[Deathpenalty] death penalty news---worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

June 17



VIETNAM:

2 Lao men arrested for trafficking 35 kilos of opium into Vietnam


Vietnamese border guards and Laos authorities conducted a joint operation on 
Wednesday and arrested 2 Lao men who were trafficking 35 kilograms of opium 
into Vietnam.

Bua Thoong, 38, and Bua May, 35, were stopped while they were riding 2 
motorbikes, trying to cross the border from Houaphan Province to enter Vietnam.

The drugs were found inside their bamboo baskets.

Officials said this was the one of the biggest drug busts in the area.

Vietnam has some of the world???s toughest drug laws. Those convicted of 
possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 
kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty.

The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal 
narcotics is also punishable by death.

(source: Thanh Nien News)






INDIA:

Court says Gulberg massacre 'darkest day' in history of civil society; but 
rejects death penalty demand for 24 convicts


The prosecution had argued that all the 24 convicts should be given death 
penalty, however the court rejected the demand.

Calling the Gulberg massacre as the "darkest day" in the history of civil 
society, a special SIT court here on Friday sentenced 11 convicts to life 
imprisonment in the case of burning alive 69 people, including former Congress 
MP Eshan Jafri in the 2002 post-Godhra violence.

Rejecting the demand for death sentence for all the convicts, the court said 
life imprisonment for the 11 will be till death if the state does not exercise 
power to remit the sentence.

The court awarded a 10-year jail term to one of the 13 convicted for lesser 
offences while 12 others have been given seven-year sentence each. The 
prosecution had argued that all the 24 convicts should be given death penalty.

While describing the massacre as the darkest day in the history of civil 
society, Special court Judge P B Desai refused death penalty saying, "If you 
look at all aspects, no previous antecedent has been placed on record".

Post the incident, 90% of the accused were released on bail, yet no complaints 
against them have been given even by victims, and there is no record to show 
that they committed any offence during the time of bail, the judge further 
said, while giving reasons why he thought that this was not a fit case to give 
capital punishment to the convicts.

The court said it has decided to award imprisonment for life without any time 
frame to 11 accused, who have been convicted for murder, while requesting the 
state not to use its power to remit the sentence after 14 years of 
imprisonment.

"CrPC provisions give power to the state to remit sentence after 14 years jail, 
section 433-A imposes some restriction on that power. In case the state does 
not exercise power to remit the sentence, life imprisonment will mean that it 
is till death," the court said.

"I cannot add beyond what has been prescribed under section 302, it is not 
necessary for a state to exercise power to remit sentence, state may not 
exercise power of remittance," the judge said, adding the court's direction 
cannot be binding as he cannot take away the executive powers of the state.

As regards the 13 others accused convicted for lesser offences not including 
murder (302), the court awarded 10 years imprisonment to one Mangilal Jain, 
while 12 others were awarded 7-year sentence each.

The Gulberg Society massacre, which took place here on February 28, 2002 when 
Narendra Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister, shook the nation when a mob of 
400 people set about attacking the society in the heart of Ahmedabad and killed 
the residents including Jafri.

It was 1 of the 9 cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the Supreme 
Court-appointed SIT.

(source: dnaindia.com)






SAUDI ARABIA:

2 Saudis sentenced to death for planning to hijack plane


2 Saudi nationals have been sentenced to death for planning to hijack a plane 
and their involvement in terror crimes.

The Criminal Court in Riyadh convicted the two terrorists and handed to them 
the death penalty for the 2nd time.

They had been sentenced to capital punishment at first but the Saudi High Court 
overruled the verdict and sent the case back to the Criminal Court to be tried 
anew.

The court convicted them of perpetrated a spate of terror crimes, joining a 
terrorist group, resisting the armed forces and firing 60 bullets at policemen 
in an attempt to murder them.

The court has also indicted one of them of planning to hijack a plane, having a 
background in aviation.

(source: gdnonlince.com)



PHILIPPINES:

New lawyers weigh in on restoring death penalty


The law profession is one of prestige and honor.

It's a feat to become legal counsel - from the rigors of law school, keeping up 
with the costs, and passing the bar exams.

Something that Roy Lawagan of Baguio City went through.

Lawagan said he entered law school upon the wishes of his parents - but added 
that he eventually took a liking for the course.

Later, he said he found out that it was not that easy.

He's a law student in the afternoon, and a security guard at night so that he 
could fend for his family.

