[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

Sat Aug 27 07:19:10 CDT 2016

Aug. 27

IRAN:

Death penalty failing to deter drug trafficking in Iran -official

The death penalty has failed to reduce drug trafficking in Iran, a senior 
Iranian judiciary official said on Saturday shortly before the scheduled 
execution of 12 people for narcotics-related offences.

His criticism was unusual in a judiciary that has long been a bastion of the 
hardline security establishment in the Islamic Republic, which carries out more 
executions per capita than any other country. Nearly 1,000 prisoner were put to 
death in 2015, most of them for drug trafficking.

Most narcotics are smuggled into Iran along its long, often lawless border with 
Afghanistan, which supplies about 90 percent of the world's opium from which 
heroin is made.

"The truth is, the execution of drug smugglers has had no deterrent effect," 
Mohammad Baqer Olfat, deputy head of judiciary for social affairs, was quoted 
as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

"We have fought full-force against smugglers according to the law, but 
unfortunately we are experiencing an increase in the volume of drugs trafficked 
to Iran, the transit of drugs through the country, the variety of drugs, and 
the number of people who are involved in it," Olfat said.

He said he had suggested to the judiciary chief that rather than the death 
penalty, traffickers should serve long prison terms with hard labour.

Mohammad-Javad Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Human Rights Council and a 
brother of the powerful judiciary chief, said in 2015 that more than 90 % of 
executions in the country were for drug-related crimes.

He said the death penalty has not led to a significant fall in drug-related 
crimes and that the policy must be re-evaluated.

The Islamic Republic seized 388 tonnes of opium in 2012, around 72 % of all 
such seizures globally, but says it has lost many security personnel in 
skirmishes with drug traffickers in volatile regions bordering Afghanistan and 
also Pakistan.

The United Nations has repeatedly praised Iran's battle against narcotics 
trafficking but opposed its death penalty.

The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Iran urged Tehran on 
Friday to halt the execution of 12 people on drug-related offences scheduled 
for Saturday.

"It is regrettable that the (Iranian) government continues to proceed with 
executions for crimes that do not meet the threshold of the 'most serious 
crimes' as required by international law," Ahmed Shaheed said in a statement.

Given Iran's large number of executions, some countries including Britain and 
Denmark have stopped providing funding for the United Nations drug control 
programme in Iran.

(source: Reuters)

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

This morning 12 individuals were executed by Iran regime

Despite repeated calls from UN expert and Special Rapporteur on Iran Human 
Rights. Mr. Ahmed Shaheed to halt these executions, today 12 individuals were 
executed in Gohardasht (Rajai-Shahr) Prison in Karaj, north-west of Tehran.

Families of the prisoners who rallied in front of prison yesterday, also were 
urging Iran regime to halt the executions.

"It is regrettable that the Government continues to proceed with executions for 
crimes that do not meet the threshold of the 'most serious crimes' as required 
by international law, especially the International Covenant on Civil and 
Political Rights, to which Iran is State party. It is also troubling that 
courts continue to issue death sentences in trials that not only breach 
international fair trial standards but even domestic due process guarantees," 
Mr. Shaheed stressed.

The Special Rapporteur renewed his call on the Government of Iran to 
immediately institute a moratorium on executions and to restrict use of the 
death penalty for the "most serious crimes" (i.e. intentional killings). He 
also repeated his calls on the Iranian authorities to adhere to international 
standards guaranteeing fair trial and due process for those facing the death 
penalty.

The names of 9 out of 12 individual who were executed are as follows:

Alireza Madadpour, Bahman Rezai, Arman Bahrami, Alireza Asadi, Mohsen Eslami, 
Hosein Bayrami (transferred from Ghezelhesar prison) Mehdi Rostami, Amir and 
ALireza Sarkhah.

(source: NCR-Iran)

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

Urgent: At Least 10 Prisoners in Imminent Danger of Execution for Drug Offences

At least 10 prisoners in Karaj Central Prison (west of Tehran) have been 
transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for their executions. The 
prisoners were reportedly able to have visits with their families for the last 
time. According to close sources, the prisoners were transferred on the morning 
of Wednesday August 24 and are all sentenced to death for drug related 
offences. Their execution sentences are reportedly scheduled to be carried out 
on the morning of Saturday August 27 at this prison.

Iran Human Rights is aware of the names of 5 of the 10 prisoners: Ali Asadi, 
Alireza Madadpour, Mohsen Eslami, Bahman Rezaie, and Arman Bahrami. A relative 
of 1 of the prisoners tells Iran Human Rights: "At least 10 prisoners were 
transferred to solitary confinement, but prison authorities say that 4 of these 
prisoners have received stay of execution orders, but they have not identified 
which prisoners."

Karaj Central Prison is a detention centre attached to Ghezel Hesar Prison. 
According to the Prisons Organization division, suspects who are convicted in 
courts located in Karaj are held in the central prison. There have been 
previous cases where death row prisoners held in Karaj Central Prison were 
transferred to Ghezel Hesar Prison for execution.

