[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 18



THAILAND:

Backpacker murder trial resumes in Thailand


The trial of 2 Myanmar nationals, accused of killing 2 British backpackers, 
including 1 from Norfolk, resumed in southern Thailand on Tuesday (August 18) 
with a focus on the reliability of crucial DNA evidence.

British tourists David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge from Hemsby, 23, were 
murdered last year on Koh Tao, or Turtle Island, a popular tourist destination 
in southern Thailand.

Thai police said in October that Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, 2 22-year-old 
migrant workers from Myanmar, had initially confessed to the killings. The 
confessions followed weeks of speculation and pressure on police to solve the 
murders.

The pair, who deny charges of murder, rape and robbery, could face the death 
penalty if found guilty. Defence lawyer of the Myanmar pair said the 
examination of the DNA evidence is of the most crucial part ot the case.

The examination of the DNA evidence is the most important. This issue is huge, 
while the (examination) of other evidence is still unclear. But we will still 
need to wait for the witness hearing this time as well, he said before entering 
the court room. Police said DNA found on the victims matched the suspects but 
the 2 men later retracted their confessions, saying they had made them while 
being tortured.

Defense lawyers said there appeared to be discrepancies between DNA evidence 
held by Thai police and DNA tested by British police. A judge will decide on 
Thursday whether the defense can independently test the evidence, one lawyer 
told Reuters.

Rights groups say the trial is a test case for Thailand's treatment of the 2.5 
million migrant laborers, many from poor neighboring countries, on which it 
relies.

Others fear the pair are being used as scapegoats and will not receive a fair 
trial in a country where the poor and disenfranchised are rarely afforded 
justice.

The killings hurt Thailand's image as a tourist haven when the sector was 
struggling to recover after months of political unrest in 2014 kept some 
tourists away. Many migrants take jobs Thais don't want in labor-intensive 
industries like agriculture, construction, and fishing. Others work as domestic 
helpers or cleaners in restaurants and hotels.

A verdict is expected in October.

(source: itv.com)






INDONESIA:

Lindsay Sandiford: Redcar death row gran raises half the funds needed for 
retrial


A Redcar gran on death row in Bali for smuggling drugs has raised half of the 
funds she needs for a retrial.

Lindsay Sandiford said her death penalty sentence was "unjustly harsh" and she 
is now desperately trying to mount a final appeal against the execution.

The 58-year-old said she has assembled a new legal team of "competent 
Indonesian lawyers and experts" to fight her face.

In a post on the Facebook page, 'Justice and fairness for Lindsay Sandiford', 
said to be written by Ms Sandiford, it says that the cost of the appeal which 
includes the fees for the experts and evidence, is about $80,000 Australian 
dollars - 37,415 pounds.

It says: "The brutal truth is that without the funds to pay for the experts and 
legal costs, my submission cannot be lodged and my execution will go ahead 
unchallenged."

She said that so far she has raised $40,000 Australian dollars through 
donations from the public and the purchase of handicrafts that Sandiford and 
other prisoners have made.

Sandiford was caught trying to smuggle 3.8 kilograms of cocaine when she 
arrived in the Indonesian island from Bangkok in 2012.

She was found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad in January 2013. 
She has since made numerous appeals but so far none has been successful.

Sandiford has complained that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not 
helped her battle, although the office denies this saying they had offered 
consular support.

She has continuously said she was only carrying the drugs to protect her son 
who she said was being threatened.

On the recent Facebook post Sandiford thanked her friends and supporters.

She said: "I am deeply moved and immensely thankful for all the help you have 
given me so far in my fight to avoid the death penalty.

"Thank you for all of your support and good wishes. It's a source of great 
comfort to me and my family.

Sadly, time is not on my side. My situation is becoming more critical with each 
passing day and I may now be just months away from execution unless I can mount 
a successful final appeal against my unjustly harsh sentence."

(source: gazettelive.com)