[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

June 23



IRAN:

Iranian stars campaign to save lives of convicts on death row


Celebrities in Iran have joined a campaign to save the lives of convicts on 
death row, encouraging forgiveness in a country that has one of the world's 
highest records of executions.

Public figures including Shahab Hosseini, who won the best actor award at this 
year's Cannes film festival, have thrown their weight behind efforts to 
persuade families of victims to choose forgiveness over retribution.

Reports from inside Iran show that an increasing number of Iranians held on 
murder charges are being spared the gallows as the nationwide campaign gains 
traction.

According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), which documents Iran's 
use of the death penalty, the number of people whose lives were saved last year 
after being pardoned outnumbered those who were known to have been put to death 
for murder.

Iran's Islamic penal code allows the victim's heir - walli-ye-dam - to 
personally execute the condemned under qisas (retribution) laws, in some cases 
even by pushing away the chair the convict is standing on. The same law also 
allows families to pardon the convict, often in exchange for a financial 
compensation known as diyah.

A recent event at Tehran's Koroush cinema, which was aimed at raising money for 
the families who are trying to secure a pardon, attracted big numbers with the 
likes of Hosseini attending. Also among the crowd were actor Mahtab Keramanti 
and the country's vice-president for women's affairs, Shahindokht Molaverdi. 
Nearly 60,000 pounds was raised and at least 1 attendee donated her earrings.

Although the convicts in such cases are facing death because of murder or 
complicity in the crime, activists say people are showing sympathy because they 
favour forgiveness. Some, but not all, of such prisoners are women who have 
killed their husbands but activists say they were themselves victims of 
domestic violence. Others include juvenile offenders who have committed crimes 
under the age of 18, usually in a street brawl. Maryam Osoli and Sahar Mehabadi 
are both out of prison after being pardoned in recent months, according to 
activists.

"This is a welcomed phenomenon," Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, an activist from the 
IHR, told the Guardian on the sidelines of 6th World Congress Against the Death 
Penalty in Oslo. "People, where they have the possibility, choose forgiveness 
instead of death penalty."

He added: "Traditionally families of murder victims are encouraged to choose 
retribution, but here they say no to retribution and refuse to take the 
responsibility of taking another life. You can see an increasing trend where 
more people choose forgiveness than retribution." Some Islamic scholars have 
highlighted that while Qur'an allows qisas, it also encourages forgiveness.

In 1 prison, at least the lives of 6 women have been spared in the past 6 
months because activists have been successful in persuading families to accept 
the diyah. But countrywide numbers are believed to be much higher.

Under the Iranian law, the woman's blood money is only half that of a man, but 
earlier this year Iran approved a law making the blood money equal for both men 
and women in cases involving car accidents. The usual diyah is around 1.9bn 
rials (38,000 pounds) for unintentional killings but some families ask for much 
higher in other cases.

In 2015, at least 262 people on death row for murder were forgiven in Iran 
compared to 207 convicts executed for such crimes, according to the IHR. 
Although the history of people showing forgiveness is not new, many activists 
say a recent incident was a turning point in significantly increasing such 
pardons last year: in April 2014, an Iranian mother spared the life of a young 
man who had killed his son at last minute in an extraordinary episode that drew 
the world's attention and also appeared on the front page of this newspaper.

Despite this, Iran is still among the world's top countries with the most 
executions because despite pardons in cases involving murder, drug-related 
executions have continued to surge. In most cases in Iran people put to death 
for drug offences.

Madyar Samienejad, an Oslo-based human rights defender, appreciated efforts to 
save the convicts from the gallows but struck a cautious tone, saying that the 
ultimate change should come from a change in the law. "In some cases, families 
are demanding very unreasonable amounts of money for financial compensation in 
order to pardon the convict and this is not a culture that should become the 
norm. Only a change in the legislation can guarantee that we would ultimately 
see a country without death penalty."

Last year, Iran executed nearly 1,000 people, which was more than any other 
country apart from China. Executions in Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia 
accounted for 89% of the total known executions worldwide in 2015.

In first 6 months of this year, Iran is known to have executed between 182 to 
201 people, which is a considerable drop compared to last year but activists 
were not sure if it amounted to an indication in a change in policy as the 
country went through parliamentary elections, a period when the authorities 
normally refrain from executing convicts.

(source: The Guardian travelled to Oslo for 6th World Congress Against the 
Death Penalty on an invitation by its organiser, the French NGO Ensemble Contre 
la Peine de Mort (ECPM), which paid for its flight, accommodation and food)






MALAWI:

DPP MP tells Amnesty International 'to go to hell with rights', says Malawi 
needs death penalty on albino killers


Mulanje South parliamentarian-cum-comedian Bon Kalindo popularly known as 
Winiko has blasted donors specifically global human rights body, Amnesty 
International "to go to hell" with their anti-death penalty campaign, saying 
Malawi needs to execute killers of people with albinism.

