[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 21




GHANA:

I don't support killing of Kombian - Kwasi Jonah


Mr Kwasi Jonah, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Democratic Governance 
(IDEG) on Thursday said the state should offer Johnson Kombian, farmer and 
businessman sentenced to death for killing 2 police officers, an opportunity to 
reform and amend his ways.

"Kombian should have been given a life sentence to afford him the opportunity 
to change from his bad ways", Mr Jonah told the Ghana News Agency in an 
interview after addressing participants on "Ghana's Proposed Amendment: How 
Developmental Are They?"

"As a Catholic, I believe it is God who gives life and it is only God who can 
take life," he said.

Mr Jonah, who is also a Political Science Lecturer, explained that, he does not 
support the death penalty as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution that was why he 
was very happy with the Constitutional Review Committee report, which called 
for the replacement of the death penalty with life imprisonment among other 
issues.

The Economy of Ghana Network, in collaboration with the Institute of 
Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, 
held the workshop to discuss whether the proposed amendments will move the 
nation from a political to a developmental Constitution.

In a related development, Mr George Asamaney, lawyer for Kombian, also told the 
Ghana News Agency in an interview of his intention to appeal against the death 
sentence verdict of the seven member jury.

He claimed that Kombian thinks that he did not get the justice he deserved 
hence "he is aggrieved had instructed me to launch an appeal against his 
conviction and sentence".

According to Counsel "the verdict was against the weight of evidence because 
public opinion was against him".

He said: "Kombian thinks the conviction and sentence was too harsh, excessive 
and out of date".

According to the Counsel, he would apply for proceedings and as soon as he 
secures it, he would file the appeal.

Mr Asamaney said his client felt that the state did not prove their case beyond 
reasonable doubt.

He said Kombian was of the view that the motive for which he killed the Police 
was paramount adding; "There was no motive for committing the crime and he had 
nothing against the Police officers."

Mr Asamaney said no proper investigations were done to unearth the real 
culprits and wondered that since his arrest, none of the so called accomplices 
have been arrested.

"No efforts have been made by the Police to arrest other accomplices who are 
alleged to have committed the crime," he said.

Counsel recounted that Kombian had been described in the media as a "notorious 
armed robber" hence getting witnesses to testify for him was difficult.

As part of the grounds of Appeal, Counsel said there were so many 
inconsistencies in the case of the prosecution and that the jury was 
misdirected.

Johnson Kombian was on Wednesday sentenced to death by hanging by an Accra Fast 
Track High Court for killing 2 police officers in the Northern Region.

The deceased are Constable Prince Agyare and Constable Owusu Frimpong. A 3rd 
policeman, Corporal Osei Bonsu, survived after sustaining gunshot wounds.

Kombian was also sentenced to 30 years imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy 
to commit crime the sentences were to run concurrently.

This was after a 7-member jury unanimously returned a verdict of guilty on 2 
counts of murder and conspiracy to commit crime.

Kombian, alias Garkum, and his accomplices, who are currently on the run, are 
alleged to have ambushed 3 policemen on October 17, 2010 and succeeded in 
killing 2 of them.

Kombian also allegedly conspired with his friend, Kofi Naaman, known as Accra 
Boy, to rob Djato Mathias and then attempted to kill him.

He was, therefore, arrested, tried and sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment by 
the Tamale Circuit Court but he escaped whiles serving his jail term.

Kombian sought refuge at Nakpanduri in the Bunkpurugu Yunyoo District of the 
Northern Region, which happened to be his hometown.

On October 17, 2010, the accused person and his accomplices received 
information that a number of policemen had been detailed to perform duties at 
the Nakpanduri Scarp.

Kombian and his accomplices, however, ambushed and attacked the 3 policemen. 
They allegedly fired gunshots at the deceased policemen, who were then on a 
motorbike. The policemen fell into a 10-metre long valley.

The accused person and his group continued to fire sporadically into the 
valley, with the hope of killing the policemen, who also retaliated with 
occasional gun fires.

