[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Aug. 23




CHINA:

Organ harvesting rumors "insult" to transplant professionals: Chinese expert


Wild speculation that 100,000 transplants were performed per year using organs 
from executed prisoners is an insult to the intelligence of transplant 
professionals and to the sacrifice of the donors and their families in China, a 
Chinese expert said on Monday.

Speaking at a plenary session of the 26th International Congress of the 
Transplantation Society, Huang Jiefu, director of China's National Organ 
Donation and Transplantation Committee and former vice minister in the Chinese 
Ministry of Health, said the country performed 10,057 organ transplants last 
year, around 8.38 % of the global total.

The number matches China's use of immunosuppressive agents, a must-have drug 
for patients after their transplant surgeries. China accounted for some 8 % of 
the global immunosuppressant market, he said.

Introducing China's decade-long organ donation reform to the audience, Huang 
said the transition of organ source from death-row inmates to the voluntary 
community-based organ donation has been realized and an ethical preliminary 
national organ donation and transplantation system established, adding the 
country's progress has been recognized by the international society.

In 2015, 2,766 cases of organ donation after the death of citizens were 
recorded, more than the total number in year 2013 and 2014 combined. In the 
first 7 months of 2016, 2152 cases were recorded, 49.2 % up from the same 
period last year, with predictions for the whole year at about 4,000.

Huang reiterated that starting from Jan. 1, 2015, death penalty prisoner's 
organs are not allowed to be used under any circumstances, and community-based 
Chinese citizen organ donation has become the only legitimate source of 
transplantable organs in China.

Since 2007, China has cracked down on 32 unlawful intermediaries, arrested 158 
criminal suspects, investigated 17 medical institutions with 44 medical staff 
involved and their medical licenses revoked, and 13 black-market dens have been 
eradicated, he said, calling on the international audience to report any 
illegal activity, in a show of resolve from the Chinese government.

Meanwhile, he admitted that the achievement of China's transplant reform is 
only preliminary, and is only the first step of a long journey, with formidable 
tasks ahead.

However, political commitment of China's leadership, public support and 
dedication of the medical staff, as well as traditional virtues of the Chinese 
nation, are sources of confidence for promoters of the reform, he said.

Statistics show that China now has the most organ donations per year in Asia 
and the 3rd highest number globally. In addition, it is performing the second 
highest number of organ transplants in the world per year after the United 
States.

The Transplantation Society is a non-governmental organization which serves as 
an international forum for the world-wide advancement of organ transplantation, 
with over 6,700 members composed of professionals with an active interest in 
basic science, clinical research and/or improving clinical practice in the 
field of transplantation.

A biennial congress of the TTS is held every 2 years grouping together over 
5,000 participants. This year's congress is held in Hong Kong from Aug. 18 to 
23, the 1st time the congress is held in China.

(source: Shanghai Daily)






MALAYSIA:

Penalty in Lahad Datu case too light, says A-G


The Attorney-General's Chambers is pressing for the death penalty against the 
nine Filipinos sentenced to life imprisonment for the armed intrusion into 
Lahad Datu, Sabah.

It has filed an appeal against the decision by the Kota Kinabalu High Court to 
jail the men over the February 2013 invasion that resulted in a military 
conflict and 72 deaths.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said the punishment meted out by 
the judge, Justice Stephen Chung, did not fit the crime.

"The law provides the death sentence for the offence, so we will appeal," he 
said after opening the annual prosecutors conference here yesterday. He said 
the convicted men should get death, "or at least, their leader should".

Chung sentenced the Filipinos on July 26 after finding them guilty of waging 
war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. During the incursion by about 235 
militants, which lasted till March 24 that year, 56 militants, 6 civilians and 
10 Malaysian security forces personnel were killed.

(source: thestar.com.my)






IRAQ:

Iraq Executes 36 Militants Over Camp Speicher Massacre in Tikrit


The execution of 36 individuals found guilty of taking part in the massacre of 
over a thousand of soldiers in 2014 would just perpetuate the vicious cycle of 
violence in the country, a human rights group said Monday in a statement.

On Sunday, Iraqi Justice Minister Haidar Zamili said that the Iraqi authorities 
had hung 36 people over the 2014 massacre of as many as 1,700 military recruits 
at Camp Speicher near the city of Tikrit.

"These mass executions mark a chilling increase in Iraq's use of the death 
penalty... Relying on executions to counter Iraq's security challenges is 
completely misguided. It does not address the root causes of deadly attacks and 
will only serve to perpetuate the cycle of violence. The death penalty is the 
ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and there is no credible 
evidence that shows it serves as more of a deterrent to crime than a prison 
term," Lynn Maalouf, the deputy director for Research at Amnesty 
International's Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, was quoted as 
saying in the group's statement.

She reiterated Amnesty International's call for justice for the atrocities 
committed by the Daesh terror group, but pointed out that death penalties after 
confessions given under torture was not an appropriate form of justice.

