[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 19


PAKISTAN:

Nawaz orders immediate hanging of death convicts



Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned 
that all cases of death penalty in which mercy petitions had been rejected 
should be proceeded further for execution of the convicts.

He urged provinces to implement decisions taken under the National Action Plan 
(NAP) speedily, by inculcating a spirit of healthy competition to rid the 
country of extremism and terrorism. Chairing a meeting of Balochistan Apex 
Committee at the Governor House here at the provincial capital, the Prime 
Minister said objective of the meeting was to review the progress on National 
Action Plan and see if there was any problem, or impediment hindering their 
implementation. Prime Minsiter assured that the government along with the 
Pakistan Army would ensure that the problem areas and obstacles, if any, in 
implementing the decisions be removed. He said the NAP was in real terms a 
national plan, made with consensus and difficult decisions were taken with a 
spirit to eradicate terrorism from the country.

He said the whole nation backed the government in its fight against terrorism. 
The apex committee meeting was attended by Chief Minister Balochistan, Dr Abdul 
Malik, Governor Mohammad Khan Achakzai, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel 
Sharif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, 
Minister of State for Petroleum Jam Kamal, former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah 
Khan Jamali, Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Nasser Khan Janjua, 
Senior Minister and PML-N President Sardar Sanaullah Zehri. The Prime Minister 
recalled that representatives of all the political parties stood together and 
took tough decisions following which the Parliament did the necessary 
legislation.

He said that the federal government, provincial governments and Pakistan Army 
were on the same page and stood united in ridding the country of the threats of 
extremism and terrorism. The Prime Minister directed that all cases of death 
penalty in which mercy petitions had been rejected should be proceeded further 
for execution. The Prime Minister lauded the measures taken by the provincial 
government for maintaining law and order in Balochistan and said tangible 
improvement was visible with the implementation of NAP.

He asked the provincial government to check the incidents of law and order to 
make the people feel more secured, besides making concerted efforts to ensure 
safety and protection of people of all communities. He also directed effective 
steps to stop re-emergence of proscribed organizations. He said the Madaris 
involved in terrorism and violence be identified and dealt as per relevant law. 
Chief Minister Balochistan said that priority of the provincial government was 
to improve law and order situation and said funds were being provided for 
capacity building of police. He said a counter-terrorism department had been 
set up, however, he pointed out that it needed to be strengthened.

The Chief Secretary Balochistan gave a presentation reviewing progress on the 
implementation of 20 points of NAP as well as an overview of law and order 
situation in the province. He briefed the Prime Minister about the action taken 
by the provincial government against sectarianism, armed groups and militias, 
since the formulation of NAP. In this regard 80,000 unregistered mobile phone 
SIMs had been blocked in the province, the chief secretary said. The provincial 
government also conveyed its reservations about the use of SIMs from 
Afghanistan working within Pakistan. The Prime Minister was informed that three 
meetings of the Balochistan Apex Committee had taken place so far.

(source: Daily Times)








BANGLADESH:

Kamaruzzaman's death warrant sent to Dhaka jail



The International Crimes Tribunal-2 sent death warrant for Jamaat-e-Islami 
leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman to Dhaka Central Jail authorities on Thursday.

The Dhaka jail senior warden Md Forman Ali said, "Dhaka Central Jail 
authorities have received Kamaruzzaman's death warrant."

Earlier in the day, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) issued death 
warrant for Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman in a war crimes case.

The ICT-2 issued the warrant after receiving the full text of the Supreme Court 
verdict that upheld the death penalty of Kamaruzzaman for his crimes against 
humanity.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday released the full 
verdict on war crimes charges against Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary 
general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman.

The text of the full verdict was received at the International Crimes Tribunal 
(ICT) around 8:00pm, said tribunal registrar M Mostafizur Rahman.

The Supreme Court, in a judgement on 3 November 2014, upheld a High Court 
division bench's verdict giving death sentence to the Jamaat leader.

All the 4 SC judges headed by Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, who had delivered 
the verdict, signed the 577-page judgment.

The Jamaat leader will now get 15 days to file a review petition before the 
Appellate Division, from the date of issuance of the certified copy of the full 
verdict, law minister Anisul Haque told reporters at his office.