After some minutes of firing, Kombian and his gang stopped, and on realising 
that the gunshots had ended, Agyare and his colleagues mistakenly thought their 
attackers had left. They, therefore, came out of their hideout and were 
subjected to more gun fire.

Help finally came for Agyare and his colleagues whiles Kombian and his 
accomplices bolted. The wounded policemen were conveyed to the Nalerigu 
Hospital but Agyare was later pronounced dead.

Frimpong also died later, while Bonsu was transferred to the Police Hospital in 
Accra where he was treated and discharged.

Kombian escaped to Togo after the incident but he was later picked up by the 
Togolese authorities and handed over to the Ghanaian authorities.

(source: ghanaweb.com)






AUSTRALIA:

Parliament inquiry on death penalty states


A federal parliamentary committee will inquire into how Australia can engage 
with countries that still use capital punishment, and promote change.

The discussion follows the executions of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan in 
Indonesia in April, which led to a surge in activism by Australians against the 
death penalty.

Chair of the Human Rights Sub-Committee, Philip Ruddock, says it's a "unique 
and special opportunity for Australians to have their say," adding that public 
submissions should be received by October 2, before a report to Foreign 
Minister Julie Bishop by the end of the year.

(source: 9news.com.au)






IRAN----executions

4 Prisoners Executed in Rajai Shahr Prison


On the morning of Wednesday, August 19th 4 prisoners charged with murder were 
hanged to death in Rajai Shahr Prison, according to an informed source. The 
prisoners, whose names are not known at this time, were transferred to solitary 
confinement prior to their executions.

"2 days ago 9 prisoners in Rajai Shahr Prison were transferred to solitary 
confinement, but for unknown reasons the execution of five of them has been 
delayed for now," says the source.

The 4 executions on Wednesday morning have not been announced by the 
Judiciary's Press Department or Iranian state media.

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

27 Death Row Prisoners Saved From Execution in Past Year in a Northern Iranian 
Province


Ali Akbar Ghafarian, the head of prisons in the province of Mazandaran, says at 
least 27 prisoners in this province have been spared from execution in the past 
year.

According to the Press Department of the Prisons Organization in Mazandaran, 
Ghafarian says the death sentences for 57 prisoners were sent in [for review], 
and after pardons by plaintiffs, approximately 27 of the prisoners have been 
saved from execution.

Additionally, the Press Department of the Judiciary in the province of West 
Azerbaijan has reported on 1 prisoner, identified as A.M., charged with murder 
and sentenced to death, who was saved from execution upon being pardoned by the 
murder victim's family. However, the prisoner must first reportedly pay blood 
money to the murder victim's family.

(source for both: Iran Human Rights)

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

14 Things That Could Get You Executed In Iran


Iran has executed almost 700 people so far this year, in some cases for 
"crimes" that wouldn't even get you jail time in the U.S.

Iran is executing people at a record pace this year. Since January, 694 people 
have been given the death penalty, and Amnesty International says the number 
will probably top 1,000 before 2015 is over.

Earlier this year, we looked at all the things that can get a person executed 
in Saudi Arabia. But Iran in some ways is in a league of its own. It now has 
the highest per capita rate in the world for inflicting capital punishment - 
and the government widely underreports executions - Amnesty reported.

Iranian law imposes executions on people for a host of different things, from 
drug smuggling and homosexual relations to denouncing Islam. Sleeping with your 
stepmother can also get you killed. Often executions are carried out on ethnic 
minorities and peaceful activists fighting for minority rights. Some crimes are 
punishable by execution but only after the 4th violation. Those include having 
unwed sex or engaging in lesbian relations - and in such cases, both parties 
can be punished with the death penalty.

Most executions are hangings, and despite a 2008 judicial moratorium on public 
executions, the hangings are often carried out in public. Stoning reportedly 
has been used sometimes in recent years despite a 2008 judicial moratorium 
against it.

(source: vocativ.com)