[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 18


NIGERIA:

Abuja Prostitutes Given 48 hours to Vacate the City, Death Penalty for Patrons


Prostitutes in the city of Abuja have been given a 48-hour ultimatum to vacate 
the city or face the full wrath of the law while men and women who patronise 
them will be punished with a death sentence.

These strict measures were laid out by the Secretary for Social Development, 
Mrs. Blessing Onuh shortly after an official visit to several locations known 
to witness heavy activity of prostitutes and their patrons in the Federal 
Capital Territory.

Mrs Onuh added that several other severe measures had been lined up after 
security agencies combed several red-light districts and made several arrests.

She noted that experiencing a decline in the scourge, the secretary noted that 
prostitution has metamorphosed from the conventional sedentary practice in 
local brothels to a sophisticated cartel of "runs babes" and the corporate 
realm.

She revealed that the 'executive' type now holds in many luxury hotels in the 
Abuja metropolis and the exquisite homes of the super-rich adding that 
notorious spots include Port Harcourt Crescent, off Gimbiya Street, Garki; 
Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent and Sheraton Junction in Wuse II; and virtually all 
the discotheques; even in poor neighbourhoods like Nyanyan, Mararaba and 
Gwagwa, little girls have joined the illicit trade.

"They parade a horde of half-unclad girls and women of various ages and sizes 
brazenly exposing themselves, while openly and desperately beckoning on 
motorists and passers-by to pick them for the night. They insult, poke rude 
jokes and pour vituperation on those who look at them scornfully or ignore 
them.Indeed, for Abuja's affluent and powerful men, it has become commonplace 
to place order for these women on the street or import them from other states 
and even from far-flung countries in the Caribbean and Asian countries. 
High-society social, political functions are incomplete without a harem of 
these shadowy women. The import of these is that the upsurge requires a 
holistic framework to be able to deal with this seemingly intractable scourge."

(source: Nigerian Bulletin)






India:

2 get death penalty for killing 4


A Godavarikhani court on Friday awarded death penalty and Rs 3,000 fine to a 
daily labourer and a fisherman after convicting the duo for killing a woman, 
in-laws including a 4-year-old girl by smothering and stabbing at Pothana 
Colony in VIII Incline Colony of the town 4 years back.

The district is witnessing a capital punishment after a gap of 40 years. 2 
naxalites were awarded death penalty by a court in 1974.

(source: Deccan Chronicle)






PAKISTAN:

Bishop of Pune: The Asia Bibi death sentence is an affront to the dignity of us 
all----Msgr. Thomas Dabre comments on the ruling of the High Court of 
Islamabad, which confirmed the death penalty. The blasphemy laws are "contrary 
to the human spirit" and "reveal a medieval and obsolete mentality." The 
prelate calls for the intervention of the international community.


I was greatly shocked and deeply saddened when the judges decided to uphold the 
capital punishment to ..hapless Christian woman, Asia Bibi. In my view it is 
against all norms of both humans and international laws, dignity and all laws. 
Anycase everybody should be able to follow his/her religion there should be 
religious freedom and this in my view is a grave violation of the freedom to 
practice one's own religion but one may not be able to see the connection. I 
totally condemn this sentence because in my view it is against all human 
dignity against all laws not only international laws but all laws, human 
rights. It is a violation of human rights.

It is my deep conviction that these laws are hopelessly against the human 
spirit and it is betrays a medieval and obsolete mindset it is an abuse of 
power and authority to award such sentences and any case such laws are always 
open to misinterpretation and abuse on various grounds.

Pakistan being a Muslim majority nation, where Christians and those of other 
religions are a tiny miniscule minorities, it is all the more incumbent on them 
to be vary of such accusations of blasphemy. The Pakistan government there 
should be very careful in applying such laws and the International community 
should hold the government of Pakistan accountable. The Pakistan government 
cannot disown responsibility of this death sentence and should overturn 
immediately the death sentence of innocent Christian woman Asia Bibi.

I would expect international authorities and bodies to make the Pakistan 
government withdraw this punishment as well as these draconian Blasphemy laws, 
which betrays a mindset that are against present day affirmation of human 
rights.

Providentially the universal church will observe mission Sunday on 19th which 
is intended to promote Jesus and his values. Jesus mission was to impart to 
fullness of life in all liberties to all humanity, therefore such an sentence 
of capital punishment, on the dubious grounds of the application of blasphemy 
law is contrary to the vision and mission of Jesus Christ.

(source: Thomas Pune, Bishop of Pune (with the collaboration of Nirmala 
Carvalho)----Asia News)