[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 5



IRAN:

UN High Commissioner alarmed at execution sentence in Iran


The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on 
Wednesday expressed alarm at the imposition of the death penalty on Mohammad 
Ali Taheri, the founder of a spiritual movement, writer and practitioner of 
alternative medicine theories used in Iran and abroad.

Mr. Taheri was sentenced to death on Saturday by the regime's court on a charge 
of "Fesad fel Arz" (corruption on earth).

"Iran's use of the death penalty has long been problematic, with many 
executions on drug offences, several executions of people who were below the 
age of 18 when the crime was committed, as well as other cases where broad, 
ill-defined charges led to the imposition of capital punishment," Zeid said.

Mohammad Ali Taheri "Taheri's multiple convictions on a variety of vague 
charges, his alleged detention in solitary confinement and now his sentencing 
to death bring into stark focus serious issues with the administration of 
justice and the terribly worrying use of the death penalty in Iran."

"I call on the Iranian authorities to immediately withdraw the charges against 
Taheri and ensure his unconditional release. For an individual to be sentenced 
to death for peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, religion or belief is 
an absolute outrage - and a clear violation of international human rights law," 
High Commissioner Zeid said.

"Iran has reportedly executed more than 600 individuals so far this year. Last 
year, at least 753 people were executed in the country," said a statement by 
the Office of the High Commissioner.

High Commissioner Zeid urged the regime in Iran to "immediately impose a 
moratorium on all executions."

(source: NCR-Iran)

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

Death sentence for Iranian spiritual leader an 'outrage': UN


The United Nations on Wednesday called for the unconditional release of an 
Iranian spiritual leader who was sentenced to death at the weekend after being 
convicted of spreading "corruption on earth".

Mohammed Ali Taheri, who founded a spiritual movement and practised alternative 
medicine, was sentenced on Saturday by Iran's Revolutionary Court, according to 
a statement from the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al 
Hussein.

"I call on the Iranian authorities to immediately withdraw the charges against 
Taheri and ensure his unconditional release," Zeid said.

"For an individual to be sentenced to death for peaceful exercise of freedom of 
expression, religion or belief is an absolute outrage."

Taheri has reportedly been held in solitary confinement since his arrest in May 
2011, according to the UN and Amnesty International.

The charges levelled against him include "insulting Islamic sanctities", 
touching "non-relatives of the opposite sex", and unlawfully providing medical 
treatment, Amnesty said in a report earlier this year.

Taheri, who has attempted suicide and launched 12 hunger strikes while in 
detention, was only granted access to a lawyer of his own choosing in December, 
Amnesty said.

According to the London-based rights group, Taheri lawfully opened a cultural 
and education centre in Tehran in 2006 after receiving what he described as 
spiritual messages.

He attracted followers and reportedly conducted healing sessions that 
emphasised non-traditional medicine.

Several of his offices were shut down in 2010 and Taheri was detained for more 
than 2 months, before briefly being released, according to Amnesty.

In a message posted on Facebook on Monday, Taheri's lawyer Mahmoud 
Alizadeh-Tabatabaei said his client "does not deny any of the principles of 
Shia Islam and firmly believes in them and observes them."

Taheri told the Revolutionary Court that he was prepared to recant his beliefs 
and seek forgiveness if the authorities believed his thoughts deviated from 
Islam's teaching, according to the post on his lawyer's unverified Facebook 
account.

UN rights chief Zeid said Taheri had since his second arrest been convicted "on 
a variety of vague charges".

His death sentence brings "into stark focus serious issues with the 
administration of justice and the terribly worrying use of the death penalty in 
Iran."

Iran has reportedly executed more than 600 people already this year, the UN 
said.

There was no immediate response from officials in Tehran.

(source: al-monitor.com)






PAKISTAN:

Pakistan Supreme Court to hear Christian woman's blasphemy case


The planned execution of a Christian mother convicted of blasphemy has been 
stayed in Pakistan after that country's supreme court decided to hear her 
appeal. "Therefore, it is necessary that Asia Bibi be submitted as soon as 
possible a full medical check-up, including blood tests".