He added that the certified copy of the verdict would be ready once the full 
verdict reaches the concerned section of the SC next on Sunday.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on 9 May in 2013 sentenced Kamaruzzaman to 
death on charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, abduction, 
torture, rape and mass killing, during the War for Independence in 1971.

Kamaruzzaman was the organiser of Al Badar Bahini, an anti-independence outfit 
that collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces during the war, in the 
greater Mymensingh region.

On 6 June 2013, the convict appealed to the Supreme Court challenging the 
tribunal verdict.

Kamaruzzaman was convicted of 5 charges among 7 brought against him. The 
tribunal awarded him death penalty for committing mass killing in Sohagpur 
Bidhaba Palli and murdering Golam Mustafa (3rd and 4th charges).

He was sentenced to suffer life imprisonment for killing Badiuzzaman and Dara 
(1st and 7th charges).

Besides, the tribunal jailed him for 10 years for torturing the then Sherpur 
College principal Syed Abdul Hannan.

The tribunal also accused him of forming Al Badar Bahini that conducted 
numerous crimes, including killing and rape, during the war in 1971.

The prosecution, in this regard, submitted a copy of Daily Sangram dated 16 
August 1971 to the tribunal as a proof.

The newspaper in a report said, "Al Badr Bahini chief Kamaruzzaman presided 
over a symposium in Mymensingh Muslim Institute marking the 25th day of 
independence of Pakistan."

(source: Prothom Alo)








IRAN----executions

14 Prisoners Executed in a Single Day in Iran



On Monday 16th February, 14 prisoners were executed in Central Prison of Urmia, 
Vakil Abad prison in Mashhad, Bam prison, and Central Prison of Bandar Abbas.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), 
in the morning of Monday 16th February, 6 prisoners with drug related charges 
were executed by hanging in Bam prison.

Also, on the same day, 5 prisoners with drug related charges were executed by 
hanging in Central Prison of Urmia (Darya).

In Central Prison of Bandar Abbas, 2 prisoners, who were charged with drug 
related crimes, were taken to the gallows and Ali Sadeghi was executed but 
Majid Ghoreishi was returned to his cell by getting more time from the 
complainants.

On Monday, 2 prisoners with drug related charges were executed in Vakil Abad 
prison, in Mashhad.

None of these executions were announced by the Iranian official media.

(source: HRANA News Agency)

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

7 Prisoners Executed in Iran



3 men were hanged in Rajaishahr prison of Karaj (West of Tehran) early 
Wednesday morning 18. February. According to sources Iran Human Rights (IHR) as 
been in contact with 2 of the prisoners were identified as "Mohammad Naderi" 
and "Mojtaba Shokohi" from the ward 1 of Rajaishahr prison, while the 3rd 
prisoner was an unidentified Afghan prisoner from Ghezelhesar prison. Mohammad 
Naderi and Mojtaba Shokohi were convicted of murdering 1 Revolution Guard Corps 
general and sentenced to retribution. These executions haven???t been announced 
by the official Iranian sources yet.

1 man was hanged publicly in Shiraz (Southern Iran) yesterday 17. February 
reported the state run Mehr news agency. He was identified as "M. R. P." and 
convicted of murder and Moharebeh for armed robbery said the news.

An unidentified 66 year old man was hanged in the prison of Mashhad 
(Northeastern Iran) yesterday 17. February, reported the Khorasan daily 
newspaper. He was convicted of a murder in 2008 and sentenced to qisas 
(retribution).

2 men were hanged in the prison of Rasht (Northern Iran) on Saturday 14. 
February reported the official website of the Iranian Judiciary in Gilan 
Province. 1 of the prisoners was identified as "M. P." (43 year old) convicted 
of murder while the other prisoner was identified as "M. B." (34 year old) and 
convicted of possession and trafficking of 15 kilograms of opium and 4860 grams 
of crack, said the report.

(source: Iran Human Rights)

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

Iran halts hanging of Kurdish juvenile offender Saman Naseem but 'international 
pressure must continue'



Iran has halted the execution of Kurdish juvenile offender Saman Naseem 
following the outrage of right groups.

It is not yet clear why the execution was stopped and whether his death penalty 
has been overturned.

"We understand that the Office for the Implementation of Sentences told Saman's 
family that the execution did not take place this morning," Bahareh Davis, 
Amnesty International's researcher on Iran, told IBTimes UK.

