[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 12



PAKISTAN----execution

Saulat Mirza hanged till death at Machh Jail



High-profile death row prisoner, Saulat Mirza has been hanged till death at 
Machh Jail in Bolan distsrict of Balochistan at 4:30am in Tuesday's wee hours.

An hour before the hanging, Deputy Superintendent jail, judicial magistrate 
Hidayatullah and medical officer reached the jail. Mirza's medical checkup was 
completed. Afterwards, he was shifted to gallows. As soon as the clock clicked 
4:30am, the lever was pulled. He was left hanging till 15 minutes.

Doctor Sajjad Haider examined the body and confirmed his death. Mirza's 3 
nephews received the body. His body has been moved to CMH Quetta. From Quetta, 
the body will be airlifted to Karachi at 2pm today.

Coffin, shroud and coffin were earlier transported to the jail, according to 
Edhi spokesman in Quetta. The spokesman said the body will be delivered 
wherever Mirza's family members want.

Judge Rashid Mahmood was appointed a magistrate to oversee his hanging. 
According to his brother, Farhat Ali, Mirza's body will be brought to his 
residence in Maymar where he will be given last bath. Later on, the funeral 
prayer for his eternal death will be offered after Maghrib prayer. He will be 
laid to rest in Muhammed Shah Cemetery, Karachi, Anda Morr, according to his 
brother.

According to jail authorities, 4 brothers and 2 sisters of Saulat Mirza met him 
yesterday for the last time in the prison.

It should be mentioned here that Mirza was arrested on December 10, 1998, from 
the Karachi Airport on his return from Bangkok.

A local anti-terrorism court awarded him death penalty in May 1999 for a triple 
homicide, as he was found guilty for killing Managing Director of Karachi 
Electric Supply Corporation - now K-Electric-- Shahid Hamid, his driver Ashraf 
Brohi, and security guard Khan Akbar in a July 5, 1997 shooting.

Mirza's Wife Files Clemency Appeals But Turned Down

Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday rejected an application of Mirza's wife 
seeking deferment of her husband's execution. The court upheld Supreme Court's 
past decision on Mirza's hanging.

Later, Saulat Mirza's wife Nighat Mirza appealed yesterday to President Mamnoon 
Hussain to suspend the execution of her husband in order to launch an inquiry 
into his disclosures about criminals.

Speaking to SAMAA, Nighat demanded the government to release the report of 
joint investigation team that interrogated Mirza in jail.

"Government should re-open Shahid Hamid murder case for the sake of peace in 
Karachi," she said.

Talking to SAMAA's current affair program 'Awaz', she demanded Shahid Hamid 
case be re-opened, asserting all evidences will be wasted in the event of his 
hanging.

Mirza Seeks To Make More Disclosures

Mirza reportedly told his family that he was willing to expose more people if 
his hanging was delayed. "I have decided to take this step against terrorism," 
he was quoted as saying.

Mirza said that he did not want to be go to the gallows without sharing with 
the authorities a secret hoard of information that could prove vital in 
bringing about peace in Karachi. "I know a lot of things that can help the men 
of affairs restore calm in the metropolis. I am not asking them to undo my 
punishment, but rather give me some time to atone my sins" said he.

Begging pardon for his heinous crimes in his foremost video statement, Mirza, 
who had tears in his eyes, warned the party workers, sympathizers, and wannabe 
members, against falling in the wrong hands and the subsequent brainwashing.

"Today I have become an example for all those who are in the party or 
deliberating to join it. Let me tell you they use the workers as tissue paper 
wipes and then throw them away. So open your eyes and do what is right," he 
said dubbing himself as other activists as expendables.

Adding to his statement, a disillusioned Mirza minced no words when he sounded 
out he had been disowned by the party.

"They always turn their back on the workers who land in the hands of law," said 
the erstwhile hitman.

Following his video confession, Mirza made more disclosures in front of JIT at 
Machh Jail. Hours before his execution, his wife made strong pitch for Mirza's 
assertions before JIT to be made public.

