[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 2


CHINA---executions

China Executes 2 From Banned Sect for Murder at McDonald's



A father and daughter have been executed in China for attacking and killing a 
woman who had refused to join their outlawed religious group during an 
altercation at a McDonald's outlet, a court said Monday.

Zhang Fan and her father, Zhang Lidong, were executed after the Supreme 
People's Court approved the death penalty, the Yantai Intermediate People's 
Court in the eastern province of Shandong said in a statement. It didn't say 
when the executions took place.

The 2 were convicted and sentenced in October along with 3 other women who 
received sentences from life imprisonment to 7 years.

The court said the group had called the victim "an evil spirit" and a "demon" 
before beating her to death one evening last May while at a McDonald's 
restaurant. She had refused to give them her number so that they could recruit 
new members into the "All-powerful Spirit" group, which China considers an 
illegal cult. The anti-Communist sect believes Jesus was resurrected as a 
Chinese woman.

China's Supreme People's Court must review and approve all death sentences.

(source: Associated Press)








INDONESIA:

Headlines Pleas for death-row convicts grow louder



Death-penalty critics are continuing to call on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo 
to spare the lives of convicted drug dealers, several of whom will face the 
firing squad this month.

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) recently revealed the names of 11 death-row 
convicts on its soon-to-be-executed list, which include 2 Australian nationals 
- Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

Indonesian drug trafficker Zainal Abidin and 3 Indonesian murder convicts - 
Syofial, Sargawi and Harun - are also on the list of inmates set to face the 
firing squad on the isolated Nusakambangan in Cilacap, Central Java.Joining 
other human rights campaigners who have repeatedly called for the government to 
stop executing drug convicts in the fight against narcotics, the Institute for 
Criminal Justice (ICJR) called for the Judicial Commission to review all 
verdicts handed down to drug convicts after finding strong grounds that as many 
as 135 verdicts were marred with irregularities that contravened the principles 
of a fair trial.

"We urge the Supreme Court to consider granting case reviews," the ICJR said in 
a statement on Sunday.

Prominent human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, the attorney for the 2 
Australians - Sukumaran and Chan - confirmed that both of his clients had 
submitted their 2nd case-review proposal to the Denpasar District Court, a move 
intended to delay their executions.

The 2 Australians, whose 1st case-review proposals were rejected by the same 
court, were put on the waiting list of the next batch of executions after 
Jokowi rejected their clemency bids last year.

"Yes, we have filed the case-review proposals [with the court]," Todung said on 
Sunday.

Earlier on Friday, Todung said his clients had become better people. "With 
their rehabilitation, with all the changes that have taken place, I think they 
deserve a 2nd chance," he said.

He was confident the case reviews would be granted, based on the Constitutional 
Court's ruling that allows a convict to file multiple case-review proposals. 
"We have the right to lodge [another] review."

AGO spokesman Tony Tubagus Spontana confirmed the proposal submissions for the 
2 Australian convicts.

"They filed their requests on Friday," Tony said on Sunday.

Tony, however, did not answer when asked whether the case-review petitions 
would consequently delay the executions of the 2 foreign nationals.

Earlier, Attorney General HM Prasetyo said that a decision on the fate of a 
death convict became final once their clemency request to the President was 
rejected. The Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court have disagreed about 
how many case-review proposals a convict should be permitted.

The AGO has sided with the Supreme Court, which says a convict should only be 
given 1 chance for a case review. The Constitutional Court last year, through a 
ruling on a judicial review filed by former Corruption Eradication Commission 
(KPK) chairman Antasari Azhar, who has been seeking a way to clear his name in 
a murder case, claims that every citizen has the right to file multiple 
case-review proposals should there be enough evidence to challenge their 
verdicts.

On Saturday, volunteers from a local organization in Bali, the Mercy Campaign, 
distributed #keephopealive stickers to boost support for the anti-death penalty 
movement in the country.

"We want to raise people's awareness about the death penalty and execution plan 
for Myuran and Andrew [Chan]. We want people to know that there is a problem 
with the death sentence. These 2 people have repented and yet they will be 
executed," campaign coordinator Matius Arif said.

"They were drug dealers, yes. But that was 10 years ago," Arif added. He said 
the government should focus on law enforcement instead of executing people.

