused 
of writing blasphemous comments on his blog.

Sardar Mushtaq Gill, national director of advocacy group Legal Evangelical 
Association Development, said that despite the threat of arrest, the professor 
had been teaching recently at a school in Lahore, which triggered the police 
warrant.

"We also request prayer for him," Gill said, noting that his group will be 
providing legal assistance.

Currently, Ayub is being held at a police station in the town of Talagang in 
Punjab's Chakwal District.

The allegations brought against Ayub are the same ones brought against 
Christian mother of 5 Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death in 2010 after being 
accused of blaspheming against Islam by a group of Muslim women.

In response, the American Center for Law and Justice has started a petition 
asking the U.S. government to stop sending foreign aid to Pakistan.

"We must stop sending billions of our taxpayer dollars to nations that 
persecute Christians. It's that simple. Not one more dime for persecution. Cut 
off American foreign aid to any country that persecutes Christians," states the 
petition, addressing Congress and President Barack Obama.

"As a wave of persecution sweeps across the Middle East - and Christians flee 
for their lives - it's time for the money to stop," it adds. "Already there is 
growing support for basic human rights and basic common sense on Capitol Hill."

Earlier this month, a Christian couple who was killed and set on fire by a 
Muslim mob allegedly for desecrating the Quran. However, media reports have 
revealed that the origins of this incident actually lay in a financial dispute 
between the couple and their employer, a local brick kiln owner.

"This incident appears to be yet another tragic example of how the social 
environment created by Pakistan's blasphemy laws allows personal disputes and 
vendettas to be pursued under religious pretexts, encouraging mob violence," 
says Peter Prove, director of the World Council of Church's Commission of the 
Churches on International Affairs.

"Christians in Pakistan are not safe as long as the current blasphemy laws 
exists. They are just misused to persecute them."

According to BBC News, "scores" of Christians have been found guilty of 
desecrating the Koran or of blasphemy since 1990.

The offense, which often carries life in prison or the death penalty as 
punishment, has been widely used to target religious minorities, which account 
for 50 % of those accused of blasphemy.

Since 2002, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has called 
on the administration to designate Pakistan a "country of particular concern," 
a step that would make it eligible for sanctions or other measures intended to 
prod governments to stop violating religious freedom.

(source: gospelherald.com)


SAUDI ARABIA:

Family of BBC cameraman murdered in Saudi terror attack regret killer's death 
sentence -- Simon Cumbers died while filming near Riyadh in 2004


The family of a BBC cameraman who was shot dead in a terrorist attack in Saudi 
Arabia 10 years ago have spoken of their regret over his killer's death 
sentence, saying the condemned man's parents "must now suffer that tremendous 
loss that we feel".

Simon Cumbers, an Irish national, was murdered while filming a news item about 
al-Qaeda near Riyadh in June 2004. The BBC's security correspondent, Frank 
Gardner, was also severely injured in the attack.

Mr Cumbers" killer, Adil Sa'ad Al-Dubayti Al Mutayri, has now been convicted of 
murder and of declaring war against the state. On Monday a court in Saudi 
Arabia sentenced him to death alongside 2 other defendants.

The cameraman's parents, Robert and Bronagh, from Navan in County Meath, have 
previously called on the Saudi Arabian authorities not to execute their son's 
killer.

"Simon was a pacifist, someone who would not have wanted the death penalty and 
would have opposed it. We do not want this man to be executed if he is found 
guilty," Mr Cumbers said in 2009.

In a statement issued to Irish broadcaster RTE after the court announced its 
decision, he said the family's view had not changed: "I have mixed feelings 
about the sentencing. On the one hand, I am pleased that the murderer has had 
his fate decided and that the long wait is over.

"It won't bring Simon back, but it puts an end to the waiting. On the other 
hand, both Bronagh and I sympathise with Dubayti's [the sentenced man] parents, 
who must now suffer that tremendous loss that we feel."

As well as being convicted of shooting the BBC crew, the men were accused of 
multiple murders in separate attacks in Riyadh and Alkhobar over a long period. 
The sentences, which are subject to appeal, were also criticised by Amnesty 
International, which condemns the death penalty in all cases.