"However, executing men who were forced to 'confess' under torture and were not 
given a proper chance to defend themselves is not justice," Maalouf said.

Amnesty International called on Iraq to introduce a moratorium on the death 
penalty immediately and remove capital punishment from the country's 
legislation.

The men, sentenced to death in February, allegedly took part in the Camp 
Speicher attack carried out by the Daesh group, banned in many countries 
including Russia.

(source: Sputnik News)






IRAN:

4500 prisoners on death row


In an interview with the government-run news agency, ILNA, on August 21, 
Rouhullah Hazratpoor, a member of the Justice and Legal Commission in the 
Iranian Parliament said: "At the moment there are 4500 people who have been 
sentenced to death."

He added that the constant stream of arrests does not serve as a deterrent to 
crime. He argued that rising unemployment and other negative social factors 
were creating a revolving door prison system and that a solution must be found.

Hazratpoor said: "Right now we are in a defective cycle of crime: a criminal is 
arrested, sometimes they are freed and they commit crimes again. The truth [is 
that] repeated crimes are the results of unemployment."

According to Amnesty International, Iran is the world leader in executions per 
capita and executed nearly 1000 people in 2015.

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

Halt executions in Iran, I hate capital punishment


The mother of Reyhaneh Jabbari, Shole Pakravan, on her Facebook page, posted a 
text about her travel to Kurdistan and her visit to the families of Sunni 
prisoners who were executed. The following is the summarized text she posted:

"I hate capital punishment. Execution is disgusting regardless of any charge. 
There are a thousand reasons for such hatred. I would like to tell one of 
those.

It was an opportunity to travel with Shahnaz. We took the bus in an hour and 
traveled to a land that mourns its martyrs who sacrificed their lives and left 
without a farewell. The hours were passing .Shahnaz and I were gazing at the 
dark and spiral road. Sometimes things would have crossed our mind to mention. 
Shahnaz talked about Mostafa's head which was covered with blood and I told her 
about the closed eyes and lips of Reyhane. We cried as well. The eyes of Mahnaz 
became bloodshot red. She told about Mustafa's pierced skull that was dipped in 
the blood. My body got numb; like Reyhaneh's as I had hugged her beside a deep 
pit. We arrived at the terminal around 3 PM. The brother; sister and the wife 
of a man, who was executed, were waiting for us.

In a couple of hours, we visited the mother of two prisoners who were executed. 
Here is Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, the home of Bahram and Shahram. I am 
sitting on the ground while listening to the stories of these family members. 
They explain to me about what has happened to them in these seven years. I 
would like to know how did they spend the time while traveling from Sanandaj to 
Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery (located in the southern part of Tehran).What scenes 
did they see and what words did they hear? How did they come back from Tehran 
and how were they feeling? How did they face the situation when the brutal 
agents bumped into them while preventing them from holding any funeral 
ceremony? I would hear the heartbreaking cry of an old woman who is holding her 
children's photos in her hand. She is crying out the name of Shahram loudly.

The father brought the picture frames of his 2 young sons. Bahram was born in 
1990. He was executed 4 years ago while he could not even visit or hug his 
family and loved ones in the dirty visitation cabins. Before the execution, he 
granted all pieces of his stuff to the other prisoners as well as his brother. 
Those were the gifts to others from a denounced person. Bahram's family had not 
yet recovered from those laments long enough that Shahram was also executed. He 
was born in 1987.He was executed without bidding a farewell to his family. He 
was going to be executed with his ward fellows while his lips were sealed and 
his feet were cuffed. Nobody knows what has happened to him. During the burial 
ceremony, a black stamp was marked on his shoulder. The baton had left the 
bruised marks on his body. During the ceremony, they could not see his hands 
and feet. Shahram's supplies were seized and looted.

While visiting other families, my heart ached heavily; not for the fathers and 
sons but for the mothers, wives and the children who are abandoned. I saw a 
girl whose situation was matched with Reyhaneh's description. Two years ago, 
she said to me:"Mother! This happening taught me lessons. Before, I did not 
know that there are little girls who are deprived of seeing or hugging their 
mother."

(source for both: NCR-Iran)



SUDAN:

Sudanese clergyman appear in court accused of capital crimes


2 Christian pastors and another man appeared in a Sudanese court on Sunday 
accused of at least 7 crimes including waging war against the state and 
espionage, both of which carry the death penalty, according to Christian 
Solidarity Worldwide.

The UK-based religious freedom advocacy reported that Rev Hassan Abduraheem, a 
senior minister and vice moderator of the Sudan Church of Christ, Rev Kuwa 
Shamal, a senior minister and head of the Sudan Church of Christ missions 
committee, and Abdulmonem Abdumawla were presented with the evidence against 
them during a four hour hearing.

Morning Star News reports that Rev Abduraheem denied all charges against him 
and quote a relative of one of the men as saying there is no evidence against 
him. They also quoted a defence attorney who said the defence team was "100 % 
ready to defend our clients".

