[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 2



SWITZERLAND:

Swiss anti-death penalty resolution passed


The foreign ministry has welcomed approval by the United Nations Human Rights 
Council of a resolution on the abolition of the death penalty worldwide.

"Switzerland believes that the use of the death penalty is incompatible with 
international law and always entails human rights violations, affecting both 
the individuals who have been convicted and those who are close to them," a 
statement said on Friday.

The resolution, which was tabled by 8 countries including Switzerland, won 
approval from 26 member states on Thursday. A further 13 states rejected the 
proposal and eight abstained.

The promotion of human rights, notably the abolition of capital punishment 
across the world by 2025, is a priority of Switzerland's foreign policy.

The Geneva-based council has agreed to hold panel discussions on the issue in 
March.

Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter launched a joint declaration with 
counterparts from 11 other countries a year ago.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York last week, President Simonetta 
Sommaruga stressed Switzerland's continuing efforts to do away with the death 
penalty worldwide.

(source: swissinfo.ch)






BANGLADESH:

Lawyers to meet war crimes convict Mujaheed in jail


Lawyers of death row convict Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujaheed 
on Friday sought permission from the prison authorities to meet the offender to 
discuss ground for a review of the Supreme Court verdict.

Defence counsel Shishir Monir said a 5 member panel of lawyers will meet the 
Jamaat leader in Dhaka Central Jail Saturday after the Supreme Court rejected 
his appeal against death sentence handed down by a special war crimes tribunal 
for his role during Bangladesh's 1971 war of liberation with Pakistan.

The apex court also rejected the appeal of convict Saluddin Quader Chowdhury, a 
senior leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who was also awarded with death 
penalty for almost similar role during the war.

The lawyers will seek review of the Supreme Court judgements. A notice, to this 
end, was served to the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal 
that deals with war crimes trial.

Superintended of Dhaka Central Jail Md. Jahangir Kabir admitted that an 
application was forwarded to his office from the lawyers. "We will let them 
know the time," he said.

The court will send out the decision over review petition to take the next 
course of legal actions against the death-row convicts. The convicts were 
informed about the death warrants issued against them after the Supreme Court 
rejected their pleas.

(source: newsnextbd.com)