(source: Margareth S. Aritonang, Haeril Halim and Ni Komang Erviani, The 
Jakarta Post)

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

Jokowi's stance on death penalty ignores unfairness



The death penalty, and particularly the executions of drug traffickers by the 
government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, have recently generated 2 vastly 
differing reactions. The government's policy has been widely criticized 
internationally but has the near-unanimous support of the Indonesian public and 
politicians. Regrettably, the only visible segment of the Indonesian public 
strongly opposed to the death penalty are the human rights activists. In the 
sights for the next round of executions are 2 Australians, Andrew Chan and 
Myuran Sukumaran, leaders of the Bali Nine drug ring.

The stern and swift executions tell something of Jokowi's Presidency and his 
leadership. It perhaps came as a shock to the international community, which 
had euphoric expectations of Jokowi when he won the presidency. Many distant 
observers had unrealistic expectations that Jokowi as a "new" politician would 
strive for all the "good" things: clean government, effective bureaucracy, 
human rights and so on.

President Jokowi is indeed untainted by human rights violations, and seems to 
genuinely care for the welfare of his people. However, he is a pragmatic 
politician and bureaucrat, not the idealist with visionary grand concepts that 
some have made him out to be.

As we have seen in the 1st 3 months of his presidency, in terms of policy and 
actions within his control, he lived up to his "packaging", including the 
expected tug-of-war against the string-pulling of the old guard. Disregarding 
the current mess caused by the oligarchs within his coalition on political 
appointments and the chief of police debacle, Jokowi has proven himself to be 
an assertive leader true to his words and intentions.

He is not swayed by the whims of public opinion as his predecessor was. 
Scrapping the fuel subsidy was an action the significance of which has been 
somewhat overlooked. The fact that it did not create a huge uproar, in spite of 
its perception as a Pandora's Box by previous presidents, shows that Jokowi's 
leadership and political capital are greater than any other president since the 
beginning of reformasi.

That said, his rejection of clemency for death-row inmates and today's line-up 
of executions is not uncharacteristic of his leadership. Many of his policies 
and actions in these past three months, excluding the "big-mother" drama 
alluding to the influence of his patron, speak of a leader who is not easily 
pressured by either domestic public opinion or international pressure.

Jokowi has shown that to some extent he has tunnel vision, concrete and 
measurable goals that fit his rather narrowly defined goals and vision. He saw 
the need to reallocate money to support his infrastructure build-up and health 
and security protection programs. Hence, he was prepared to risk a tidal wave 
of public uproar.

The same thing can be said of his leadership of Indonesia vis-a-vis other 
countries and the international community.

Jokowi is not a hyper-nationalist leader who would ferment nationalism against 
other countries to garner public support or show himself as a "man of the 
people". But nor will he cave in to international pressure if, in his 
calculation, it is not beneficial for his measurable goals to do so. He is not 
a friend to a million strangers like his predecessor, as clear from the recent 
executions of foreigners and sinking of illegal fishing ships.The saving of any 
of the lives in the 2nd execution roll-call, in particular the lives of the 
much-publicized 2 Australians, is now a forlorn hope.

The fact that the 1st batch of executions included foreign citizens, exempting 
just the 2 Australians would be perceived as a double standard and as peculiar 
subservience to Australia. In light of rows between the 2 nations over issues 
including Australia's obstinacy on boat people and the lack of apology for the 
wire-tapping incident, it is particularly tricky for the Australian government 
to lobby for the lives of Chan and Sukumaran.

It is lamentable that the Indonesian government, backed by overwhelming public 
opinion, looks likely to continue with the executions. It is particularly sad 
to see that of the convicts in the next batch, Martin Anderson from Ghana, 
waiting to be executed for possession of a mere 50 grams of heroin. It seems 
probably that President Jokowi's stubborn stance on executions, in spite of the 
international outcry and the constitutional provision for the right to life, is 
down to the advice he is getting. He is likely being supplied with data and 
statistics on the drug problem plaguing Indonesian society. It is thus only 
logical in his mind to go ahead with the executions. Advocates against the 
death penalty will need to be able to connect their arguments to concrete and 
measurable goals within Jokowi's programs. They will also need to be able to 
show a clearer picture how the death penalty, as well as being prone to error, 
is also very unfair and can create a mess of the Indonesian justice system.

