[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 17




PAKISTAN:

COAS confirms death sentence to 11 hardcore terrorists


Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday confirmed death 
sentences awarded to another 11 hardcore terrorists.

According to the ISPR, those who have been awarded death penalty were found 
guilty of committing heinous offences related to terrorism, including killing 
of DIG Fayyaz Sumbal and ASI Raza Khan of Balochistan Police and Inspector 
Kamran Nazir of ISI in Quetta.

The convicts also included those who were involved in sectarian killings, 
kidnappings and slaughtering of civilians and personnel of the Frontier 
Constabulary (FC) and killing of Major Abdid Majeed of the Pakistan Army.

They planned and executed a number of attacks on law enforcement agencies and 
the armed forces of Pakistan. Theydestruction of schools and communication 
infrastructure.

The convicted terrorists include:

1. Ziaul Haq s/o Wali Khan: The convict was an active member of 
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He was involved in suicidal attacks which 
caused death and injuries to a large number of civilians. The convict was also 
involved in attacking law enforcement agencies which resulted in death of 
Deputy Inspector General of Police Fayyaz Sumbal, Assistant Sub Inspector Raza 
Khan, several other police officials and Inspector Kamran Nazir of 
Inter-Services Intelligence. He was also found involved in sectarian killings. 
He admitted his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was 
tried on 12 charges and was awarded death sentence.

2. Fazl-e-Rabbi s/o Fazal Ghafoor: The convict was an active member of TTP. He 
was involved in slaughtering and killing of civilians. He was also involved in 
attacking armed forces of Pakistan which resulted in death of Maj Abid Majeed 
and injuries to several soldiers. The convict admitted his offences before the 
magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on 4 charges and awarded death 
sentence.

3. Muhammad Sher s/o Zaray: The convict was an active member of TTP. He was 
involved in killing of civilians. He was also involved in attacking armed 
forces of Pakistan which resulted in death and injuries to soldiers. The 
convict also destroyed a girls middle school. He admitted his offences before 
the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on 5 charges and awarded death 
sentence.

4. Umer Zada s/o Gul Rehman: The convict was an active member of TTP. He was 
involved in attacking armed forces of Pakistan which resulted in death and 
injuries to soldiers. He was also in possession of explosives. The convict 
admitted his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried 
on 3 charges and awarded death sentence.

5. Latifur Rehman s/o Saifur Rehman: The convict was an active member of TTP. 
He was involved in kidnapping and killing personnel of law enforcement 
agencies. He was also guilty for attacking armed forces of Pakistan which 
resulted in death of soldiers. The convict was also in possession of firearms 
and explosives. He admitted his offences before the magistrate and the trial 
court. He was tried on 5 charges and awarded death sentence.

6. Muhammad Adil s/o Muhammad Akbar Jan: The convict was an active member of 
TTP. He was involved in kidnapping and slaughtering of soldiers of Frontier 
Constabulary. The convict was also involved in destruction of Police Station 
Matta. He was also in possession of firearms and explosives. The convict 
admitted his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried 
on 5 charges and awarded death sentence.

7. Israr Ahmed s/o Abdul Rahim Jan: The convict was an active member of TTP. He 
was involved in attacking armed forces of Pakistan which resulted in death and 
injuries to soldiers. He was also involved in destruction of girls primary 
school and a hotel of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation. The convict 
admitted his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried 
on 4 charges and awarded death sentence.

8. Abdul Majeed s/o Khona Moula: The convict was an active member of TTP. He 
was involved in attacking armed forces of Pakistan which resulted in death and 
injuries to soldiers. He also destroyed a hotel of PTDC. The convict admitted 
his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on 3 
charges and awarded death sentence.

9. Hazrat Ali s/o Fazal Rabi: The convict was an active member of TTP. He was 
involved in planting improvised explosive devices and killing of civilians. He 
was also involved in attacking armed forces of Pakistan. The convict admitted 
his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on 5 
charges and awarded death sentence.

