[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 13



PAKISTAN:

Pakistan announces death penalty for 6 behind school attack


Pakistan's army on Thursday announced the death penalty for 6 militants linked 
to an assault on a school in Peshawar that killed 151 people, mainly school 
children, in the country's deadliest terror attack.

"The convicts were given fair trial by following all the legal formalities and 
offering/ providing them legal aid and defence counsels. Today the sentences of 
death have been confirmed by the Chief of Army Staff," a statement issued on 
the military's website said.

The men were convicted by military courts which were established in the wake of 
the attack in December last year. A seventh man was given a life sentence.

(source: Yahoo News)






INDONESIA:

Indonesian Chief Justice Confirms Triple J Poll Influenced Bali Nine Duo 
Execution


Just months after national youth broadcaster triple j was scrutinised for 
conducting a poll which asked whether Australians convicted of drug smuggling 
in countries that carry capital punishment should face their penalties, it has 
been revealed that the poll in question did influence the execution of Bali 
Nine duo, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

As Fairfax reports, former Indonesian constitutional court chief justice Jimly 
Asshiddiqie, who was heavily involved in the anti-death penalty lobby in the 
lead up to the 29 April executions, said that Indonesian President Joko Widodo 
made the decision personally, though there were influences, including the 
triple j poll featured on the Hack program, which the station later defended.

Of 2123 respondents to the controversial poll, 52 % agreed that Australians 
convicted of drug trafficking in a country that carries capital punishment 
should be sentenced to death.

Asshidiqie said that President Widodo concluded that: "the majority of the 
people in Australia don't care about the executions - only the minority gets 
angry with Indonesia."

"So they think this is only about Abbott's politics, not Australia as a whole," 
Asshidique said.

"The [Indonesian] government thinks this is not hurting the people of 
Australia, it's only elites, who claim to be popular by misusing public anger."

Asshidiqie said that the poll "made the Indonesian government become more 
strong in their position," which was already influenced by a number of other 
factors, including former convicted drug smuggler, Schapelle Corby.

Asshidiqie said that Corby and her family's reaction to her clemency in 2012 
and eventual release in 2014 were among the reasons the Government formed 
negative views of the accused.

"She still spoke very badly about Indonesia. She never showed her thanks, or 
expressed any thanks to Indonesia," he said of her 2012 clemency.

"This created a very bad impression among the Indonesian public."

Furthermore, Assidiqie referred to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's 
comments in which he reminded Indonesia of Australia's 1 billion dollars in 
tsunami aid as "very bad" and that Deputy Leader Julie Bishop was "more 
diplomatic."

(source: themusic.com)






IRAN----executions

3 Prisoners Executed For Drug Offences


3 prisoners were hanged in the Rajaishahr prison of Karaj (West of tehran) 
Wednesday morning August 11, reported the government daily newspaper "Iran".

The prisoners who were not identified by name, were charged with manufacturing 
homemade synthetic narcotic drugs in southern part of Tehran. They were between 
24 and 37 years old. They were executed as their prison terms were ended.

(source: Iran Human Rights)






ZIMBABWE:

'Limit court's discretion on death penalty'


A legal think-tank has urged local MPs to exercise diligence when debating 
proposed amendments to the General Laws Amendment (GLA) Bill claiming it 
carried clauses which were likely to bring back the death penalty.

In its latest Bill Watch report, Veritas said the clauses were enshrined in the 
Criminal Law Code.

Veritas said legislators should demand separate amendments to the Criminal Code 
instead of allowing it to be included in the omnibus General Laws Amendment 
Bill.

The GLA Bill is currently at its Second Reading Stage in the National Assembly 
and will collectively deal with amendments to about 126 pieces of legislation 
to be aligned with the Constitution, including the Criminal Law Code.

"In fact the amendments (to the Criminal Law Code) should have been made in a 
separate Bill rather than added to an omnibus Bill (General Laws Amendment 
Bill)," the Veritas report said.

"The Bill will amend section 47 of the Code to reintroduce the death penalty 
for murder, and the Bill purports to lay down circumstances which a court must 
regard as aggravating and so justifying the imposition of the death penalty."

The death penalty had been outlawed by the Constitution and the proposed 
amendments to the Code within the GLA Bill were said to allow the courts to 
decide for themselves what amounted to murder in aggravating circumstances.

Veritas suggested that Parliament should limit the court's discretion on the 
issue.

On sexual offences, the think-tank said the GLA Bill also proposed to insert a 
provision in section 70 of the Code to the effect that young persons over 12 
but less than 16 years who engaged in sexual intercourse with consent must not 
be prosecuted for the crime of sexual intercourse with another young person 
unless a probation officer had recommended prosecution.

"This provision will not prevent young people being prosecuted altogether, but 
will simply require a probation officer to recommend it. Similar amendments 
should be made to other sections of the Code to stop very young persons being 
inappropriately prosecuted.

"The law regarding sexual crimes must be looked at as a whole. The whole law on 
this topic should be reconsidered to ensure that it meets changing attitudes of 
society while at the same time, and above all, protecting children from abuse," 
Veritas said.

(source: NewsDay)