Kalindo, who organised a protest march to National Assembly with an aim to 
force the members of parliament to lift the moratorium on the death penalty, 
blasted the Amnesty International for dictating what Malawi should do by not 
implementing death penalty as doing so it shall be against right to live.

"Let me warn Amnesty International that this is not their country, to hell with 
their human rights issues, why should we protect criminals who are killing our 
sons, daughters and brothers? Do they (murder victims) don't deserve a right to 
live?

"Malawi is a sovereign state and we deserve respect no one should dictate us 
what to do, go to hell with your money," shouted angry Kalindo amid ululations 
and hand clapping from hundreds of people who joined him in the march.

Kalindo also took a swipe at local human rights bodies and activists calling 
them "gold diggers" who are not patriotic but love money from Western 
countries.

The MP who is also deputy spokesman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party 
(DPP) said "let me also warn those masquerading in town as human rights 
activists with your bodies that it's time you start putting the interests of 
Malawians at hearts before money."

He said only Billy Mayaya, who supported him the protests, is a true activist 
who really represent the interest of Malawians "not you busy dancing to the 
tune of donors forsaking your own people."

Kalindo and Mayaya are asking the Parliament to ensure that death penalty which 
is in the Constitution must be activated in order to serve as a deterrent to 
others from albino attacks.

"We refuse to be swayed by the decisions made by outsiders on how the people of 
Malawi should run its internal affairs regarding this matter.

"We demand Parliament to lift the moratorium on the death penalty. We found it 
awkward that we have a clear law in place and yet we have no use of it. This is 
an insult to Malawians", reads the petition in part.

It also propose the amendments be made in the Anatomy Act to sentences, demand 
transparency and accountability within the police to allay allegations of 
corruption in handling matters related to attacks on people with albinism.

Commenting on the petition after receiving it on behalf of the Parliament, 
Rumphi East parliamentarian Kamlepo Kalua told the gathering that it is the 
general concern not only to them but to the entire House and has since promised 
them that the legislatures will act on it.

Commission of inquiry

Meanwhile, Mzuzu University (Mzuni) students held a peaceful demonstration and 
petitioned petition President Peter Mutharika to take a bold step against 
attacks on people with albinism.

Mzuni Student Representative Council member Wazamazama Katatu said the students 
want the President to institute a competent commission of inquiry that should 
investigate vital information on the attacks.

He said the commission should establish destination for body parts of people 
with albinism and why the police are failing to maintain order.

"The country should quickly develop a comprehensive action plan with clear 
practical strategies; otherwise, as it stands, the country is addressing petty 
symptoms of the crisis. Having the commission in place will show seriousness in 
an attempt to gather facts and possible viable options," said Katatu.

The students also petitioned the office of the Speaker of Parliament, calling 
on members of parliament to "meaningfully discuss" the albinos crisis.

They want MPs to come up with "deliberate legal measures" to protect persons 
with albinism.

(source: Nyasa Times)






MALAYSIA:

Death penalty study done, A-G's Chamber to prepare paper on amendments


The Attorney-General's Chamber will prepare a paper on the amendments of the 
death penalty legislation for submission to the government following the 
completion of a comprehensive study on the matter.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri said the study 
conducted by the International Centre for Law and legal Studies (I-CeLLs) was 
carried after the AG???s Chamber was tasked to undertake a comprehensive study 
on the issue of the death penalty in Malaysia.

The study was carried out with consultation from Professor Dr Roger Hood, 
Professor of Criminology and Emeritus Fellow of All Souls College Oxford, one 
of the renowned experts on the death penalty, she said.

Nancy said this in her intervention note at the 6th World Congress against the 
Death Penalty held in Oslo, Norway.

The 3-day congress kicked off on Tuesday. Her intervention note was faxed here 
yesterday.

She said: "There are positive signs in Malaysia, and a steady momentum towards 
possible change in the death penalty legislation.:

Currently in Malaysia, the death penalty is mandatory for 12 offences, whilst 
20 other offences are punishable by a discretionary death penalty.

"Murder, drug trafficking, and offences relating to (national) security are 
instances of offences which are punishable with a mandatory death penalty," she 
said.

Nancy said Malaysia does have some safeguards in law and practice to protect 
the right of the accused facing the death penalty, inter alia, the right to be 
promptly informed of the nature of the charge preferred against him, right to 
legal representative of his own choice and also the right to fair hearing by a 
competent, independent and impartial tribunal.

"Although Malaysia is generally in compliance with international standards 
insofar as the relevannt safeguards are concerned, Malaysia's position on the 
death penalty has always been subjected to national and international 
criticisms.

"Amongst the criticisms are, although the death penalty has its place, it 
should only be implemented in the most serious of crimes and where there is no 
reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty," she said.

Nancy said there had been no empricial studies to prove that the death penalty 
did not have the deterring effect that such a penalty was hoped to create.

(source: theborneopost.com)