One clear contrast is the execution of Anderson with the perfunctory sentences 
of between 3 and 6 months in prison for the killers of 3 Ahmadi villagers in 
Cikeusik, Banten, in 2011 - an outrageous disparity. The conclusion: abolish 
the death penalty to allow time to rethink and review the fairness of the 
sentences.

Foreign countries understandably need to lobby for the lives of their citizens, 
but this will prove futile if it means Jokowi having to show preferential 
treatment to certain countries, which he will probably not do. Foreign 
diplomats will need to help human rights activists frame the issue in the 
larger context and articulate how an end to the death penalty is in Indonesia's 
interests.

... abolish the death penalty to allow time to rethink and review the fairness 
of the sentences.

(source: Opinion, Tobias Basuki; The writer is a researcher with the department 
of politics and international relations at the Centre for Strategic and 
International Studies, Jakarta, and was selected as a Munich Young Leader in 
2014----The Jakarta Post)






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

Indonesian judge says Bali 9 duo shouldn't be shot because the death penalty 
doesn't work



A former senior Indonesian Judge involved in the Bali 9 trials has warned the 
firing squad does nothing to prevent drug crime.

Speaking exclusively to News Corporation, Judge Laica Marzuki said he is 
saddened by his country's renewed stand on the death penalty and that heavy 
sentences would be a more effective deterrent to criminals.

Mr Marzuki was on a panel of 9 judges in the Indonesian Constitutional Court 
who heard a challenge by Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran and 2 Indonesian 
prisoners against the death penalty in 2007.

The court eventually ruled 6 to 3 that the death penalty was constitutional for 
the worst case of crime. Mr Marzuki was one of the dissenting judges on that 
decision. The court's chief judge has since said that he only sided with the 
majority because that is the role of the chief.

Sukumaran and Chan are now very close to being executed although no date has 
been set.

One of the Indonesian women on their court challenge in 2007 was executed in 
the early hours of January 18, along with 5 others as part of a renewed effort 
by Indonesia to eradicate drug crime and send "shock therapy" to drug 
traffickers.

"As a former judge I am so sad to see this," Mr Marzuki said of Indonesia's 
appetite to execute a large number of death row prisoners this year.

He said he continued to stand firm on his view that the death penalty violates 
the Indonesian Constitution's right to life which cannot be reduced under any 
circumstance.

"In my opinion the plan to execute drug criminals should be cancelled as it 
violates the Constitution. The death sentence should be replaced by life 
sentences," Mr Marzuki said.

"I am disappointed. I hope the President can consider again that the executions 
are against our 1945 Constitution.

"I have a dream that some day the death sentence in Indonesia will be deleted."

Mr Marzuki likened his country's legal system, inherited from the Dutch who had 
abolished the death penalty, as being "a goat chewing old grass".

And Mr Marzuki said the death penalty was not a deterrent and that drug crime 
was better dealt with and deterred by hefty sentences.

The Denpasar District Court is yet to announce if it will accept a last-ditch 
appeal bid by the 2 Sydney men which was lodged on Friday to be spared from 
death row.

News Corporation understands that the court's chief was in Jakarta on Monday 
seeking advice from superiors about whether to accept or throw out the 
application. A decision may be given on Tuesday.

The duo lodged applications for a judicial review or PK of their case on Friday 
but authorities have said only one of these appeals is allowed per prisoner and 
both Chan and Sukumaran have lodged and lost judicial reviews back in 2012.

Since then there has been controversy. The Constitutional Court says more than 
1 PK is allowed, if there is new evidence, but the Supreme Court says the limit 
is 1. However a new regulation to that effect is yet to be passed.

Further clouding the issue were reported comments from the Indonesian Attorney 
General that the pair were among the next round of death row inmates to face 
the firing squad.

The attorney-general said various things had to be considered before setting a 
date for the next round of executions, including the weather.

"We're just waiting for the right time," he said.

"Their judicial aspects have been finished and certainly, we are now in the 
stage of preparation for their death penalty execution."

Mr Marzuki says human rights demand that more than one PK appeal be allowed.

"For the reason of human rights the PK should be allowed to be lodged many 
times," he said.