10. Mian Said Azam s/o Mian Said Jaffar: The convict was an active member of 
TTP. He was involved in attacking armed forces of Pakistan and law enforcement 
agencies which resulted in death and injuries to soldiers. He was also involved 
in destruction of girls schools. The convict admitted his offences before the 
magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on 5 charges and awarded death 
sentence.

11. Qaiser Khan s/o Habib Khan: The convict was an active member of TTP. He was 
involved in killing of civilians and destruction of communication 
infrastructure. The convict admitted his offences before the magistrate and the 
trial court. He was tried on 2 charges and awarded death sentence.

(source: The News)






INDONESIA:

Irish Priest Fights for Poor People and Death-Row Convicts in Indonesia


The locals in Central Java province's Cilacap Regency know Charles Patrick 
Burrows, a Catholic priest from Ireland, by another name: Romo Carolus.

He landed in Indonesia in 1973 and has stayed on since, working to help 
alleviate poverty in the regency and, relatively recently, offering comfort to 
inmates on death row at nearby Nusakambangan prison and escorting some as they 
walked toward the firing lines.

Romo Carolus began by counseling Catholic inmates, but provides guidance for 
other inmates as well.

"I'm a Catholic, but I feel honored to counsel people from other religions," 
Carolus, 73, told BenarNews.

He also opposes the death penalty and has campaigned against capital punishment 
in Indonesia, which still strictly enforces executions of convicted drug 
offenders, despite widespread criticism from aboard.

The priest shared his memory of witnessing the executions in June 2008 of 2 
Nigerians convicted of drug trafficking.

"I still remember it clearly when they were released from the ropes tying them 
up. For a moment, they were groaning before they died," he said.

That same year, the priest testified against Indonesia's death penalty law 
before the Constitutional Court in Jakarta, calling executions by firing squad 
"torture."

Romo Carolus - now an Indonesian citizen - urged the government to consider a 
more humane way of execution, if capital punishment was inevitable.

But officials have not change the policy and, since then, no religious leader 
has been allowed to accompany inmates and observe their executions at 
Nusakambangan, a prison island in Central Java.

"We were asked to leave before they were executed," he said.

In late July, Indonesia executed 4 more drug convicts by firing squad at 
Nusakambangan, but postponed putting to death 10 others who faced capital 
punishment. An Indonesian, 2 Nigerians and a South African were lined up and 
shot on July 28.

While hoping that the government will change the law, Romo Carolus keeps 
providing counseling to inmates there who are condemned to die.

"They can't choose how they die, but at least let them die in dignity," he 
said.

The universal values that Romo Carolus expresses have left a deep impression on 
a Muslim cleric and long-time colleague at the prision, Hasan Makarim.

"We have known each other for a long time and we are solid working together," 
Hasan told BenarNews.

Helping to fight poverty

When Carolus, a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Dublin, 
arrived in Indonesia 43 years ago, he encountered poverty in Cilacap Regency 
during a visit to Kampung Laut, a fishing village.

At the time, the village was known as a home for sympathizers of the banned 
Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), whose membership and leadership was wiped 
out during a bloody anti-communist purge in 1965-66.

When he first arrived in Kampung Laut, villagers were suffering from an 
outbreak of eye infections. He treated them and later initiated efforts to 
construct a road and bridge in order to open access to the village. It then 
only had 1 small road that passed between swamps and sea.

After becoming an Indonesian citizen in 1983, Carolus set up Yayasan Sosial 
Bina Sejahtera, a nongovernmental organization working to eradicate poverty. 
The foundation has helped 25 schools - kindergarten, elementary school, junior 
high, high school and special-needs - in and around Cilacap.

With the love and passion of faith, he taught villagers to empower themselves 
by preserving fish and planting vegetables in vacant lots to improve their 
quality of life.

In 2012, Romo Carolus, who was assigned to St. Stephanus parish church in 
Cilacap, received the Maarif Award from the Maarif Institute for Culture and 
Humanity for his role as a local figure helping to preserve and observe 
universal religious values.

Cilacap Regent Tatto Suwarto Pamuji said he appreciated the old priest's 
efforts.

"He always visits the neighborhoods and listens to the public complaints by 
himself," Tatto said.