Church of Pakistan Bishop Humphrey Sarfaraz Peter of Peshawar pointed out that 
a false accusation of blasphemy must be seen as a "state offense" as life 
becomes very hard for the victims once they are charged with insulting the 
Qur'an or Prophet Mohammed.

Asia Bibi found herself accused of blasphemy after a dispute with Muslim 
co-workers who refused to drink the water the Christian woman had provided, 
because they considered her to be unclean.

Christianity Today's says that after her appeal in Lahore's High Court was 
unsuccessful in October 2014, this is now the last chance for Noreen, the 
mother of 5 children, to appeal that her conviction should never have been 
allowed, due to inadmissible evidence. She continues to deny accusations that 
she insulted the Prophet Muhammad - charges levelled at her by former 
colleagues. All too often, allegations of blasphemy are used to settle scores 
and take out rivals.

"Moreover, a precedent could also limit the type of allegation that will be 
accepted by courts as a potential blasphemy".

The Nation reported that 2 politicians who previously tried to intervene on 
Bibi's behalf and called for reforms to the blasphemy law have been attacked. 
In early 2011, Pakistan's Governor of the Punjab Salman Taseer and Minority 
Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti were assassinated by religious extremists 
because of their efforts to defend Bibi and roll back the controversial 
blasphemy laws.

If the death sentence remains upheld, Bibi will be the 1st woman in history to 
be legally executed under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. A Christian teenager 
received Pakistan's 1st exoneration for blasphemy in 2013. Those accused can 
face detention, imprisonment and the death penalty.

Chowdhry, whose group has been appealing for Bibi's freedom and has started a 
global petition for her cause, told CP that the case is set to be one of the 
most scrutinized legal procedures in Pakistan.

Bibi's case is a particularly pernicious example of the negative effects of 
blasphemy laws.

If the court rules in favor of Bibi, it could open the door for interreligious 
harmony to take place. While hundreds of thousands throughout the world have 
called for her release, many in Pakistan have protested against her and said 
they would kill her if she were ever released - including the imam in her own 
village near Lahore. In April 2012, a Pakistani man accused of blasphemy was 
shot dead by religious zealots after he was acquitted and released from prison.

Publicly advocate for the release of Asia Bibi. The Supreme Court has suspended 
the death sentence pending an appeal. Asia responded by sharing with them about 
her faith in Christ.

"International Christian Concern explains how long the process might take". It 
must review all of its blasphemy cases and must act now to repeal these 
notorious blasphemy laws which have been used as weapons to target Christians 
and others.'.

(source: rapidnewsnetwork.org)

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

Pakistan hangman: 'My father taught me to tie a noose'


Last year, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the end of a 7-year 
moratorium on executions.

There are currently believed to be more than 8,000 people on death row in the 
country.

More than 200 have already been hanged in the last 8 months.

The hangman responsible for at least a quarter of the executions in Pakistan is 
Sabir Massih.

He spoke to the BBC's Pakistan correspondent Shaimaa Khalil and told her he 
came from generations of hangmen.

(source: BBC news)






PHILIPPINES/INDONESIA:

Complainant vs Mary Jane Veloso's recruiters backs out----The large-scale 
illegal recruitment case against Maria Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao 
might be reduced to a simple illegal recruitment case, which is bailable


One of the complainants against the alleged illegal recruiters of Mary Jane 
Veloso, the Filipino worker who is on death row in Indonesia, filed a statement 
withdrawing her charges on Wednesday, August 5.

Ana Marie Gonzales, one of the 3 complainants against Maria Cristina Sergio and 
Julius Lacanilao, said in her statement that she will no longer pursue the 
criminal case against the recruiters.

According to the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) lawyer Howard Areza, who 
represents Sergio and Lacanilao, if the court grants Gonzales' withdrawal from 
the case, the charges against his clients will be downgraded to simple illegal 
recruitment, which is a bailable offense.

The 2 other complainants were Lorna Valino and Jenalyn Paraiso.

The alleged illegal recruiters are being tried at a regional trial court in 
Nueva Ecija. Indonesian authorities are awating the outcome of the case against 
them. Once they are proven guilty, the verdict will be an evidence that the 
Indonesian court will consider to spare Veloso from the death penalty.