The 2007 Constitutional Court decision involving Chan and Sukumaran also 
recommended that if, after 10 years of good behaviour on death row, prisoners 
had not been executed, their sentences should be commuted to life or 20 years. 
However that recommendation has not been made law.

In April this year the 2 Australians will have been on death row for 10 years 
and have submitted they are reformed and rehabilitated.

On Monday the families of Chan and Sukumaran visited them in jail, along with a 
local Pastor and church group who were due to hold a church service in the 
jail. Chan is studying to be a pastor.

(source: news.com.au)

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

Execution Island: Where Chan and Sukumaran will go to die



It's not an easy journey from Kerobokan prison to Nusa Kambangan. There's a 
flight to Jogjakarta, a bumpy 5-hour road trip through the villages and rice 
paddies of Central Java, and finally a steamy ferry ride to the island itself.

For Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, it will be the most difficult journey 
they've ever had to make. It will also be their last.

10 years after they entered Kerobokan prison - named as ringleaders of the 
infamous "Bali 9", a plot to smuggle 8.3kg or $4 million worth of heroin out of 
Indonesia - the pair will soon finally leave.

But it won't be to a luxury Bali villa to serve out their parole like Schapelle 
Corby.

These men will make that journey to Nusa Kambangan - Indonesia's Alcatraz - in 
the dead of night. A few days later they'll be killed by firing squad. 
Indonesia's President has rejected their pleas for clemency, and despite a last 
ditch legal bid by the pairs??? lawyers, the Government says the pair have 
exhausted their appeals and will be among the next round of prisoners to be 
executed. That means that any day now, they could be given 3 days notice of 
their execution date.

My cameraman and I travelled to Nusa Kambangan - the island the Government has 
said will be the most likely location for their execution, this week.

One side of the island is a tourist paradise. Laughing locals sipping coconuts, 
young boys playing on white sand beaches. Our western faces were such a novelty 
we were asked to pose for many photos.

Then our small fishing boat travelled to the other side - only to the edge of 
the "restricted area" where our driver would go no further. Security cameras 
peeped out from dense walls of trees. A boat carrying prison staff was docked 
at the port. A sign bearing the faces of Indonesia's Justice Minister and 
narcotics boss with raised fists let us know that this was where Indonesia's 
worst criminals are housed - in 7 prisons dotted around the island.

Father Charlie Burrows, an Irish priest who lives in the closest mainland port 
city of Cilacap has counselled many prisoners and their families as the time of 
execution draws closer. He told us that just waiting for the death sentence to 
be carried out is torture in itself. "The president has said they're all going 
to be executed. That means none of them have hope anymore. And you can't live 
without hope."

His description of the execution process is even more terrifying.

"When I was there, they were taken up to a mountain and they're tied these - it 
was actually a cross, yeah. And they have rubber tubing round around them so 
they can't move and they have white cloth on them and the doctor comes forward 
and puts a little black badge where the heart is and then the shooters shoot 
for the heart,??? he said.

Charlie Burrows has witnessed 2 of these executions and says it took 7 or 8 
minutes for the prisoners to die. In that time, while they were moaning in 
pain, he sang ???Amazing Grace??? to give them something to focus on. Charlie 
is a strong campaigner against the death penalty. He believes the prisoners 
should be rehabilitated instead.

By all accounts, Chan and Sukumaran have been. 10 years ago they were young men 
who did a terrible thing and were caught. But they believe they are now good 
men. Chan is studying to be a pastor and counsels fellow inmates, helping them 
steer clear of drugs. Sukumaran is a talented artist and runs classes for other 
prisoners. They're not asking to be freed, just for their lives to be spared so 
they can continue to work for the rest of their lives inside Kerobokan prison.

As I sat in that fishing boat looking at the entrance to that island prison - 
one of the last things those men will ever see, I tried to imagine what they 
would be thinking when they arrive here. But it's impossible. How can someone 
even process what they are about to face?

I've seen their families coming and going from the prison, grief and despair 
etched on their faces. They're spending as much time as possible with their 
loved ones, knowing it could be over very soon.

Charlie Burrows tells me there's an Indonesian saying that translates to "if 
you know a person, you'll automatically like him".

Chan and Sukumaran broke the law. They did it in a country where the punishment 
is death. They knew that and took their chances anyway. But 10 years later they 
are different people who have realised their mistakes and have been atoning for 
their crimes. Do they really deserve to die?