Do good unto others

Carolus stresses the importance of education as the only way to reduce poverty 
and ignorance. God provides people with everything as long as they want to give 
their best, he said, adding that all people are meant to live on their own 
without waiting for others' help.

Whenever there is a chance, no matter how small, he advised everyone to show 
good will toward others.

"Even when death is coming to you and you still have time to plant a tree, then 
plant it. Show generosity in every chance, even the tiniest one," he said.

(source: Benar News)

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

Appeals Court upholds death penalty for businessman


The Court of Appeal here yesterday affirmed the High Court's decision to 
sentence a businessman to death for murdering his wife and 2 children in Sibu 3 
years ago.

The judges ruled that there was no merit in the appeal made by Jacob Tiang Lee 
Yee, 46, who was found guilty of murdering his wife Ling Yung Ming, 14-year-old 
daughter Christine Tiang Soo Ai and 2-year-old son Victor Tang Soon Sheng; as 
well as the attempted murder of son Vincent Tiang Soon Thai, then 17 years old.

Tiang committed the offences at the family house at Pulau Li Hua on July 5, 
2013 between 6.20am and 9.50am.

On Nov 18, 2014, the High Court sentenced him to death for the 3 counts of 
murder.

For the charge of attempted murder, an offence under Section 307 of the Penal 
Code, Tiang was sentenced to 15 years behind bars.

(source: The Borneo Post)






IRAQ:

Iraq to hang 36 Isis jihadists for massacring 1,700 captives in Camp 
Speicher---Survivors say the militants told them they were going home, before 
the attack begun.


The Iraqi government will reportedly execute 36 Islamic State (Isis) fighters 
this week, as punishment for the notorious Camp Speicher massacre of 1,700 
soldiers. At least 1,566 people - comprised mostly of Shia military cadets and 
other soldiers - were gunned down near the former US Army base in Tikrit, on 12 
June 2014.

Iraqi president Fuad Masum approved the death penalty for the convicted men by 
mass hanging, despite protests from human rights groups. Forty of the 47 
defendants who were accused of involvement in the massacre were sentenced to 
death earlier in February 2016 at the central criminal court in Baghdad.

Isis (Daesh) captured former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's home town of 
Tikrit in June 2014 and subsequently published propaganda videos showing men 
being forced to lie in the dirt before being sprayed with bullets by jihadists.

Survivors of the massacre say they were rounded up for slaughter by the 
extremists divided into religious sects before being packed onto trucks and 
told they would be returned to their families. Instead they were taken to a 
nearby riverbank, executed with machine guns and buried in a shallow grave.

In April 2015 the city was retaken by Iraqi government forces and investigators 
uncovered mass graves containing the remains of the slain recruits before 
arresting dozens of people said to have taken part in the massacre.

Iraqi officials say approximately 604 militants believed to have taken part in 
the massacre were still at large. This week 36 of the 40 convicted will be 
executed Iraqi authorities confirmed.

Human rights groups have expressed concerns that some of those convicted were 
forced to confess under torture and some even denied even being in Tikrit at 
the time of the massacre.

There has been claims the trial did not take place according to international 
standards as lawyers believe they could not properly challenge the evidence 
during 2 separate trials. Activists also believe that the court and appeals 
processes has been inappropriately fast-tracked.

But the victims' families, who stormed the court and threw shoes and water 
bottles at the defendants, were happy with the president's decision. "We are 
pleased with the president's decision," Majid Ameen, the father of one of those 
killed, said according to the Times.

(source: ibtimes.co.uk)






BANGLADESH:

Man gets death penalty for murder in Chandpur


A Chandpur court has sentenced a 28-year-old man to death in a murder case 
filed in 2012.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Mamunur Rashid passed the 
order on Tuesday and also fined the convict Md Arif Mij by Tk 100,000.

According to the case details, Arif entered the house of Md Billal Hossain Miji 
and stabbed his son with a sharp weapon on the night of Aug 23, 2012.

The family discovered the body lying on floor the next morning.