UN EXPERT CALLS ON IRAN AUTHORITIES TO HALT EXECUTIONS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY

In a statement released on Friday August 26, Ahmed Shaheed, the United Nations 
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, urged Iranian 
authorities to immediately halt the execution of Alireza Madadpour and the 
other individuals who were transferred to solitary confinement in Karaj Central 
Prison on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Mr. Madadpour was "tried by the Revolutionary Court 
in Karaj on 17 July 2012, after being arrested the previous November when 990 
grams of crystal meth were found during a raid on a house he cleaned. Mr. 
Madadpour's state-appointed defence lawyer never met him and the trial lasted 
20 minutes. Mr. Madadpour's request for pardon and retrial were not granted".

"It is regrettable that the Government continues to proceed with executions for 
crimes that do not meet the threshold of the 'most serious crimes' as required 
by international law, especially the International Covenant on Civil and 
Political Rights, to which Iran is State party. It is also troubling that 
courts continue to issue death sentences in trials that not only breach 
international fair trial standards but even domestic due process guarantees," 
says Ahmed Shaheed in the statement.

The UN Special Rapporteur also renewed calls on Iranian authorities to issue a 
moratorium on executions and to "restrict use of the death penalty for the most 
serious crimes (i.e. intentional killings)".

(source: Iran Human Rights)

SINGAPORE:

Nathan grants zero presidential pardon during his 2 terms

S R Nathan, the longest serving president from 1999 to 2011 did not grant 
clemency to any death row inmates during his 2 terms as President.

This is according to the Singapore Working Group on the Death Penalty (SWGDP) 
in itsstatement issued on the 13th World Day Against the Death Penalty last 
October.

SWGDP stated, "Since Singapore's independence, only 7 clemencies have been 
granted (as at Oct 2015), with the last being exercised by the late President 
Ong Teng Cheong."

It went on to reveal that of the 7 clemencies, 2 were granted in the term of 
President Benjamin Sheares, 1 under President Devan Nair, 3 under President Wee 
Kim Wee, and 1 under President Ong Teng Cheong.

Presidential clemencies granted by past Presidents:

-- Benjamin Sheares (1971-1981): 2 in 10 years

-- Devan Nair (1981-1985): 1 in 4 years

-- Wee Kim Wee (1985 -1993): 3 in 8 years

-- Ong Teng Cheong (1993-1999): 1 in 6 years

-- S R Nathan (1999 - 2011): 0 in 12 years

The SWGDP is an advocacy group in Singapore which believes in giving convicted 
people a 2nd chance to live. It advocates for the abolishment of the death 
penalty in Singapore as well as commits to raising awareness on issues 
surrounding the death penalty.

On its website, it said:

Although we believe that everyone needs to take the responsibility for his or 
her mistakes and that no crime should go unpunished, we also believe that 
unjust and problematic laws and procedures need to be debated and revised.

The death penalty is an irreversible punishment at the end of a process that is 
prone to human error, which means that it is all too possible that innocent 
lives will be taken away. And that is something that should not be allowed to 
happen.

As at Oct 2015, the last clemency was granted by the late president Ong Teng 
Cheong in May 1998. He commuted Mr Mathavakannan Kalimuthu's death sentence to 
life imprisonment. He was 19 when he and 2 other men killed a gangster in 1996.

'I have to ask the man up there to forgive me'

After Nathan stepped down as President in 2011, he gave an interview to the 
media. During the interview, he was asked about granting presidential pardons 
during his 12-year term in office. He was asked if he found it difficult.

"The constitution clearly lays it down that I have to act on the advice of the 
cabinet, and the cabinet acts on the advice of the Attorney-General," he said.

"You have a right to question it... through the process, you determine whether 
all the facts have been taken into account, whether there's anything that needs 
special consideration." Upon further probing by a reporter from Yahoo, Nathan 
finally said, "Of course it's a difficult thing when it comes to the death 
penalty. It's a matter of conscience. That's the law... and you do your best to 
see that there is justice done."

"You are in no position to contradict the submission when you have not heard 
the case," he continued. "You can't purely go on human emotions."

"I have to ask the man up there to forgive me for what is done for the good of 
society."

(source: The Independent)

PAKISTAN:

Higher court could help Pakistani Christian

The Christian mother sentenced to death for allegedly committing blasphemy 
should know in several weeks whether she will avoid execution in Pakistan.

Pakistan's supreme court has announced it will hear Asia Bibi's appeal during 
the second week of October. She has has been imprisoned on death row for 6 
years.

William Stark with International Christian Concern says in his experience in 
blasphemy cases with religious minorities, the higher up you go in the court 
system the more likely you will have the case decided by the merits.

He tells OneNewsNow the court system at the lower levels are very susceptible 
to outside pressures from radicals.

"Our hope is that at the Supreme Court level there will be enough insulation 
away from the radicals, and the threats that those radicals present, for them 
actually to decide the case on the merits," he says. "If the case is actually 
decided on the merits, I do fully believe she will be acquitted."

Stark believes Bibi's case could have a positive effect on other prisoners who 
are being falsely accused of blasphemy.

"If Asia can get out, who is the highest profile case of all, that could 
provide a little bit of hope to these families and these other individuals that 
are currently in prison," he predicts.

This could be the last chance to avoid execution although if the death penalty 
is confirmed by the Supreme Court, she could seek a presidential pardon.

Stark says Bibi and her family need to be remembered in prayer and that the 
prayers need to continue even if she is acquitted.

"She and her family are going to have to leave Pakistan immediately," he warns, 
"because there are people in Pakistan that do believe that she is a blasphemer 
and that because of that it is their duty to kill her."

(source: onenewsnow.com)