(source: 9news.com.au)

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

Your letters: A relic of colonialism



It is surprising to me that a dynamic and thoughtful society such as yours can 
hold on to such a barbaric relic of colonialism as the death penalty.

Ritual hanging, bloody flogging, often to death, were all practiced in England 
during the 19th and 20th centuries. At the time when "transportation for life" 
was the British answer to its prodigious crime rate, the death penalty was 
being enacted for some 220 "crimes". Strangely, as a deterrent, it didn't work 
very well. Crowded boats still made their way to Botany Bay.

Enforcement of any "death penalty" and other unusual penalties within any 
system of justice is, of itself, premeditated and barbarous. The practical 
details of executions have frightening effects on those who have to carry them 
out. They also encourage a degree of prurience among the public. The penalty 
attracts more attention than the crime.

England, Australia and most European countries have abandoned these forms of 
retribution for many good reasons. Arthur Koestler's Reflections on hanging did 
more to change this culture in England and Australia than any other book.

I feel sure that Indonesia itself will in due course abandon the death penalty, 
an horrific and outdated form of punishment.

Terry Beahan

Western Australia

(source: Letter to the Editor, Jakarta Post)

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

'Bali 9' ringleaders 'next in line' to be executed----The men have had their 
appeal for clemency rejected



2 Australians facing the death penalty in Bali are next in line to be executed, 
Indonesia's attorney general has said.

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, members of the "Bali 9" drug smuggling ring, 
applied on Friday for a fresh judicial review.

But the attorney general's office says they have exhausted options for appeal.

It was not clear when the executions would take place. Appeals for clemency 
have already been rejected.

Attorney General HM Prasetyo said on Monday that Chan and Sukumaran "will be 
included" in the next group of prisoners to be put to death.

"We have heard that many Australians support the execution and it is one of the 
things that pushes us to feel we are not making a mistake," he told a press 
conference in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

Lawyers for Chan and Sukumaran have filed an application for a 2nd judicial 
review. Mr Prasetyo said he had heard that this focused on the men's 
rehabilitation in prison, but said this did not constitute new evidence.

"New evidence is... something we didn't know when the trial took place that 
would have altered the sentence," he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning 
Herald, adding that "our reference" is the fact that their appeal for clemency 
has already been rejected by the president's office.

Diplomatic row

Indonesia has some of the toughest drug laws in the world. It ended a 4-year 
moratorium on executions in 2013.

Last month, Indonesia executed convicts from Malawi, Nigeria, Vietnam, Brazil 
and the Netherlands as well as 1 from Indonesia.

It prompted Brazil and the Netherlands to recall their ambassadors in protest.

Australian authorities have threatened to do the same if Chan and Sukumaran are 
put to death.

Australia opposes the death penalty and its government has repeatedly 
campaigned on behalf of the men. They were in a group of 9 Australians arrested 
in Bali in 2005 with more than 8.3kg (18lb) of heroin.

(source: BBC news)

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

Indonesia to execute Ghanaian and 10 other nationals



Indonesia was preparing to carry out its 2nd series of executions of death-row 
convicts since the beginning of the year, reports said Monday.

"We're still waiting for the right time, including the weather," Attorney 
General Muhammad Prasetyo was quoted as saying by CNN Indonesia online.

The Attorney General's office last week said it had received presidential 
letters rejecting clemency for 11 convicts on death row, including 8 drug 
traffickers.

They include 1 each from Brazil, France, Ghana, the Philippines, Nigeria and 2 
from Australia.

Indonesia last month executed 6 convicted traffickers, from Malawi, Brazil, 
Nigeria, the Netherlands, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Executions in Indonesia are carried out by firing squad.

The Netherlands and Brazil recalled ambassadors from Jakarta to protest the 
executions of their citizens.

Indonesia has defended the death penalty for drug traffickers, saying the 
country's drug problem has reached an emergency level.

The government has said drug abuse kills an average of 40 people in Indonesia 
each day, and that the estimated number of drug addicts is expected to reach 
5.8 million people this year.

Last month's executions were the 1st since 2013 and the 1st since President 
Joko Widodo took office in October 2014.

There are more than 100 people on death row in Indonesian prisons, mostly for 
drug offences.

