[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 20



AUSTRALIA:

Bring back death penalty: Lambie



Independent senator Jacqui Lambie says Australia should bring back the death 
penalty for citizens who fight for terrorist organisations overseas.

Senator Lambie had previously called for citizenship to be revoked, but took it 
a step further on Friday morning, calling for courts to have the ability to 
sentence terrorists returning to Australia to death.

"I'm asking that everyone who assists any of the terrorists trying to take out 
our defence force personnel, that the death penalty be introduced," she told 
Southern Cross Austereo radio.

"But that should be determined by the jury.

"I want to give them the option, for terrorism only."

While she concedes there is little chance she will get the numbers to support 
the idea, Senator Lambie says it's good to bring issues like this to the 
public's attention.

Her statement comes just a day after Australian David Hicks was cleared of his 
terrorism conviction by an American military court, after spending more than 5 
years as a prisoner at US Navy base Guantanamo Bay.

(source: AAP)








IRAN----juvenile execution

Juvenile Offender Saman Naseem Was Executed



The Kurdish political prisoner Saman Naseem who was sentenced to death for 
offences he allegedely committed at 17 years of age, was executed in the prison 
of Urmia (Northwest of Iran). Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported earlier that 
Saman's family were contacted by the authorities yesterday to meet at the 
prison to collect Saman's belongings on Saturday. According to several 
independent sources, Saman's family have been asked earlier today to collect 
Saman's body tomorrow, Saturday 21. February. It is still unclear whether Saman 
was executed yesterday (Thursday) or today.

IHR strongly condemns Saman Naseem's unlawful and inhumane execution. Mahmood 
Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR, said: Ali Khamenei, the Iranian 
authorities' Supreme leader must be held responsible for the inhumane treatment 
and execution of Saman Naseem. We urge the international community to strongly 
condemn this execution. Saman Naseem's execution takes place despite repeated 
calls from the international community. Iran's continuous violations of the 
basic human rights must have consequences for the Iranian authorities".

Also FIDH (a founding member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty) 
and its Iranian member organisations, the League for the Defence of Human 
Rights in Iran (LDDHI) and the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) have 
strongly condemned "the illegal execution of juvenile offender Saman Naseem 
that reportedly took place yesterday morning in Iran".

Saman Naseem was transferred together with 5 death row prisoners of conscience 
from his prison ward to an unknown location on Wednesday 18. February. There is 
no information about the other 5 death row political prisoners: Yunes Aghayan, 
Habibollah Afshari, Ali Afshari, Sirwan Najavi and Ebrahim Shapouri. There is 
increasing concern that also these prisoners may be executed soon.

Despite ratifying the United Nations' Convention for the Rights of the Child, 
Iran is the world's biggest executioner of juvenile offenders.

Saman Naseem was sentenced to death in April 2013 by a criminal court in 
Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province, for "enmity against God" (moharebeh) and 
"corruption on earth" (ifsad fil-arz) because of his membership in the Kurdish 
armed opposition group PJAK, and for taking part in armed activities against 
the Revolutionary Guards. His death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in 
December 2013. Has was 17 year old at the time of his arrest.

According to reports Saman Naseem didn't have access to his lawyer during early 
investigations and according to a letter he wrote from the prison he was 
tortured, which included the removal of his finger and toe nails and being hung 
upside down for several hours.

In the letter, Saman said: "During the first days, the level of torture was so 
severe that it left me unable to walk. All my body was black and blue. They 
hung me from my hands and feet for hours. I was blindfolded during the whole 
period of interrogations and torture, and could not see the interrogation and 
torture officers."

(source: Iran Human Rights)

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

Illegal execution of juvenile offender



FIDH (a founding member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty) and 
its Iranian member organisations, the League for the Defence of Human Rights in 
Iran (LDDHI) and the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) strongly condemn 
the illegal execution of juvenile offender Saman Naseem that reportedly took 
place yesterday morning in Iran.

"The continuing execution of prisoners of conscience and juvenile offenders by 
the Iranian authorities is illegal and reprehensible," stated Karim Lahidji, 
FIDH President. "Moreover, the regime's deliberate policy of denying 
information to families of death row prisoners, intended to intimidate the 
Iranian people, violates international law and basic human rights."

Our organisations received information that Saman Naseem's relatives were 
contacted by the Iranian authorities yesterday afternoon and were told to 
collect his personal effects from prison on Saturday and to keep quiet. Naseem 
was reportedly executed yesterday morning in the presence of representatives 
from the Office of the Prosecutor and the Ministry of Intelligence.

