[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 4


BANGLADESH:

Let justice roll down like water


Renowned Bangladesh's preacher Delawar Hossain Sayedee has been reprieved of 
death penalty. His capital punishment ruled by the International Crimes 
Tribunal (ICT) was commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court stirring 
debates whether there was a secret pact behind the scenes between the ruling 
party, Awami League (AL) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Bangladesh, although it was 
vehemently ruled out by the former.

The ruling party, according to its election manifesto, has been trying many for 
war crimes and framing charges against many more which are allegedly 
politically motivated.

There are reasons to suspect a secret deal. The 1st and foremost possibility is 
that the government wants JI to fend off Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist 
Party (BNP) in order to sap BNP's strength in its agitation against the 
government. Sayedee is a key JI leader. Sayedee's punishment has been commuted, 
even though other JI leaders were previously sentenced to death by the ICT for 
identical crimes against humanity committed during the war in 1971.

For instance, the much-talked about trial of Abdul Quader Mollah generated much 
heat when he was first sentenced to life for similar crimes and then given 
death by the Supreme Court. ICT's verdict had provoked countrywide protests 
allegedly sponsored by pro-Awami League people popularly known as "Shahabaghis" 
forcing the government to amend the ICT law, which allowed complainants against 
war criminals to appeal to the highest court and accordingly Supreme Court 
found Mollah guilty of genocide and converted his life sentence to death. He 
was the 1st person whose death penalty was carried out.

Surprisingly, the Supreme Court increased Mollah's punishment sending him to 
the gallows while Sayedee's death sentence was reduced to life. It raised 
questions if the ruling party is trying to appease JI to lure it away from the 
BNP-led alliance in order to weaken the anti-government protests, which are set 
to gain steam following the nationally and internationally unacceptable Jan. 5 
general election in which more than half of lawmakers were elected uncontested, 
as the major political parties including BNP boycotted it. There are apparently 
serious flaws, government influence and pressure in the trial proceedings of 
war criminals raised by the United Nations and human rights bodies since it is 
the government which has appointed prosecutors, investigators and judges, some 
of them were allegedly associated with mock trials of these war criminals 
staged during 1990s.

There was a Skype scandal in which conversations between ICT's presiding judge 
Mohammed Nizamul Huq and Ahmed Ziauddin, a war crimes expert of Bangladeshi 
origin living in Brussels were exposed. This eventually compelled Nizamul Huq 
to resign.

There were neither international judges nor international lawyers allowed to 
participate in court proceedings. Even, renowned lawyer and expert on war 
crimes Toby Cadman was denied entry visa to witness the trial proceedings 
transforming ICT into a "domestic war crimes tribunal."

Bangladeshis are no doubt in favor of trials of crimes against humanity. But 
they are distracted when these war criminals are being tried through less than 
fair means in the absence of recognized international principles and 
procedures. Unfortunately, what is happening, suggests predetermined trials.

(source: Opinion, Shamsul Huda, Arab News)






SINGAPORE:

Death penalty the lesser of 2 evils


The death penalty is essential to the operation of our society's legal system. 
("Calls to abolish death penalty 'do not focus on victims of drug trade'"; Sept 
27) It serves as a symbol of deterrence and goes a long way towards showing 
Singapore's zero tolerance for actions that compromise the well-being of our 
people and nation.

Some may argue that in our evolution into a First World society, the death 
penalty is redundant, demonstrating a barbaric culture and a lack of 
forgiveness for those who have erred and committed acts that go against our 
society's values.

The proposition for our death penalty system can be equally justified, though. 
Without it, drug offenders, murderers and other offenders of heinous crimes may 
well threaten the safety and lives of our friends and family.

We could try to rehabilitate offenders and hope they will not repeat the 
offence, but this would ultimately be futile when faced with hardened or 
relentless criminals. Both our people's safety and our economy would be at 
stake.

With no death penalty, the distribution of drugs would have detrimental effects 
on workforce productivity and on our children, our future generation. How can 
Singapore sustain itself then, especially in this globalising world?

That said, I am not advocating the permanent use of the death penalty. Many 
Singaporeans may not see it as the ultimate solution to crimes such as murder 
and drug trafficking, although its benefits appear to outweigh the costs, even 
if marginally.

Until we find a better solution, with less moral conflict, to serve the same 
purpose as the death penalty, it remains the lesser of 2 evils.

(source: Letter to the Editor, Louis Lau Yi Hang, Todayonline.com)