(source: spyghana.com)

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

Trial of US couple charged with murder in Indonesia proceeds



An Indonesian court decided Monday to go ahead with the trials of an American 
couple charged with murdering the woman's mother while vacationing on the 
resort island of Bali last year.

The 3-judge panel overruled defense arguments that the indictment submitted by 
prosecutors had inaccuracies and should be annulled. Hearings will resume 
Wednesday at Denpasar District Court in the provincial capital of Bali.

"The indictment is fully qualified both formally and materially according to 
the law," said presiding judges Made Suweda. "Therefore, the defense objections 
are rejected."

The badly beaten body of Sheila von Wiese-Mack, 62, was found in a suitcase in 
the trunk of a taxi outside an upscale hotel in August.

Heather Mack, 19, and her boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, 21, both from Chicago, are 
being tried separately with the same judges and prosecutors. They are charged 
with premeditated murder and face a maximum penalty of death by firing squad if 
found guilty.

Their lawyers argued earlier that inaccuracies in the indictment could lead to 
multiple interpretations of the suspects' activities and the crime scene, 
raising questions of whether other people had entered the victim's room and 
killed her.

They also objected to the citing of communications between the defendants on 
cellphones as evidence of premeditated murder, arguing that cellphone 
communications are prone to manipulation. Prosecutors have alleged that the 
couple sent text messages about their initial plan to disguise a murder as 
suicide on the beach.

Both defendants sat quietly as the decision to proceed with the trials was read 
out by judges. Unlike previous hearings, Schaefer didn't shed tears.

In their indictment, prosecutors said the couple plotted the murder because von 
Wiese-Mack did not endorse their relationship, and that Mack once suggested 
that Schaefer hire someone to kill her mother for $50,000 before their visit to 
Bali.

It said that an argument over the hotel bill made Mack's mother angry and she 
scolded Schaefer, using a racial slur, and Schaefer then battered her with a 
fruit bowl handle.

Mack, who is 7 months' pregnant, helped stuff her mother's body in the suitcase 
by sitting on it to enable Schaefer to close it, the indictment said. They then 
hired a taxi and placed the suitcase in the trunk and told the driver they were 
going to check out of the hotel and would return, but never did.

(source: Associated Press)

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

British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford in final appeal from Indonesia's death 
row



Fearing her death penalty could be carried out in a few weeks, British 
grandmother Lindsay Sandiford has written to UK's Foreign Secretary to seek 
financial help in pursuing a final legal appeal.

Sandiford, 57, from Cheltenham was convicted of smuggling cocaine worth 1.6 
million pounds' worth from Thailand to Bali in May 2012, and faces death by 
firing squad.

"We are closely following Lindsay Sandiford's case in Indonesia. We stand ready 
to support at this difficult time, if it is requested. The UK strongly opposes 
the death penalty in all circumstances without exception. We have made 
representations about the death penalty to the Indonesian government, and we 
will continue to do so." - Spokesman, British embassy

She has maintained that she was forced into drugs smuggling to protect her 
children since their safety was at stake.

In a letter seen by BBC, Sandiford has appealed to UK's Foreign Secretary 
Philip Hammond who will be visiting Indonesia this month.

She has said that she does not have the financial resources to hire a lawyer 
and challenge her conviction or file for clemency.

Sandiford also claims she has received no assistance from the Foreign Office 
since her arrest.

The Foreign Office however, denies this and said it has consistently offered 
consular help to Sandiford.

"We are closely following Lindsay Sandiford's case in Indonesia. We stand ready 
to support at this difficult time, if it is requested," said a spokesman at the 
British embassy in Indonesian capital Jakarta.

"The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances without 
exception. We have made representations about the death penalty to the 
Indonesian government, and we will continue to do so."

Indonesia is known for its tough penalties and zero-tolerance policy on drug 
offences.

Indonesia's President Jodo Widodo last week denied appeals for presidential 
clemency from 2 Australians who are also sentenced to death saying, there is 
"no compromise".

Indonesia carried out 6 executions last month, including 5 foreigners, for 
drug-related offences.