Prosecutor Sayedul Islam Babu said Billal had filed a murder case with the 
local police the same day. Police pressed charges on Arif on Sep 30, 2012, 
according to bdnews24.com.

(source: thefinancialexpress-bd.com)

**********

Shafik Rehman: 81-year-old British journalist facing death penalty in 
Bangladesh 'could die within months'----Pro-opposition journalist accused of 
plotting to murder son of Prime Minister


An 81-year-old British journalist may die in a Bangladeshi jail before he has 
even been sentenced, his family have said.

Shafik Rehman's son Shumit told The Independent he did not expect his father to 
live to "see the year out".

The British-Bangladeshi journalist is accused of plotting to murder the son of 
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a crime that carries the death penalty.

Despite not yet being charged with any offence, he has now been detained for 4 
months.

A well-known former BBC journalist and talk-show host, Mr Rehman is the 3rd 
pro-opposition editor to be arrested in Bangladesh since 2013.

Both Mr Rehman and his wife were becoming physically ill because of the stress 
of his detention, Shumit said.

"Quite honestly, I'm not sure if either of them will see the year out," he 
said.

Mr Rehman has been receiving hospital treatment for chest pains since entering 
jail and is diabetic.

When Mr Rehman was first detained he was "sprightly", according to his son, but 
after a month of interrogation he needed a wheelchair. After four months of 
jail, Mr Rehman could only walk while holding onto someone, his son said. He 
feared his father may suffer a "natural death" in prison if he was not released 
soon.

Mr Rehman's 82-year-old wife is the only person allowed to see him, according 
to Shumit, and he is not allowed any telephone contact.

Appointments for Mr Rehman's bail hearing have previously been cancelled. The 
family say they have now been told there will be a hearing at the end of the 
month but have not been given a date.

"Sentencing is a long way off," Shumit said, before likening his father's 
situation to that of people held without charge at the infamous US-run 
detention centre in Cuba.

"The whole thing is a bit Guantanamo Bay," he said.

"It's much easier never to charge him and just hold him in jail."

Maya Foa, director of the death penalty team at Reprieve, a charity that has 
been working to free Mr Rehman, told The Independent: "Shafik Rehman has been 
put through a litany of injustices as 'punishment' for his journalism and his 
criticism of the government.

"First arrested by plainclothes officers posing as a TV crew, he's since been 
held in such terrible conditions that he needs hospital treatment.

(source: The Independent)






SCOTLAND:

On this day in 1963: Last man to be hanged in Scotland Henry John Burnett was 
the last man to be hanged in Scotland


John Burnett was just 21 years old when he was hanged at Craiginches Prison in 
Aberdeen, at 8am on August 15 1963. His crime was the murder of merchant seaman 
Thomas Guyan. Burnett had shot Guyan in the face with a shotgun, when lover 
Margaret Guyan had refused to leave the sailor for him.

Burnett was the sole inmate of Craiginches to die on the prison's gallows, and 
the last man to be executed in Scotland before Westminster abolished the death 
penalty.

Burnett had met Margaret Guyan, when they were working at John R Stephen Fish 
Curers in Aberdeen. window. Mrs Guyan later went to live with him at his home 
in the city's Skene Terrace.Burnett kept her locked in the house and on one of 
the rare occasions she was allowed out alone, she met her estranged husband 
Thomas Guyan, and agreed to go back to him.

When she refused to return to Burnett, he stole a shotgun from his brother's 
house and killed Mr Guyan on May 31 1963. During the trial, the 
solicitor-general spoke of the 'sordid background of a sailor's wife being 
unfaithful to her husband when he was at sea.'

6 days before his execution, Burnett wrote: "Well, my darling, you will be 
wondering why I did not kill you up in Skene Terrace.

"Well, it was because I loved you. I could easily have done it if I had wanted 
to, but what they were saying in court was a heap of rubbish about me being 
insane even at the time. "I knew exactly what I was doing."

Burnett's body was buried in an unmarked grave within the prison walls, but in 
August 2014 his remains were exhumed and taken to Aberdeen Crematorium, where a 
private ceremony was held.

(source: The Scotsman)