Several church leaders were permitted access to the court which outside the 
courthouse about 100 Christians from Khartoum, representing various 
denominations, gathered to sing hymns.

Rev Abduraheem and Mr Abdumawla have been detained since December last year 
while Rev Shamal has been held since May 2016. CSW said the case against Rev 
Abduraheem and Mr Abdumawla revolves around a request for assistance with 
medical costs from a Darfuri man, named as Ali Omer, who was left with severe 
burns after he was injured during a demonstration at a university. Mr 
Abdumawla, a friend of the man, apparently began collecting funds for his 
medical treatment including from Rev Abduraheem. CSW added that the case 
against Rev Shamal appeared to be related to his friendship with Rev Abduraheem 
and his senior position in the Sudan Church of Christ.

Concerns have been raised about the men's reported lack of access to their 
lawyer after being transferred to Al-Huda Prison earlier this month. CSW 
reports that there are also concerns surrounding the transport of the men from 
prison to court hearings, particularly after they failed to appear at the first 
hearing last week.

Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of CSW, said it is "wholly unacceptable" that 
the trial has proceeded given that the defendants "have had limited access to 
their legal team".

He called on the Sudanese Government "to ensure that the trial is conducted 
with respect to 'fair trial principles', which includes, at the minimum, 
ensuring that the men have regular access to legal representatives and family 
members, and are present at every hearing".

"We are also deeply concerned by the use of serious criminal charges against 
Reverend Abduraheem and Mr Abdumawla simply for seeking to assist with medical 
expenses, and against Reverend Shamal merely for being a Christian and a friend 
of Reverend Abdulraheem," Mr Thomas said.

"We urge the government to end the harassment and targeting of religious and 
ethnic minorities by the security services, and to uphold the civil rights of 
all Sudanese citizens."

Morning Star News also reports that the court appears to be trying to package 
the case of Omer and the two pastors together with that of a fourth defendant, 
52-year-old Petr Jasek, a Christian from the Czech Republic whom NISS accuses 
of entering the country illegally in October of last year, espionage and 
tarnishing the country's image with reports saying Christians in Sudan are 
being persecuted.

(source: sightmagazine.com.au)






ST KITTS & NEVIS:

Senior Counsel Astaphan: Hanging Permitted In Exceptional Cases


The government's intention to hang convicted murderers may not be easy to 
implement because of a Privy Council ruling against the mandatory death 
penalty.

That's the view of Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan.

The Dominican attorney says however, that there are instances when capital 
punishment will be allowed by the courts.

"Having gone through the process of fighting the constitutionality of the 
sentence all the way to the Privy Council, I clearly reject the mandatory 
sentence of death. I clearly reject the death sentence as a form of deterrence 
because it simply doesn't work, but are there extraordinary circumstances in 
which a judge may think that he has no alternative but to impose the sentence 
of death, I don't see why not."

In the wake of a growing number of homicides - more than 20 so far for the 
year, Prime Minister Timothy Harris warned those responsible that they could 
face the possibility of being hanged if convicted.

"Let it be clear, we are not going to be heartless, but the law is the law and 
we will say that once the court gives us the hanging judgement they shall be 
hanged."

Astaphan rejects the argument that the death penalty can serve as a deterrent.

"Well that sounds like executing the death sentence simply as a means of 
creating a deterrent, it's a very difficult decision for a government to make. 
I have never forgotten the way I felt and others felt when the sentence of 
death was carried out, it was a very an extraordinary day. I think it is all 
dependent on the facts, I think in the exceptional circumstances as held by the 
court of appeal for extreme, rare and exceptional circumstances, the death 
penalty was not considered cruel and unusual punishment, the mandatory sentence 
of death was."

(source: WINN news)






BANGLADESH:

6 get death penalty for 2013 gang-rape, video of Bangladesh apparel worker


A Narsinghdi court has sentenced 6 men to death for gang-raping and taking 
videos of the brutalisation of a female worker 3 years ago.

Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal judge Shamim Ahmed on Tuesday 
delivered the verdict in the presence of the convicts.

The convicts are Ashikur Rahman, 'Ilias', 'Rumin', 'Robin', 'Ibrahim' and Abdur 
Rahman.

The court also fined each of them Tk 100,000.

According to case details, the 20-year-old woman, who worked at Pran RFL 
Company, was attacked by the 6 on May 23 afternoon in 2013 when she was going 
home.

They whisked her away from in front of Janata Jute Mill and took her to a 
secluded place. There all of them took turns to rape her while taking videos of 
the brutal assault on their mobile phones. They released her afterwards.

The woman informed her company's Assistant Manager ASM Sadekul Islam about the 
rape the next day and started the case at Polash Police Station afterwards.

Sub-Inspector Biplab Kumar Dutta pressed charges in court against the 6 on Aug 
15 that year.

(source: bdnews24.com)