Tim Hancock, the director of policy at Amnesty UK, said: "Amnesty of course 
opposes the death penalty in all cases, regardless of the circumstances. It is 
the ultimate inhuman act.

"Saudi Arabia executes a lot of people; 79 last year. They have embarked on a 
killing spree in 2014, at one point over the summer executing at a rate of more 
than one person every day.

"This crime is an appalling one, shooting journalists going about their work is 
an abhorrent act of cowardice, but killing, even killing a killer, is never 
right."

Mr Cumbers had previously worked for both ITN and Channel 4 and also set up his 
own production company with his wife Louise. Mr Gardner suffered life-changing 
injuries in the attack and now relies on a wheelchair.

In his 2007 book Blood and Sand, in which he recounts his experience of being 
shot and left for dead, the BBC correspondent described Mr Cumbers as a man of 
"endless patience and good humour" who had a "kind and big-hearted family". 
"There were others at the BBC who knew Simon much better than I did, but he was 
one of those rare people with such natural charisma you only had to be with him 
for 5 minutes and you felt you had known him a lifetime," Mr Gardner wrote.

Recalling the memorial service for his colleague held at Fleet Street's St 
Bride's Church, he wrote: "After all my months in hospital it finally hit home 
hard: Simon was dead, because of the trip we had gone on together. I had 
survived and he had not. I would have given anything to wake up and realize it 
had just been a terrible dream, that Simon was still doing what he loved, 
making superb films or just making everyone around him smile and laugh."

(source: The Independent)






ETHIOPIA:

Ethiopia to execute Andy Tsege after was abducted in Yemen, and Britain in a 
state of anger


The family of a north London man who is facing the death penalty in Ethiopia 
has said the government should be doing more to help get him home.

Andy Tsege, from Islington, who opposes the Ethiopian authorities, was seized 
in June and has been in solitary confinement ever since, his family says.

The UK Foreign Office says he is not being held "illegally".

The international community expressed feelings of deep frustration because of 
the deterioration of human rights situation and freedom of expression in 
Ethiopia.

The Prime Minister has personally intervened in the case of a British 
father-of-3 facing the death sentence in Ethiopia, after the man's children 
appealed for his help.

David Cameron wrote to the Ethiopian Prime Minister in a bid to save the life 
of Andargachew "Andy" Tsege, 59, whose plight was revealed by The Independent 
Newspaper.

His actions were in response to what he described as "very touching messages" 
from Mr Tsege's children, who are calling for the Prime Minister to help get 
their father home.

Mr Tsege, who came to Britain as a political refugee in 1979, was arrested at 
an airport in Yemen in June and promptly vanished. 2 weeks later it emerged he 
had been sent to Ethiopia, where he has been imprisoned ever since. The Briton, 
a prominent opponent of the Ethiopian regime, is facing a death sentence 
imposed 5 years ago at a trial held in his absence.

Britain axes aid to Ethiopian police amid human rights outcry

Britain has suspended most of a 27 million pounds aid programme to support 
Ethiopia's police force, The Telegraph has learnt, amid mounting allegations of 
torture, rape and murder by the regime.

Ministers pulled the plug on a scheme intended to improve criminal 
investigations, help Ethiopian police "interact with communities on local 
safety" and help women access the justice system.

The cancellation coincides with an Amnesty International report that documents 
how the Ethiopian security forces have conducted a campaign of torture, 
mutilation, rape and murder in order to suppress political opposition.

Britain has given 1 billion pounds in aid, including around 70 million pounds 
for "governance and security" projects, to the country over 3 years. Critics of 
the ruling regime have disappeared, and Amnesty International found allegations 
of men being blinded and women being gang raped and burnt with hot coals by 
regime officials.

There are mounting fears for the safety of Andy Tsege, a British national and 
critic of the regime, who was abducted in Yemen before being tortured and 
sentenced to death.

(source: Diplomat)






INDONESIA:

Robert Ellis wife asked alleged killers to murder husband - but not 
'sadistically'


The wife of a UK-born Australian resident murdered in Bali had admitted 
ordering his killing, but says she told his alleged assassins not to do it 
"sadistically".

A re-enactment of the death of Robert Ellis was carried out on Monday, 
involving his wife Noor, her 2 maids, 3 men arrested for the crime, and with 
police officers playing the parts of 2 men still wanted.

