[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 19



PHILIPPINES:

Pacquiao deletes post about gays being 'put to death', repeats bible verse on 
interview


Boxer and Philippine congressman, Manny Pacquiao is in a middle of a massive 
scandal following statements saying that allowing same-sex marriage 'makes us 
worse than animals'.

Although he has already issued an apology for the ignorant comparison, Pacquiao 
was still defending his stance on same-sex relations by quoting bible verses on 
social media. One of these posts have since been deleted, with the Senatorial 
candidate quoting Leviticus 20:13 saying that homosexuals are 'to be put to 
death'.

Nothing really stays erased online, and unfortunately for the Filipino 
politician, even multiple mainstream media outlets in the Philippines have 
highlighted the deleted Instagram post.

The verses Pacquiao quoted states the following: "If a man has sexual relations 
with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. 
They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."

The boxer was in the same exact controversy in 2012, shortly after he became a 
bible preacher. An appearance in Los Angeles was cancelled because of it, but 
Pacquiao has vehemently denied quoting the very same Leviticus verse.

"I didn't say that, that's a lie," Pacquiao said back in 2012. "I don't know 
that quote from Leviticus because I haven't read the Book of Leviticus yet."

Once Pacquiao quoted the same exact verse in 2016, it seems like his camp tried 
to do some damage control. Unfortunately for them, not only did the erased 
instagram post still get highlighted on numerous outlets, Pacquiao repeated the 
same line on an interview that they obviously can't delete.

Speaking to DZMM after his initial apology, Pacquiao tried to explain that he 
wasn't "condemning" being homosexual, just the act of having sexual relations 
and getting married.

"Yes, it is detestable in God's eyes," Pacquiao said in Filipino. "If we just 
read the bible. I'll give you a few verses. If we believe God, if we believe 
the bible -- Leviticus 20:13, Leviticus 18:22, and 1st Corinthians 6:9."

"I don't believe that all LGBT are going to hell, what I'm saying is it's 'the 
act' (of having sexual relations with the same sex)," Pacquiao said when asked 
to elaborate. "They can be together without doing anything, without doing the 
disgusting act in front of God."

"Who am I to judge? I am also a sinner like all the ordinary people, but I'm 
telling the truth," he said. "We should follow what is written on the bible if 
we really believe God."

The Senatorial candidate also went on to say that he would support the death 
penalty, as it is "biblical".

(source: bloodyelbow.com)






IRAQ:

ISIS execute a 15-year-old boy by beheading after he is caught listening to 
western music in Iraq ---- Ayham Hussein caught listening to music at father's 
market store in Mosul


A teenage boy has been beheaded by ISIS for simply listening to Western music.

Ayham Hussein, 15, was arrested by militants after allegedly being caught 
enjoying pop tunes on a portable CD player in the group's Iraqi capital Mosul.

He was dragged before a Islamist kangaroo court which sentenced him death in a 
public execution.

A spokesman for the Nineveh media centre told ARA News: 'Ayham Hussein was 
captured by the jihadis while listening to pop music at the grocery store of 
his father in the Nabi Younis marketplace in western Mosul.'

His body was reportedly handed over to his family on Tuesday.

The execution, believed to be the first for listening to music in the city, has 
sparked outrage among locals.

The source added: 'There was no formal decision by the sharia court that bans 
listening to western music.'

ISIS has imposed its own sickening brand of medieval justice across swathes of 
territory in Iraq and Syria, executing prisoners for so-called 'crimes' such as 
blasphemy and being homosexual.

In a statement two years ago, the terror group also banned 'music and songs in 
cars, at parties, in shops and in public, as well as photographs of people in 
shop windows.'

It added: 'Songs and music are forbidden in Islam as they prevent one from the 
remembrance of God and the Koran and are a temptation and corruption of the 
heart.'

Earlier this week, it beheaded a captive in the Syrian stronghold of Raqqa with 
a 3-foot sword.

(source: Daily Mail)






THAILAND:

Court approves delay for Koh Tao appeal


A Thai court yesterday agreed to delay an appeal hearing for 2 Myanmar men 
sentenced to death for the murder of 2 British tourists. The hearing has been 
pushed back to March 24 at the defence team's request.

It is the 2nd time the defence has applied for and received an extension to 
give them more time to prepare their case.

U Sein Htay, chair of the Migrant Worker Rights Network, which has been 
assisting the defence team, said he did not think any further extensions would 
be needed.

"The appeal will be finished before the 2nd extension deadline," he said

He said the 2nd deferral was requested so that the team would have more time to 
translate some of the court documents from Thai into English so they can be 
reviewed by Western forensic analysts.

The case largely rests on hotly contested DNA evidence, which the Thai court 
ruled on December 24 proved the Myanmar defendants guilty beyond reasonable 
doubt. The defence has pored over nearly 4000 pages of court records and 
assembled more than 100 points to dispute.

"The extra time to prepare is allowing us to put together the strongest appeal 
that we can. We are trying our best for these 2 men," said U Sein Htay.

The defence team is collaborating with Australian DNA expert Jane Taupin to 
question the prosecutors' claim that forensic samples led to a 100 % match with 
the defendants.