(source: International Business Times)

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

Alleged drug lord forced to burn $136 million of meth



Wong Chi-ping sat quietly. Handcuffed and wearing a black mask, the Chinese 
national watched as Indonesian authorities put 1,900 pounds of what was said to 
be his methamphetamine on a table. Alongside eight other suspects, he was 
paraded in front of the media before authorities forced the alleged drug lord 
to burn his alleged $136 million stash in a large incinerator. That's not the 
worst of it for him. If convicted he could face the death penalty.

Authorities have been on the hunt for Wong for years, according to the South 
China Morning Post. Wanted in 7 different jurisdictions, the 40-year-old 
alleged drug lord was caught earlier this month transporting his alleged stash 
in a Jakarta, Indonesia, shopping mall. The 3-year investigation targeted 
Wong's accomplices, who were arrested on the same day. The high profile bust is 
reportedly the biggest seizure of drugs in Indonesian history.

"The Chinese government supports any penalty, any verdict given by the 
Indonesian government," Li Bo of China's narcotic control commission said at a 
news conference. If convicted for drug trafficking, the 9 men could face the 
death penalty in Indonesia - a country with strict drug laws that resumed 
executions for drugs in 2013 after 5 years.

"We have very strict regulation," BNN Deputy Chief Deddy Fauzi Elhakim told 
local news media, as Vice reported. "We have very strong punishment for 
everyone who tries to supply or smuggle drugs in Indonesia."

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who has been in office since October, has 
drawn criticism for not offering clemency for drug offenders, as Reuters 
reported.

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, part of the so-called "Bali 9," were 
sentenced to death in 2006 for attempting to smuggle about 18 pounds of heroin 
into Australia. The two foreigners are still scheduled to face the firing squad 
despite many appeals. Hundreds of Australians called for their release on 
Thursday, taking to the streets and putting on a large concert in support.

According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Asia is 
the largest market in the world for amphetamine-type stimulants. In the past 5 
years, seizures of methamphetamine tripled.

"Every day we have 50 people die because of narcotics, of drugs," Widodo told 
CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "In 1 year, it's 18,000 people who die because of 
narcotics. We are not going to compromise for drug dealers."

(source: Washington Post)








JAPAN:

Death sentence upheld for Akihabara rampage killer



The Supreme Court on Monday finalized the death penalty of Tomohiro Kato for 
the vehicular homicide and stabbing spree that left 7 people dead and 10 
injured on the streets of Tokyo's Akihabara neighborhood in 2008.

The indiscriminate killing spree was carried out based on Kato's "meticulous 
preparation" and "determined intent of murder," Chief Justice Ryuko Sakurai 
said.

"The incident also had huge repercussions on society and the victims' kin are 
keenly desirous of his punishment," she continued, condemning the 32-year-old 
former temp worker as liable for "extremely grave criminal responsibility" and 
worthy of no extenuating circumstances.

Kato, who was 25 at the time, plowed a rental truck into a crowded intersection 
in Japan's mecca for "otaku" (geek) culture on June 8, 2008, killing 3 people 
and injuring 2. He then got out, chased down and stabbed bystanders, killing 4 
and wounding 8.

The incident shocked Japan and shoved the problem of youth dissatisfaction with 
unstable employment back into the spotlight.

It also froze Akihabara's Sunday tradition of forming pedestrian-only shopping 
zones by closing its main street, Chuo-dori, to traffic every week.

Kato has explained in past testimony that his motive was to vent his pent-up 
anger at society and demonstrate to all of his tormentors, including people he 
claimed had been harassing him in an Internet forum, of the consequences of 
their actions.

Just before the attack, he posted anonymous messages online detailing his 
intentions. He was sentenced to hang by the district and high courts in 2011 
and 2012.

Before Monday's ruling, his defense team had asked for clemency on the grounds 
that Kato was barely sane at the time of the massacre due to obnoxious online 
harassment he was subject to.

The prosecutors countered that he must have been mentally competent enough to 
know the magnitude of what he was about to do, citing his thorough preparation.

The top court ruled in favor of the prosecution, saying his plan had been 
meticulously planned.

The Tokyo District Court's ruling stated that Kato drove past the intended 
crime scene 3 times before he was able to launch his attack, an act of 
hesitation it said suggested he was aware of the gravity of what he was about 
to do.

The district court also said Kato, partly because of his abusive mother, was 
incapable of understanding the feelings of others and developing healthy 
relationships with them.