The body of 60-year-old was found wrapped in plastic and dumped in a rice field 
on 21 October.

Noor could face the death penalty for arranging the grisly crime.

The usually stylish Noor wore prison-issue orange on Monday as she demonstrated 
for police and the media the 19 October meeting with the alleged killers.

"I only told you that you could kill him but not sadistically," she said during 
the re-enactment to 1 of the men, Urbanus.

Urbanus, who was only arrested after being shot and captured after fleeing to 
the island of Sumba, replied: "I still remember you said that to me."

She sealed the deal by linking pinky fingers with 1 of the men still on the 
run.

They then reconstructed how Noor handed Aril, a boyfriend of one of her maids, 
a brown envelope containing Rp 100m as payment.

She had passed the package through the window of her car while parked in a 
Sanur street.

Following her request not to be sadistic, the men abandoned plans to use wooden 
sticks.

Instead, Ellis was to have his throat slashed in the kitchen of his Sanur villa 
later that night, after Noor took the men there to survey it.

Before Monday's re-enactment, Noor, a successful dive business operator, had 
claimed she ordered the men to hurt her husband, not kill him.

She says she was bitter about her husband's infidelity and the division of 
their finances.

Her defence lawyer has said she was stunned to discover her husband dead, and 
was "hysterical, frightened and confused".

The couple's 2 sons live and study in Perth.

Ellis, whose business interests spanned property, telecommunications and 
aviation, was laid to rest in New Zealand.

(source: The Guardian)






IRAN----executions

3 prisoners hanged in public


The Iranian regime's henchmen executed 3 prisoners in public on Saturday using 
a crane, pulley system and a specially adapted device for group executions.

The 3 men were hanged in the city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

The identities of the 3 prisoners were not revealed and no specific information 
was provided about the crimes committed, their time of arrest or if they had 
been sentenced through any process within the clerical regime's own laws.

The graphic images of the brutal public hangings were published in the local 
media in order to intimidate the public.

At least 9 prisoners were hanged last week in Iran, including 2 political 
prisoners, as the execution rate soars under so-called 'moderate' Hassan 
Rouhani.

The political prisoners named as Vahid Shahbakhsh and Mahmoud Shahbakhsh were 
hanged in the main prison in the city of Zahedan, south-eastern Iran.

Vahid had been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment plus execution and was held in 
section 4 of the prison.

In a letter to UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Vahid Shahbakhsh had revealed 
the torture he had been subjected to.

Vahid's letter that has surfaced on the Internet said: "I was at my home on May 
22, 2014 when the members of Quds Force attacked my residents with rocket 
launchers and mortar shells. While I was severely injured with shrapnel in my 
body I was taken to a detention center and put under torture."

Mahmoud, 26, had been sentenced to death and was being held in section 1 of the 
prison.

Further reports received from inside the regime said another prisoner named as 
Bahador Niroomand was hanged in the main prison in the city of Bandar-Abbas on 
the same day.

3 more prisoners named as Morteza Rostami, Hooshang Saki and Mohammad 
Gholampour were also hanged in Shahab prison in city of Kerman on November 13.

(source: NCR - Iran)

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

New Video Footage Reveals Slow Strangulation in Public Executions in Iran


A video footage showing the public executions of last Saturday (15. November) 
in Bandar Abbas has been released by the "human rights activists news agency" 
(HRANA). The video shows 3 prisoners with the noose around their neck being 
slowly pulled up by a crane. This happens in front of tens of ordinary people.

The method has been previously described by Iran Human Rights (IHR) as slow 
strangulation where the prisoner suffers several minutes before the death 
occurs due to suffocation. There are several videos of public executions 
showing that this method is being systematically used by the Iranian 
authorities. In some cases it takes up to 15 minutes till the prisoner dies.

IHR strongly urges the international community to react in order to stop the 
public executions in Iran. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR 
says: "Besides being a dehumanizing and barbaric punishment, Iranian 
authorities' method of execution is pure torture. The prisoner dies a slow and 
painful death in front of the horrified children and adults. The international 
community must not tolerate such barbaric punishments in a country which is a 
full member of the United Nations."

During the last Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session on October 31 several 
countries recommended Iran to immediately stop the public executions.

(source: Iran Human Rights)