Rakhine natives Ko Zaw Linn and Ko Wai Phyo were convicted and given the death 
penalty for the murders of 2 British backpackers on the Thai holiday island Koh 
Tao.

(source: Myanmar Times)






SOUTH KOREA:

S. Korea Top Court OKs Soldier's Death Penalty Over Rampage


South Korea's top court on Friday upheld a death penalty for a soldier 
convicted of killing five comrades in shooting and grenade attacks in a 
front-line army unit in 2014.

The verdict by the Supreme Court is final and cannot be appealed, a court 
official said, requesting anonymity because of department rules. The Defense 
Ministry said it confirmed the court's ruling.

The conscript, only identified by his surname Yim, had told investigators after 
his arrest that he assaulted fellow soldiers because he felt insulted by 
drawings they made of him. He had fled into the forest near the border with 
North Korea but was captured after a failed suicide attempt.

South Korean courts occasionally issue death sentences but the country has not 
executed anyone since December 1997. Yim has become the 61st person in South 
Korea on a death row, according to records from the Justice Ministry and the 
Defense Ministry.

South Korea requires all able-bodied men to serve in the military for about 2 
years in the face of a threat from North Korea. Shooting rampages by bullied 
soldiers in South Korean army barracks are not unusual. In 2005, another 
soldier went on a similar rampage and killed 8 colleagues in anger at superiors 
who he said verbally abused him. He too was sentenced to death.

Such rampages raised serious questions about the discipline and readiness of 
South Korea's military, which faces North Korean troops across the world's most 
heavily fortified border. Confrontations between the rivals deepened recently 
following the North's nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

(source: Associated Press)






INDONESIA:

Alleged Masterminds in Activist's Killing Could Face Death


35 suspects appeared in an East Java court Thursday to face charges related to 
the killing of a farmer and an attack on another farmer, both of whom were 
anti-sand mining activists.

2 of the suspects are local officials who allegedly masterminded the separate 
attacks. The pair could face the death penalty, if convicted.

The hearing into the murder of Salim Kancil, 52, and Tosan, 51, who survived a 
separate attack on the same day last September, took place at Surabaya District 
Court.

The farmers were activists who led protests against an illegal sand-mining 
operation in Lumajang, a regency about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of 
Surabaya. Both were from the village of Selok Awar-Awar in Pasirian, a 
sub-district of Lumanjang.

The alleged masterminds of the attacks, Hariyono and Madasir (alias Abdul 
Holek), face multiple counts. Hariyono was village leader of Selok Awar-Awar 
and Madasir was chairman of the Community Institution of the Village Forest.

Prosecutor M. Naimullah charged both men with formulating a murder plan, 
causing violence resulting in death, aggravated assault, and taking someone's 
life. Hariyono also faces charges related to illegal mining and money 
laundering, which carry a penalty of 20 years in prison.

Another 33 defendants appeared in two different courtrooms. Charges against 
them vary, depending on their alleged roles, but carry maximum penalties of 5 
to 7 years.

Electrocuted, beaten, stabbed

During the indictment Naimullah alleged that the defendants committed torture 
and premeditated murder, and these acts were carefully planned by Hariyono and 
Madasir because Salim wanted to protest sand mining by Hariyono.

Madasir threatened to kill Salim and Tosan if the sand mining operation were 
shut down, the prosecutor alleged.

Salim and Tosan reported the threats to the Lumajang and Pasirian police.

Not long afterward, at least a dozen men attacked Tosan at his home on Sept. 
26, running him over with a motorcycle. Thinking he was dead, the attackers 
left him in the middle of the road.

They then went to Salim's house, where he was beaten. Then they took him to the 
village hall, where he was allegedly electrocuted, beaten again and stabbed to 
death.

Salim's body was left on the street, face down with his hands tied behind his 
back, according to the indictment.

"They (the defendants) have undergone detention since 3 months ago. It is still 
an indictment," said Ade Erwiyanto, Haryono's defense attorney, adding, "There 
will be direct evidence by calling witnesses."

Another prosecutor, Dodi Emil Gazali told the court that Hariyono began mining 
the sand in Watu Pecak, an area on the coast, without a permit on the pretext 
of developing coastal tourism.

Haryono sold the sand for Rp 270,000 (U.S. $200) per truck, and sold an average 
of 150 truckloads per day, which equaled more than Rp 40 million (U.S. 
$30,000), Dodi said.

Chief Judge Jihad Alkharuddin adjourned the trial till next Thursday, when 
witness testimony is set to begin.

Some of the witnesses, who fear for their lives, have been placed into an 
Indonesian witness and victim protection program.

'No response' As the hearing took place, outside the courthouse dozens of 
activists from a conservation group staged a demonstration highlighting the 
detrimental effects of illegal sand mining in Lumajang.

Salim had voiced concerns about the process to local authorities and lawmakers 
but to no avail, said Ony Mahardika, director of the East Java Forum for the 
Environment (WALHI) group.

An investigation by WALHI determined that hundreds of people were involved in 
the illegal mining, he said.

