[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

June 15



SAUDI ARABIA-----executions

2 convicts beheaded in Saudi Arabia, take 2015 tally to 100



A Syrian national convicted of drug trafficking and a citizen found guilty of 
homicide have been beheaded in Saudi Arabia, bringing to 100 the number of such 
executions in the oil-rich country since the beginning of this year.

The Syrian man, identified as Ismael al-Tawm, smuggled "a large amount of 
banned amphetamine pills into the kingdom" and was decapitated in the northern 
region of Jawf on Monday, said the Saudi Interior Ministry in a statement 
carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

A separate statement said Saudi national Rami al-Khaldi was executed in the 
western province of Taef, after being convicted of stabbing another Saudi to 
death.

Amnesty International has described Saudi Arabia's use of death penalty as 
unprecedented, and said the toll is "one of the highest recorded by the 
organization during the same period for more than three decades."

The London-based watchdog said on May 28 that almost 1/2 of the executions 
carried out so far this year were for drug-related offenses, and about half of 
those put to death have been foreigners.

"These do not fall into the category of 'most serious crimes,' and the use of 
the death penalty for such offences violates international law," it said.

The United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary 
executions had earlier expressed concern about a surge in the number of 
executions carried out in Saudi Arabia.

"It is certainly very disturbing that there is such a fast pace of executions 
at the moment," Christof Heyns said on May 27.

In Saudi Arabia, rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking all 
carry the death penalty. Beheadings are carried out in public using a sword.

Muslim scholars and clerics have on occasions criticized Saudi authorities for 
indicting and then executing suspects without giving them a chance to defend 
themselves.

(source: Press TV)








EGYPT:

Court might withdraw death sentence in Morsi trial: Experts



Former president Mohamed Morsi awaits the final verdict in the espionage and 
"Prison Break" trials on Tuesday. Meanwhile, predictions regarding the fate of 
the defendants rest primarily on the Grand Mufti's opinion and the current 
political circumstances potentially affecting the verdict.

The Cairo Criminal Court had postponed the final verdict against Morsi and 
other Muslim Brotherhood leaders in both cases to 16 June. The postponement 
coincided with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's visit to Germany to meet 
Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The court previously referred the files of the defendants to the Grand Mufti 
for consultation. The defendants include the former president, Brotherhood 
Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, former parliamentary speaker Saad Al-Katatni, and 
renowned Muslim scholar Yusuf Al-Qaradawi.

"We anticipate the court to withdraw many of the death sentences, especially 
those handed down to defendants in absentia," said Mohamed Al-Damaty, 
spokesperson of the defence team in the prison break and espionage cases.

According to Al-Damaty, the opinion of the Grand Mufti, although consultative, 
will largely determine the final verdict. "There are only 2 possible scenarios; 
either the Mufti's opinion comes in favour of the court's ruling, which means 
that the death sentences would be upheld, or it comes in opposition to the 
court's ruling, and in that case, the court would have the capacity to withdraw 
the death sentence, based in principle on the Mufti's report."

"Given the nature of the judiciary these days, it has become harder to predict 
anything, but I don't think the court will uphold the death sentence," said 
Hoda Nasrallah, lawyer at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).

Nasrallah held the view that, on the political level, Morsi is considered a 
symbol for the Brotherhood and viewed as the formerly-elected, ousted president 
by the international community. Nasrallah added that "the death sentence could 
lead to an international embarrassment. However the regime might nonetheless 
justify the sentence, if upheld, by citing the rule of law and the independence 
of the judiciary arguments."

"We were hoping that the verdict would be reached solely based on documented 
evidence without the interference of any external factors," she said. However, 
Nasrallah added that most of the sentences are appealed; and heavy sentences of 
this kind are mostly given with deterrence as the objective.

Both Nasrallah and Al-Damaty mentioned that the international reactions to the 
death sentences given to Morsi and others play a significant role in the final 
outcome. Al-Damaty held the view that there is a high chance external pressure 
could lead to the withdrawal of the death sentences in the final verdict.

"There would definitely be agitation by the Brotherhood, in addition to 
international condemnation, if the death sentence is upheld," commented 
Nasrallah.

The verdict could be appealed within 60 days of the court releasing the grounds 
of the judgement. Al-Damaty expects that the Court of Cassation would appeal 
the verdict because "these are political sentences, especially given the fact 
that the court's core beliefs and principles are in contradiction with the 
defendants' beliefs and political orientation".

Other grounds for appeal include the presence of the soundproof glass cage that 
"completely separated the defendants from the defence team and the court" as 
well as a number of violations that disregard Egypt's code of procedures, 
according to Al-Damaty.

Morsi was handed his 1st death sentence, alongside scores of Muslim Brotherhood 
leaders, on 16 May, in the Prison Break trial. According to the Egyptian penal 
code, Article 77 stipulates that any act that threatens the security, stability 
and unity of the state is punishable by death. Paragraph (b) of the article 
stipulates that anyone who conspires with a foreign state or agent is punished 
with the death penalty.

Article 88 stipulates that anyone who enables the escape of prisoners accused 
of the aforementioned charges receives a life sentence, and if the escape 
resulted in deaths, the set punishment is the death penalty.

Morsi and 34 Brotherhood members were accused of storming Wadi El-Natrun prison 
and escaping it in the early days of the 25 January Revolution. The charges 
included kidnapping police officers and detaining them in the Gaza Strip.

News of the death sentence sparked international condemnation on a wide scale, 
with the US, Turkey, Germany and the UK making statements in opposition to the 
mass death sentences and questioning the fairness of the trials.

In the espionage case, Morsi was accused, along with 35 other Brotherhood 
members, of leaking documents to foreign agents, including Hamas and Hezbollah. 
They also stand accused of funding and supporting terrorism.

Morsi was also sentenced in April to 20 years imprisonment in the 'Presidential 
Palace' case, alongside 12 other defendants. They were accused of violence that 
erupted outside the Presidential Palace on 5 December 2012.

(source: Daily News Egypt)








NORTH KOREA:

North Korea officially confirms Hyon Yong Chol's execution----An unnamed source 
in China said the bulletin confirmed Hyon Yong Chol was executed for 
insubordination and disobeying the party leadership.



North Korea dispatched official bulletins announcing the execution of Hyon Yong 
Chol for insubordination, South Korean media reported Monday.

South Korean news network YTN reported the news was sent from North Korean 
embassies in China and other locations to the host governments, including 
Beijing.

Kim Jong Un was reported to have dismissed Defense Minister Hyon after being 
outraged by Hyon's "disregard" for the North Korean leader during a meeting, 
South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported.

Hyon's purge also has been followed by the forced disappearances of Jang Sung, 
an official at the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, and other top-ranking 
personnel.

An unnamed source in China said the bulletin confirmed Hyon was executed for 
insubordination and disobeying the party leadership.

Kim Jong Un's "Military-First" policy holds consequences for those who do not 
follow Kim's orders - including execution.

The South Korean newspaper's source said Hyon's napping during a meeting was 
deemed treasonous to Kim, who regarded displays of boredom during meetings, 
such as napping or daydreaming, as an offense worse than voicing opposition 
before the North Korean leader.

Kim had allegedly asked Hyon his opinion on a matter, but discovered his 
defense minister was dozing off when his question was left unanswered. Military 
minders later detained Hyon.

Since the purge of Hyon, the defense minister has been deleted from official 
state footage.

Kim's emotional response to Hyon's lackadaisical behavior has precedents. Kim's 
frustration with other top officials, including uncle Jang Song Thaek, led to 
his execution in 2013.

(source: United Press International)