(source: Japan Times)








EGYPT:

Confirmation of 183 death sentences 'outrageous'



"Today's death sentences are yet another example of the bias of the Egyptian 
criminal justice system. These verdicts and sentences must be quashed and all 
of those convicted should be given a trial that meets international standards 
of fairness and excludes the death penalty." -- Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy 
Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International.

The deaths sentences handed down to 183 people in Egypt today following grossly 
unfair trials are a further sign of Egypt's disregard for national and 
international law, says Amnesty International today.

"Today's death sentences are yet another example of the bias of the Egyptian 
criminal justice system. These verdicts and sentences must be quashed and all 
of those convicted should be given a trial that meets international standards 
of fairness and excludes the death penalty," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy 
Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International.

"The death penalty is a cruel and inhuman punishment in all circumstances. To 
impose death when there are serious doubts hanging over the fairness of the 
trial is outrageous and flouts international law."

The sentences come after a nation-wide media campaign calling for the execution 
of those involved in attacks on police and military, which gathered pace 
following last week's attacks in Sinai.

In December, the Giza criminal court convicted 188 of involvement in the 
killing of 11 police officers, in relation to attacks on Kerdassa Police 
Station in Giza in August 2013 in which 11 police officers were killed. The 
final verdict was issued today following consultation with the Grand Mufti.

"Issuing mass death sentences whenever the case involves the killing of police 
officers now appears to be near-routine policy, regardless of facts and with no 
attempt to establish individual responsibility," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

So far, 415 people have been sentenced to death in four trials for the killing 
of police officers, while the case against former President Hosni Mubarak, 
involving the killing of hundreds of protesters during the uprising, has been 
dropped. To date no security officers have been held to account for the killing 
of 1,000 protesters in August 2013.

The trial was held in Tora Police Institute rather than a courtroom and all of 
the witnesses were either police officers or families of the police officers. 
The families of the defendants were unable to attend

"Not allowing the families or public to attend the trial was in contravention 
of national and international law and holding the trial in a prison complex 
undermined the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair and public 
hearing," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

The defence panel also told Amnesty International that not all of the 
defendants were brought to the hearings. Those who were, were unable to hear 
the trial proceedings or communicate with the legal team because of a large 
dark glass screen separating them from the rest of the courtroom. The defence 
panel also added that they were not able to cross-examine prosecution witnesses 
during the trial and the judge did not summon all the witnesses.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, 
regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or 
the method used by the state to kill the prisoner.

(source: Amnesty International)

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

Egypt court upholds Muslim Brotherhood death sentences----Supporters of former 
Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi burned a police station in Kerdasa, More than 
140 of the defendants are in custody over the attack at the Kerdasa police 
station



A court in Egypt has upheld death sentences on 183 Muslim Brotherhood 
supporters over a 2013 attack on a police station near Cairo.

The men were convicted over the deaths of at least 11 officers in Kerdasa.

The attack took place after Egyptian military forces cracked down on Islamist 
supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi that July.

Hundreds of death sentences have been passed on Mr Morsi's supporters but none 
have been carried out.

Mr Morsi will face a new espionage trial on 15 February, Egypt's official Mena 
news agency says.

He and 10 others will be charged with leaking "classified documents" to Qatar 
and Qatari-based broadcaster al-Jazeera.

Mr Morsi is already facing three other trials, including another case of 
espionage. He could be given the death penalty if found guilty.

Appeal still possible

More than 140 of the 188 defendants in the Kerdasa case are already in custody, 
while the rest have been sentenced in absentia.

The court also sentenced a minor to 10 years in prison in the case, and two 
other defendants were acquitted.

The verdict follows a recommendation by Egypt's top religious authority, the 
Grand Mufti, but it can be appealed against.

Last month, the death sentences of 37 people were overturned on appeal.

The defendants had been convicted of attacking a police station in Minya, south 
of Cairo, on the same day as the Kerdasa attack.

The original trial also saw some 377 people sentenced to life in prison in 
absentia.

The United Nations has called the mass trials "unprecedented".

Mr Morsi was succeeded by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, a former military 
chief who has been heavily criticised for his crackdown on Islamists.

Hundreds of people, mostly Islamists, have been killed since the army deposed 
Mr Morsi.

(source: BBC news)