"Salim also sent a letter to the parliament leaders and to the district head of 
Lumajang to oppose the mining. But there was no response. He was instead 
intimidated and threatened with violence," Ony said.

(source: Benar News)






IRAN:

5 Ahwazi Arab Men in Danger of Execution


The fate of 5 Ahwazi Arab men has been predetermined by Farhad Afsharnia, the 
head of Judiciary in the Khuzestan province of Iran, prior to a trial or 
verdict.

Afsharnia tells Iranian official sources, including Mehr News and IRNA, that he 
predicts the prisoners will be hanged to death in public. However, Afsharnia 
admits they have not been issued sentences for the alleged crime of killing 
Iranian security agents by gunfire. According to Afsharnia, the men were 
arrested at a checkpoint in a vilage in the city of Hamidyeh (Khuzestan 
province).

Ahwazi human rights groups have identified the prisoners as Gheys Abidavi, 
Hamoud Abidavi, Mohammad Halafi, Mehdi Moarabi and Mehdi Siahi. According to 
Ahwaz Human Rights Organization, the men were subjected to brutal torture and 
were forced to give confessions which Iranian authorities aired on Press TV.

Iran state news agencies list the alleged crimes the men have been accused of 
as moharebeh, corruption on earth, and active membership in a terrorist group. 
Iranian intelligence agents claim that on April 2 2015, the 5 Ahwazi Arab men 
shot bullets at a tent containing Iranian security guards inside, resulting in 
the death of 3 of them.

Iran Human Rights is fundamentally opposed to the death penalty and condemns 
sentencing the 5 Ahwazi Arab men to death. IHR calls for the case of these men 
to be investigated in a fair and open trial, with the presence of their lawyers 
and indepedendent media.

"These 5 men along with other individuals who are faced with security charges 
have not received a fair trial and their scheduled executions by Iranian 
authorities are meant to spread fear in the society. We ask the international 
community, especially European governments, to place pressure on Iranian 
authorities in order to stop these executions and also help improve the human 
rights situation, primarly in Iran's ethnic regions," says Mahmood 
Amiry-Moghaddam, spokesperson for Iran Human Rights.

(source: Iran Human Rights)

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

Moharebeh Executions in 2015


Article 183 of the Islamic Penal Code defines moharebeh as the use of "weapons 
to cause terror and fear or to breach public security and freedom." In 
practice, many defendants in moharebeh cases are deprived of access to an 
attorney.

Testimony from hundreds of former defendants in Iran???s system of 
Revolutionary Courts, where moharebeh cases are prosecuted, confirms that guilt 
and sentencing in such cases is typically determined by Iran's Ministry of 
Intelligence before the trials even start.

In previous years, political prisoners known for peaceful activism have been 
executed on charges of moharebeh. The 21 cases reported last year represent a 
relative increase over previous years. Although the Iranian judiciary rarely 
shares the unvarnished details of these cases with the public, it is clear that 
several members of political parties based in Iran's Kurdish region were among 
those executed for moharebeh in 2015.

(source: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center)






MALAYSIA:

Man charged with Syabu trafficking


A 44-year-old local was charged in the High Court here Thursday with 
trafficking 71.03gm of syabu.

Ibrahim Tabarak pleaded not guilty before Judge Ravinthran N. Paramaguru to 
committing the offence at 5.10pm on Sept 1, 2015 at the ferry terminal in 
Labuan.

He was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which 
carries the death penalty on conviction.

The court set May 9-13 for trial in Labuan and March 30 for case management.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali prosecuted while 
Ibrahim was represented by counsel Ram Singh, Timothy Daut and YS Lo.

Meanwhile, in the Magistrate's Court, 4 people were jailed for committing 
various drug-related offences.

Akmad Syah, who pleaded guilty before Magistrate Cindy Mc Juce Balitus to 
having 1.7gm of syabu on Jan 11, was jailed 17 months.

Nisbah Abu Jain was jailed 6 months for having 0.04gm of syabu on Dec 4, last 
year at Sinsuran, here.

Ridzuan Abdul and Sherah Salleh, who admitted to taking drugs on Jan 11, were 
jailed 5 months and 4 months respectively. Inspector Isfandiar Jasdi 
prosecuted.

(source: Daily Express)

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

35-Year-old Labuan Man Caught With More Than 350 Gm Of Syabu


A 35- year-old local man here is likely to face the death penalty for 
involvement in trafficking 353.27 gm of syabu with a street value of RM38,500.

The man was nabbed by a police anti-narcotics team who raided the suspect's 
house at Rancha-Rancha after a public tip-off around 11.30 pm on Feb 16.

"There was a scuffle between our anti-narcotics personnel and the suspect, who 
sustained some injuries. He was caught with a package containing 7 plastic 
packets of the drug," Labuan police chief Supt Adzhar Othman told reporters 
Friday.

He said the man who also tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine 
was being remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which 
allows for detention of a suspect for more than 24 hours to enable police to 
complete their investigation.

"Under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, drug traffickers caught with 
synthetic narcotics weighing more than 50 grams faces the mandatory death 
sentence if convicted," Adzhar said.

(source: Bernama)