He related there were times he wasn't able to catch up on his reading.

"During recitation, I would be called and would fumble for an answer."

Lawagan's message to those aspiring to take up law but with limited resources: 
Keep on holding to your dreams but it should be coupled with sacrifice so you 
could turn it into reality.

26 % of over 6,000 students passed the 2015 bar exams.

They are now full-fledged lawyers - after taking their oath at the Philippine 
International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on Thursday.

They begin their new journey with controversial issues facing the legal 
profession.

Among them, President-elect Duterte's call to restore the death penalty.

Lawagan himself is for capital punishment - saying it would deter heinous 
crimes.

Bar exam second placer Athena Plaza is supporting Duterte as well - saying she 
would back up the incoming President's policy.

But not for bar topnotcher Rachel Angeli Miranda.

"From the experiences in our country and in other countries, it doesn't work. 
It's not a very good deterrent for crime." Miranda said.

She added that new lawyers should remember where they stand and to fight for 
what they believe in.

Meanwhle, Supreme Court Associate Justice Arturo Brion reminds the new lawyers 
to always uphold legal ethics.

(source: cnnphilippines.com)






TUNISIA:

Death Sentence in Sufi Shrine Killing


The leader of a group of Takfiri Salafists has been sentenced to death for his 
part in the killing of a guard at a Sufi shrine in the country's southeast. 
Others within the group received sentences varying from life imprisonment to 
five years for their part in the murder.

The Court learned that the unnamed victim had been on duty at the Sufi, Zaouia 
Sidi Abdelkader shrine at Menzel Bouzelfa (around 60km from the capital) in 
February of last year when the group of 13 hooded men approached and stabbed 
him to death.

The court sentenced the group's leader to death for "voluntary homicide." 
Another member of the group received a sentence of 36 years imprisonment for 
involvement in the murder. The remainder of the group received sentences 
varying between 5 and 10 years, with 3 acquitted.

Although it is still permitted by law, Tunisia voted in favor of the 2012 UN 
General Assembly moratorium on executions, with no executions having taken 
place since 1991. Prior to the moratorium, 135 executions occurred within 
Tunisia, the majority under former President Habib Bourguiba. However, though 
unused, the sentence remains upon the statute books as the Courts' stiffest 
sanction.

The death penalty is opposed on principle by many human rights groups. Speaking 
of its application in terrorist cases, Lotfi Azouz, Director of Amnesty 
International in Tunis said, "When a Terrorist commits a serious crime, they do 
so expecting death. This is their mindset. They expect to be a martyr and be 
sent to heaven, so the death penalty is actually working in their favor."

Sufism is sometimes regarded as the mystical dimension of Islam, cantering upon 
the internal spirituality of the individual. Sufism involves the search for 
divine love, which is believed to lead to the path of spiritual awakening.

Given its strong focus upon the internal, as well as the building of shrines to 
prominent Sufists, conservative and radical preachers tend to claim the sect is 
heretical and opposed to the fundamental teachings of the Qu'ran.

(source: tunisia-live.net)






BAHAMAS:

Crown Wants Death Penalty in McCartney Case


The Crown yesterday sought the death penalty for Thorne Edwards and a maximum 
sentence of life imprisonment for Lyndera Curry who were both convicted of the 
murder of prominent businessman Kurt McCartney back in October 2013.

During yesterday's proceedings before Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs, prosecutor 
Roger Thompson said the convicts represented a clear danger to society and that 
their lack of remorse and admission of guilt indicates that they do not possess 
the ability to be rehabilitated.

It was furthermore stated that Edwards in particular was armed with a weapon 
therefore he had the intent to kill Mr. McCartney.

Thompson told the courts that the crime committed was brutal, inhumane and 
planned seeing that when the accused arrived at The Last Man standing bar, 
Curry while having a conversation with the deceased then signaled Edwards who 
then shot McCartney in the head.

The 2 then entered the deceased's vehicle, a Hummer, and fled the scene.

Geoffrey Farquharson, who represents Edwards, rejected the crown's submission 
holding that the death sentence is inappropriate and refuted other suggestions 
made by Mr. Thompson that robbery was also a motive because the convicts took 
Mr. McCartney's vehicle.

Pending a question, Sonia Timothy, who represents Curry has for a doctor 
concerned with the trial, the matter was adjourned until 9:30am this morning.

(source: jonesbahamas.com)