Saulat Mirza's Hanging Put On Hold

Mirza was earlier scheduled to be hanged on March 19; however, his hanging was 
postponed following his shocking revelations about MQM and its leadership 
including Altaf Hussain and Sindh governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad in a video 
statement telecasted on national media hours before his execution.

Following the telecast, President Mamnoon Hussain stayed his hanging apparently 
on his 'health woes'.

Later, April 1st was fixed for sending him to gallows; however, his sentence 
was again put on hold for further investigations into allegations he leveled 
against the MQM and its leaders.

In April 2014, he was transferred to Machh Jail, Balochistan. However, when he 
will be executed, is not yet known.

Outrageous Revelations against MQM & PPP

Mirza, a former political activist, claimed that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) 
leader Altaf Hussain had ordered him to carry out the murders. He also leveled 
charges against Pakistan People's Party claiming that the MQM facilitated him 
along with other party activists at prisons when PPP was in power.

According to Mirza, the former party leader, Syed Mustafa Kamal, was kicked out 
of the party in an unspeakably insulting way only because of his outspokenness.

Kamal is a serving Senator in the upper house and has served as the Nazim 
(mayor) of Karachi from 2005 to 2010.

Mirza claimed that a sharp rise in popularity could get you killed or booted 
out of the party.

"If your following is gaining momentum in the party then the chances of your 
besting the topguns grow fatter, which they will never allow to happen," said 
the man of the moment.

The dead-man-talking also accused the Governor of Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad of 
using his authority to have the criminals find a safe passage. The Governor 
House, in a late night statement, denied these accusations in the strongest of 
words.

In his video statement, Mirza also dragged Pakistan People's Party (PPP) into 
the 'accusatory picture' by alleging that the MQM had had him facilitated when 
Asif Ali Zardari led political party was in power, a charge Information 
Minister Sharjil Memon rejected as pack of lies.

(source: samaa.tv)

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

Black warrants of 3 Machh jail prisoners issued



The Balochistan Home Department issued the black warrants of 3 condemned 
prisoners languishing in Central Jail Machh.

News that the black warrants of condemned prisoners were sent to the Machh jail 
administration on Monday for execution.

The condemned prisoners include Muhammad Musa, Ali Gul and Akhtar Muhammad.

The Jail Superintendent had been asked to fix the date for execution of the 
condemned prisoners within 7 days.

Superintendent Machh Jail Ishaq Zehri told DawnNews that Akhtar Muhammad from 
Killa Abdullah district would be executed on May 19, while Muhammad Musa and 
Ali Gul would be hanged on May 20.

The mercy petitions of the prisoners were rejected by President Mamnoon Hussain 
previously.

The condemned prisoners were convicted by anti-terrorism courts in Quetta for 
various murder cases.

Since the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty last year, three 
condemned prisoners have been executed in Machh Jail Quetta, Zehri said.

On Tuesday morning at 4:30 am, former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) worker and 
high profile prisoner Saulat Mirza was hanged in Machh jail.

Sources in the Balochistan Prisons Department told Dawn.com that the number of 
condemned prisoners in the province was 90.

(source: Pakistan Herald)








BANGLADESH:

Death for 2, life imprisonment for 1 in Faridpur murders



A Dhaka Court has awarded death sentence to two and life imprisonment to one 
convict for murder of an ex-BIWTA official and his wife in Faridpur.

The accused murdered the couple over a land dispute.

On Tuesday Dhaka's Fourth Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge ABM Nizamul Haq delivered 
the verdict in the 2-year old case.

Out of the 3 convicts, Md Nazrul Islam and Sujan Bepari have been given death 
penalty and the victim's nephew, Mir Md Tanvir Rahman was given life 
imprisonment.

Tanvir has also been fined a sum of Tk 20,000, and 1 year jail term if he does 
not pay the fine.

According to the case documents, on Oct 26, 2013 the convicts slaughtered 
Shamsul Haque Mir Malot, 70, and his wife Nahar Begum alias Shelly, 60, at 
Munshidangi village of Char Tepakhola in Faridpur.

