[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 5



BAHAMAS:

Death Penalty To Be Sought For Killers Of US Sailor


3 men could be sentenced to death if a Supreme Court judge grants a request for 
the imposition of that penalty for the May 2013 murder of Kyle Bruner, an 
American sailor who was shot just feet away from the Paradise Island Bridge in 
Nassau.

After the jury concluded its 7-hour deliberations and returned unanimous guilty 
verdicts for Craig Johnson, 22, Anton Bastian, 21, and 23-year-old Marcellus 
Williams on Tuesday evening, trial prosecutor Ambrose Armbrister informed 
Justice Indra Charles of the Crown???s intent to seek the death penalty.

The 2011 amendment to the Penal Code notes that only certain types of 
aggravated murder are currently punishable by death; murder of a law 
enforcement officer such as a police officer or a prison guard; murder of a 
judicial officer, including judges, registrars and prosecutors; murder of a 
witness or juror; murder of more than one person; murder committed by a 
defendant who has a prior murder conviction; and murder in exchange for value.

The only 2 possible sentences are either death or life without parole. Any 
other type of murder carries a term of imprisonment of 30 to 60 years.

The amendment further provides that any murder committed in the course of/or in 
furtherance of a robbery, rape, kidnapping, terrorist act, or any other felony 
is punishable by death, with no explicit requirement of an intent to cause 
death.

A felony is defined as any offence which is punishable by at least 3 years' 
imprisonment.

On Tuesday evening, Johnson, Bastian and Williams were further convicted with 
30-year-old Jamaal Dorfevil on 2 counts of armed robbery as they were alleged 
to have accosted 2 women while armed with a firearm, robbing 1 of $150 cash and 
her $3,000 handbag and the other of cash, a handbag and an iPhone.

A 5th accused, 21-year-old Leo Bethel, had all charges discontinued against him 
by way of a nolle prosequi within moments of Justice Charles concluding her 
summation of the evidence.

Sentencing for Johnson, Bastian, Williams and Dorfevil has been adjourned to 
January 27, 2016.

All 4 convicts had denied having any involvement in the armed robbery and/or 
killing of Bruner who was shot in the neck as he tried to help 2 women who were 
being mugged by 2 armed men during the incident on a Sunday morning.

They testified that they were at home on the early morning in question and had 
been lied on and assaulted by the police, who produced video-taped interviews 
of Johnson, Williams and Dorfevil taking police through the crime scene.

"The jury heard evidence from Sean William Cannon, a first mate aboard the 
Liberty Chipper sailboat, who witnessed the shooting and later identified 
Johnson during an identification parade.

The Crown also submitted the police statement of another witness, Delano Smith. 
Justice Charles had allowed prosecutor Armbrister's application for an 
investigator to read the unavailable witness's statement into the record as an 
amendment to the Evidence Act in 2012 gave judges the discretion to allow the 
statements of witnesses who are dead, cannot be found, or are too sick to 
testify into evidence.

Mr Smith told police that around 11pm on May 11, 2013, he and a friend Stephen 
Lewis went to a party on Harold Road before going to Double D's on East Bay 
Street for food around 2am. He reportedly left his friend at the bar while he 
played in a poker game for about 45 minutes.

Mr Smith said a man known to him as "Rolly" asked him for some money and he 
gave him $7 before the latter walked out of the restaurant.

He and his friend, Lewis, walked out of the restaurant shortly afterwards and 
saw "Rolly" standing next to a car across the street. Mr Smith claimed to have 
recognised the individual in the driver's seat whom he called "Leo", but could 
not make out the individuals in the back seat. "Rolly" then came over to him 
and said that someone would have to get robbed because "he was broke".

His friend, Stephen, went to check on the food they had ordered while he went 
around the corner to relieve himself. At this time, he saw "Rolly" get into the 
car and "Leo" drove off.

Mr Smith said on his way back to the restaurant, he heard a loud noise that 
sounded like gunshots and when he turned the bend, he saw "Rolly" attempting to 
snatch the bag of a white female and another slim, dark male approach another 
white female.

Mr Smith said "another white man" approached the "slim male" and pushed him. He 
said the "slim male" pulled out a gun and shot the man before taking off. Mr 
Smith said after observing the 2 females and another white male standing over 
the body of the injured man, he went into the bar and told his friend they were 
leaving.

Bethel, Johnson, Bastian, Dorfevil and Williams were defended by attorneys Ian 
Cargill, Nathan Smith, Roberto Reckley, Sonia Timothy and Walton Bain.

(source: Bahamas Tribune)






IRAQ:

UN Rights Committee Urges Iraq To Reduce Use Of Death Penalty


The UN Human Rights Committee has urged Iraq to reduce its use of the death 
penalty and crack down on widespread abuses, including torture and rape in 
detention.

The committee on November 5 reported on "the great number of cases in which the 
death penalty is imposed and the frequency of its application" in Iraq.

It said Iraq allegedly is handing down death sentences based on confessions 
obtained through torture.

Committee member Yuval Shany says Iraq has executed about 240 people since late 
2013 and about 1,700 prisoners remain on death row.

He said the UN committee, which oversees global rules on civil and political 
rights, had not received any estimates of how many executions have been carried 
out by Islamic State militants in Iraq.

The committee is urging Iraq to abolish the death penalty or at least ensure 
that executions are only for the most serious crimes.

(source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)