Naseem was sentenced to death in 2013 after being convicted of vague charges 
including moharebeh ("waging war on God") and "corruption on Earth" for his 
alleged participation in armed activities in 2011 as a member of the Party of 
Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK). He was only 17 years old at the time of his 
alleged crimes, making his death sentence and execution illegal under 
international law: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and 
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which Iran has ratified, 
prohibit the death penalty for juvenile offenders. Nevertheless, Iran ignored 
international law and calls from international human rights groups, the United 
Nations, and the European Union to halt Naseem's illegal execution.

5 other prisoners of conscience had also reportedly been sent to solitary 
confinement yesterday, in apparent preparation for their execution: Habibollah 
Afshari and Ali Afshari (2 brothers accused of collaboration with Kumala, a 
Kurdish opposition group), Sirvan Nejavi and Ebrahim Shapouri (both convicted 
of collaboration with PJAK), and Yunes Aqayan (also spelled Younes Aghayan, a 
member of a religious minority group who was sentenced to death for moharebeh). 
The fate of these 5 individuals is yet unknown.

Our organisations are firmly opposed to the death penalty under all 
circumstances as it constitutes an inhuman treatment, and call on the Iranian 
authorities to introduce a moratorium on executions as the 1st step toward the 
abolition of death penalty. In particular, death sentences and executions 
against minors and for prisoners of conscience must cease immediately.

(source: FIDH)

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

Kurdish Brothers Executed by Iranian Regime



The Kurdistan Human Rights Network has confirmed that 2 brothers, Ali and Habib 
Afshari, who were in the group of 6 political prisoners imprisoned in Urmia 
prison have been hanged.

Activists Habib and Ali Afshari were declared guilty of "corruption on earth" 
and "acting against God's will" by the Iranian revolutionary court of Mahabad. 
On January 16, 2012, they were sentenced to be executed.

The statement made by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network is as follows:

The partner of Ali Afshari has told the Kurdistan Human Rights Network that on 
Friday 20th of February, at noon the Office of Intelligence Service of Iran 
contacted Mrs Afshari to inform her of the execution of Ali and his brother 
Habib. 1 of the relatives of the 2 brothers was also called to the Intelligence 
Services Offices to be formally informed of the execution of both Ali and Habib 
Afshari.

The family has also been informed that they are not permitted to hold funerals 
for the executed men in mosques or public places and that they are not 
permitted to speak to any media agencies. They are to have a quiet and secret 
gathering in their homes only.

A third brother, Jafar Afshari, who was arrested along with Ali and Habib in 
2009-2010 was sentenced to 5 years in prison. The 3 brothers had been on hunger 
strike several times demanding a fair-retrial and end to torture.

Reports came in yesterday that Saman Naseem, a young Kurdish man in the group 
of 6, who was sentenced to death at the age of 17, and for whom an 
internatioanl appeal was made to stop his execution, was also executed.

(source: kurdishquestion.com)








PAKISTAN:

Court releases 3 prisoners facing death penalty



A divisional bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday released 3 prisoners 
facing death penalty due to lack of evidences.

Justice Sikandar Salim and Justice Khalid Mehmood of divisional bench of LHC 
began the hearing in the case in which the 3 convicts Qamar Hussain Bhatti, 
Wasim Ashraf and Ali Khan were produced before the court.

Police Station (PS) Saddar Bairooni officials arrested the three accused in 
2010 on account of kidnapping Rehmat Ullah for ransom and later murdering him.

The prosecution told the court that the 3 men were charged with kidnapping and 
murdering a man in 2010.

He told the court that the 3 accused demanded ransom from the family and later 
murdered him when the family refused to pay the amount.

The court was told that Anti Terrorism Court Number 2 has passed out a death 
penalty in the case. However, the accused challenged the verdict of ATC with 
LHC.

The prosecution pleaded the court to reject their acquittal and uphold the 
verdict of ATC No 2 in the case.

Arguing before the court, the defence lawyer said that the police and 
prosecution have failed in providing or proving the substantial evidences about 
demanding of ransom or murdering the man. Therefore, the defence lawyer said, 
the court should release his clients. The divisional bench of Lahore Court, 
after conclusion of arguments of both parties, declared the death penalty null 
and void and ordered release of the 3 convicts due to lack of evidences.

(source: The Nation)