"However, the authorities will not tell the family where Saman currently is 
being held and he has not been transferred back to the prison ward. We are 
trying to obtain further information now."

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, spokesperson for NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), said 
that the inmates at the Orumiyeh prison have not seen Naseem since he was 
transferred on Tuesday (18 February).

"Unofficial reports indicate that the sentence has not been implemented yet, 
but that he remains in great danger," Amiry-Moghaddam said.

Naseem, now 22, was arrested and was sentenced to death after being charged 
with "enmity against God" and "corruption on earth" when he was 17. The 
execution by hanging was scheduled for Thursday.

Naseem was arrested after a gun battle between the Revolutionary Guards and 
Kurdish militant organisation PJAK, of which he is believed to be a member, 
took place in Sardasht.

He was then reportedly forced to make a confession, aired on national TV, in 
which he admitted to having fired towards the guards. However, he retracted his 
confession during the 1st court session in which he said he had only fired in 
the air.

Naseem was first charged and sentenced to death in January 2012, but the 
country's Supreme Court overturned the sentence and sent the case back for a 
retrial, arguing that he had been under the age of 18 at the time of the 
alleged crimes.

He then was tried and sentenced to death again.

"International pressure is an important factor especially now that Iran is 
trying to improve its relations with the West, continued Amiry-Moghaddam. "If 
the political 'costs' of Saman's execution become high enough, the Iranian 
authorities will have to back off.

"Now is time to show that also the human rights can benefit from these 
dialogues and improvement in the relations. Every single individual in the free 
part of the world can contribute in making a difference. I hope everybody 
continues the campaign to save Saman."

Execution in breach of domestic and international law

The EU issued a statement on Wednesday (18 February) urging Iranian authorities 
to "abide by international laws under which the execution of juvenile offenders 
is a violation of international minimum standards, and not to carry out the 
execution of Mr Naseen or any other juvenile offender."

Amnesty International explained that Iran allows capital punishment for 
juveniles in case of qesas (retribution-in-kind) and hodoud (offences and 
punishments for which there are fixed penalties under Islamic law). However, 
article 91 of the Islamic Penal Code excludes the death penalty if the juvenile 
offender did not understand the nature of the crime or its consequences, or if 
there are doubts about the their mental capacity.

"Iran has willingly ratified treaties that oblige the country to not use the 
death penalty for individuals under the age of 18," Davis said.

"Saman Naseem was 17 at the time of the crime he was accused of, he should have 
never been sentenced to death. The authorities' treatment of his case is in 
breach of both international human rights law and Iran's domestic laws," she 
continued.

(source: Intrnational Business Times)








INDIA:

'Treaty does not allow death penalty for Salem'



The defence in the 1995 murder of builder Pradeep Jain murder, told a special 
Tada court on Wednesday that brutality, diabolical and grotesque nature of a 
crime, are not circumstances based on which, death penalty can be given. 
Defence advocate Sudip Pasbola opposed the prosecution's plea seeking the death 
penalty against extradited gangster Abu Salem and his driver, Mehendi Hasan, 
found guilty in the murder, earlier this week.

"Every murder is brutal, so heinousness or brutalities are not indicators. 
There is nothing to show the execution was carried out in a diabolical manner 
or something that repulsed the mind," Pasbola told special Tada judge G A 
Sanap.

Pasobla reiterated that Salem could not be awarded the death penalty as it was 
against the guarantees in the treaty signed between India and Portugal in 2002. 
Special public prosecutor Ujjawal Nikam will present his arguments on this 
aspect on Friday. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced only after all 
arguments are completed.

Pasbola argued that the object of the criminal conspiracy was to gain property 
from the Jain brothers and murder was was incidental. Referring to Hasan as 
just a fringe player, he argued that if the assailants had previously been 
awarded life imprisonment, then he could not be awarded death. He further 
pointed out that the accused had been in jail for 10 years and was never an 
absconding accused.

Nikam had sought 7 years' imprisonment for wheelchair-bound V K Jhamb (86), who 
was convicted only on extortion charges. He is on bail granted on health 
grounds. Defence advocate Srikant Shivde told the court that even a month's 
jail would seem like a life term and he, at the most, be sentenced to the 9 
months already spent in incarceration along with a fine.

(source: The Times of India)