(source: bdnews24.com)








INDONESIA:

'Mothers were peeled off their sons': Myrtleford lawyer on horror of Bali 
executions



After 8 years working to save the lives of the 2 Australian men on death row 
for drug trafficking in Indonesia, Jakarta-born lawyer Veronica Haccou says the 
last afternoon on the case was the hardest.

"We saw mothers being peeled off their sons, wives being peeled off their 
husbands, children from their parents," Ms Haccou told ABC Statewide Drive's 
Nicole Chvastek.

"Those people who are in power who ordered the execution, they were not the 
ones who had to tap the mothers on the shoulder and say 'Your time is up with 
your child, you have to go now'. We sat there for the last 72 hours, for the 
time that we were given to be with the clients, watching the family and the 
clients saying goodbye."

Ms Haccou was with Chan, 31, and Sukumaran, 34, in the final moments before 
they were shot dead on the prison island of Nusakambangan late last month.

The Myrtleford-based lawyer first volunteered to work on the men's case in May 
2007, hoping her fluency in the Indonesian language could help the Australians' 
fight for clemency.

Over the ensuing 8 years Ms Haccou says she held out hope until the last 
minute, when she heard gun-fire ring out in the early hours of the morning on 
April 28th this year.

After 10 years in prison, Ms Haccou says, the 2 men were "truly reformed".

"When they were marched to where they were going to be executed, they led the 
singing, and as the other death row inmates' voices started to falter Andrew 
said, 'Sing up boys', and they sang until they were shot.

"Until the very, very end they thought of other people... tried to comfort 
them. They were truly reformed young men. They made me proud."

Ms Haccou describes the Indonesian judicial system as "extremely inconsistent" 
and says the reasons given for the men's executions are "illogical and 
nonsensical". Chan and Sukumaran's deaths have compelled Ms Haccou to fight for 
the abolishment of the death penalty worldwide.

"Andrew and Myu have committed a serious crime, but we have ceased from 
committing eye-for-an-eye punishment a long time ago," Ms Haccou said.

"There were different laws in different countries, death for apostasy, 
amputation for theft, flogging for blasphemy, stoning for adultery... so is 
that okay? Should we sit back and say that's their law?"

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has stood by his decision to execute convicted 
drug smugglers, declaring the death penalty a "positive" for Indonesian law. 
"Every day 50 young Indonesians die, in 1 year that is 18,000 dead," Mr Widodo 
told reporters on Saturday, regarding the toll of drugs in Indonesia.

"I'm sure other countries will understand this."

Ms Haccou says executing Chan and Sukumaran will stop others trafficking drugs 
in Indonesia.

"If [President Joko Widodo's] intention was to show people that the drug 
dealers he executed were worthless human beings then he has failed miserably, 
because what the boys did in the past 10 years, being reformed young men and 
what they did all the way to the end, until they were shot, was something to be 
proud of."

(source: ABC News)

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

Executions signal a return to Sukarno-style foreign policy in Indonesia



On 29 April Indonesia executed seven foreigners and one Indonesian for drug 
offences. The refusal of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to offer clemency 
despite pleas from foreign leaders has been analysed in a number of ways. Most 
have interpreted Jokowi's decision as that of a contested head of state in a 
fragile democracy heeding public opinion, which seems to overwhelmingly (86 % 
in a recent poll) support the death penalty for drug trafficking. But was his 
decision instead a deliberate act of public diplomacy, designed to send signals 
to those missing the Sukarno era?

Some background is important. Jokowi is the first Indonesian president not to 
be drawn from either the civil and military elite or the oligarchies that came 
to the fore during Suharto's New Order from 1967 to 1998. As the former mayor 
of Solo and governor of Jakarta, Jokowi epitomises a new generation of 
politicians who are a product of decentralisation and have strong local roots. 
During the presidential election campaign, Jokowi's opponent Prabowo Subianto, 
a cashiered former general, attacked Jokowi as being merely 'a little boy from 
the kampongs', not the strong martial leader that Indonesia ostensibly needs. 
Jokowi's intransigence on the executions issue has been interpreted as an 
effort to belie this accusation. As Jokowi lacks a majority in the Indonesian 
parliament, he has had to govern by developing ad hoc coalitions to effectively 
advance his reform agenda.