Areza said Gonzales came to their district office in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, and 
claimed she did not know that her signed affidavit would lead to a case against 
the recruiters.

She also claimed that she was deceived by Mary Jane Veloso's family, thinking 
her affidavit was only intended to help Veloso's case in Indonesia, according 
to Areza.

"Siguro inisip niya baka makatulong, para hindi mabitay si Mary Jane, gumawa 
siya ng salaysay. Hindi niya alam na matutuloy sa demandahan na kakasuhan sila 
... na mauuwi sa pagkakakulong 'yung dalawa," Areza said.

(She might have thought that the affidavit would help Mary Jane's case, 
preventing her execution. She did not know that this would lead to a trial 
which could have Sergio and Lacanilao jailed.)

Areza added that the case against Sergio and Lacanilao was only part of an 
"effort" to help stop Veloso's execution and to show the Indonesian government 
that the Philippine government was doing something.

The court has yet to consider Gonzales' recent statement and has not allowed 
her to testify because it was still hearing the motion for reconsideration to 
dismiss the case.

"The statement is already on their records, 'pinapaalam lang namin sa court na 
one of the complainants is already withdrawing her case," Areza added. (We just 
wanted to let the court know that one of the complainants was already 
withdrawing her case.)

The PAO lawyer said they would have to wait for the court's ruling on their 
motion for reconsideration before putting Gonzales on the witness stand in 
another arraignment.

On May 7, a large-scale illegal recruitment case against Sergio and Lacanilao 
was approved based on the testimonies of the 3 alleged victims.

The prosecutors recommended no bail since there were at least 3 complainants, 
making the crime large-scale illegal recruitment.

"The recent development will not affect the case of Mary Jane Veloso against 
Sergio because her case will be tried in a different proceeding, which has yet 
to start," said Areza.

Sergio, Lacanilao, and an African named "Ike," were tagged for allegedly 
tricking Veloso into smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesia.

The Department of Justice filed charges of illegal recruitment, estafa, and 
qualified human trafficking against the 3.

(source: rappler.com)






INDIA:

India's Death Penalty


July 30 was a somber day for India - a day that called into question the 
application of the death penalty in a country whose criminal justice system is 
stacked against minorities, the poor and those who do not have the backing of 
powerful political interests.

On that day, Yakub Memon was executed. The same day last year, Maya Kodnani was 
released from jail. Just 3 years ago, Ms. Kodnani was sentenced to prison for 
28 years for her role in an attack in Gujarat that left at least 94 people, all 
Muslims, dead during riots in 2002. She was also, however, a top lieutenant in 
the Gujarat state government once headed by the current prime minister, 
Narendra Modi. Mr. Memon had no such political connections. An accountant, he 
admitted to playing an accessory role in the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, 
masterminded by his brother "Tiger" Memon and Dawood Ibrahim, a Mumbai 
underworld boss. The bombings, which took the lives of 257 people and injured 
some 700 others, were set off in revenge for riots that engulfed the city in 
December 1992 following the destruction by Hindu militants of the Babri Mosque 
in the Indian city of Ayodhya. More than 1,000 people died in the Mumbai riots, 
most of them Muslims.

Mr. Memon's execution has now set off a vigorous debate in India on capital 
punishment. While more than 1,300 Indians were condemned to die by Indian 
courts in the decade between 2004 and 2013, only 3 individuals have been 
executed. But the sentences reflect huge disparities in the treatment of the 
accused in the justice system. A study conducted by the National Law University 
in New Delhi, working with India's Law Commission, has found that nearly all - 
93.5 % - of those sentenced to death are low-caste Dalits or members of other 
minorities. Most are poor. Many are illiterate. Few received adequate legal 
representation.

Such gross injustice should weigh heavily when India's Supreme Court receives a 
full report on the death penalty expected from the Law Commission next month. 
In the meantime, the government should reinstate the moratorium on the death 
penalty while India works toward joining most of the world in abolishing 
state-sanctioned killing.

(source: Editorial, New York Times)