Yet Jokowi's actions cannot be understood without reference to the wider 
context of Indonesia's foreign relations. Jokowi's foreign policy represents a 
return to the guided democracy period of Indonesia's founding president, 
Sukarno. Certainly the 'boy from the kampongs' has a very different persona 
from the aristocratic Sukarno, yet both their direct charismatic appeal to the 
masses and their political philosophies have common features. Both view the 
international stage as being, above all, a means of advancing their domestic 
agenda. Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a moratorium on the 
use of the death penalty. This showed he understood that demonstrating the 
emerging power of the 'world's largest Muslim country and 3rd largest 
democracy' required being sensitive to Western norms. Jokowi, like Sukarno, 
would appear to have no such qualms.

Jokowi's speech on 22 April 2015 at the 60th anniversary celebrations for the 
Asia-Africa (Bandung) conference demonstrated this philosophical lineage with 
Sukarno. While there was not the same lofty anti-colonial rhetoric, the thrust 
of the speech was the same - that is, the need to break away from the Western 
economic order. Is this mere rhetoric? Jokowi politically relies on the 
Indonesian Democratic Party, which is chaired by Sukarno's daughter Megawati 
Sukarnoputri. 2 weeks earlier, on 9 April, Megawati lectured Jokowi at her 
party's congress in Bali on the need to adhere to its economically nationalist 
party platform. But advancing an economically nationalist agenda has its 
limits: it is in contradiction with Indonesia's need for foreign investment. 
Given such constraints, Jokowi has needed to prove his nationalist credentials 
in other areas, including by resisting foreign pressure on the application of 
the death penalty.

On the international stage so far Jokowi, like Sukarno for most of his 
presidency, is essentially his own foreign minister. Compared to her 
predecessors, Indonesia's current foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, seems to be 
an intellectual lightweight. It would appear that Megawati pushed for her 
appointment for symbolic reasons - she is Indonesia's 1st female foreign 
minister. However, to be fair, this novice foreign minister has not yet been 
given an opportunity to shine on the international scene.

This is in part the case because the foreign policy priorities given to Retno 
Marsudi also reflect a return to the Sukarno legacy. The 1st of these is the 
protection of Indonesia's maritime sovereignty, which is frequently infringed 
upon by the current Australian government's 'turn the boats back' policy. This 
preoccupation with maritime sovereignty is linked to the Indonesian sense of 
homeland tanah-air (the land and the sea) and was articulated during the 
Sukarno period in the principle of Wawasan Nusantara. Jokowi's flamboyant 
Minister of Maritime and Fishery Affairs, Susi Pudjiastuti, is the most visible 
exponent of Indonesia's maritime security. True to Sukarno's praxis - and like 
the macabre executions of foreign drug traffickers - the protection of 
Indonesia's sovereignty has been expressed in the most dramatic way to garner 
media coverage: the blowing up of illegal fishing vessels.

The 2nd foreign policy priority given to Retno Marsudi - the much-needed 
defence of Indonesian workers overseas - appears to have had one happy 
consequence for the execution case. Partly as a result of a massive social 
media campaign in Indonesia itself, Mary Jane Veloso, a poor, clearly 
manipulated Filipino maid who was due to be executed with the 7 other 
foreigners, was granted a reprieve. It appears that Jokowi's support base felt 
empathy with someone who (to use Jokowi's campaign slogan) was, in a sense, '1 
of them'. And as this was consistent with his Sukarnoist beliefs, political 
practice and domestic priorities, Indonesia's president took note.

(source: David Camroux is Associate Professor and Senior Researcher in the 
Centre for International Studies at Sciences Po in Paris and co-editor of the 
Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs----East Asia Forum)