[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

March 2



SOUTH KOREA:

Parliament passes anti-terrorism bill after 15 yrs


South Korea's ruling-party controlled parliament passed a long-stalled 
anti-terrorism bill Wednesday amid possible terror threats from North Korea.

The government-backed bill, which bypassed the normal process and was taken to 
the floor by the assembly speaker, passed through the National Assembly's 
plenary session by 156-1 with zero abstentions.

The ruling Saenuri Party controls 157 seats in the 293-member National 
Assembly, compared to 107 seats held by the main opposition Minjoo Party of 
Korea which had staged a filibuster for more than a week to stall the bill's 
passage.

All opposition lawmakers walked out of the National Assembly chamber just 
minutes before the bill was put to a vote.

Since the 1st draft bill was filed with the National Assembly in November 2001 
following the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, no headway was made until 
now.

The bill was scrapped every time during previous parliaments due to concern 
over breaches of privacy such as allowing the National Intelligence Service 
(NIS), South Korea's top spy agency, to collect personal data on anyone 
suspected of posing a threat to national security.

Under the passed bill, an anti-terrorism center will be set up under the Prime 
Minister's Office, but the NIS will have the power to gather the relevant 
information on possible terrorists.

Also, those convicted of organizing terrorist groups will face the maximum 
penalty of a death sentence and those helping the groups will be sentenced to 
10 years in prison, according to the bill.

The bill stipulates that financial authorities are authorized to halt and 
restrict the financial transactions of anyone suspected to have financed 
terrorist activities both at home and abroad.

The bill has recently gained new momentum following North Korea's nuclear test 
and long-range rocket launch.

President Park Geun-hye repeatedly expressed concerns on possible terror 
attacks, urging bipartisan cooperation for the endorsement of the bill meant to 
better protect the lives of South Koreans.

The Seoul government welcomed the passage, saying that it will beef up 
cooperation with the international community to better cope with terrorist 
threats.

(source: Yonhap News Agency)






IRAN:

see: http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/
iran-commute-amir-amrollahi-s-death-sentence-ua-1508

(source: Amnsty International USA)






BANGLADESH:

Gonojagoron Mancha stages sit-in for war criminal Quasem's death


A faction of Gonojagoron Mancha yesterday staged a sit-in at the capital's 
Shahbag demanding upholding of the death penalty in the Appellate division for 
convicted war criminal also Jamaat leader, Mir Quasem Ali.

The Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarkar alleged that some vested quarters are 
trying to protect Quasem and vowed to continue the sit-in till the appeal 
verdict is delivered.

(source: The Daily Star)






INDIA:

RS to witness contrasting views on death penalty


The continuation of death penalty evokes responses on the extremes and the 
Rajya Sabha on Friday could witness a peculiar situation when it considers 2 
contrasting resolutions - one seeking abolition while the other arguing for 
noose for rapists.

CPI MP D Raja will press for abolition of death penalty altogether through a 
private member's resolution while Congress' Rajani Patil will argue for adding 
death penalty for rape, incestuous rapes and commercial sexual exploitation of 
girls.

Though the result on these resolutions may not bring much changes to the 
statute, it could reignite a debate on the issue of death penalty.

Raja's resolution was to be taken up on July 31 last year, a day after the 
execution of Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon, but could not due to 
continuing protests on several issues by the Opposition.

In his resolution, Raja said the Supreme Court itself has "admitted to errors 
and miscarriage of justice due to arbitrary application of death penalty". He 
has also cited A P J Abdul Kalam's stand on the issue, saying the late former 
President himself had "felt pain in deciding" mercy petitions since most of the 
convicts suffered from social economic bias.

"Snatching away somebody's life for crimes committed is not in consonance with 
evolving jurisprudence which embraces in its scope measures to reform the 
person and transform psychology in tune with the values of compassion and 
humanism. Committing a crime is more a sociological than a legal problem," he 
added.

However, Rajani wants "stringent provisions" of death "for rape on girls and 
women and also for commercial sexual exploitation of girl child and for 
incestuous rape on girls and women by suitably amending the provisions of the 
Indian Penal Code and other related laws".

In her resolution, she said women who brave to venture out of their homes to 
work in the fields, establishments, shops and government departments and 
establishments are sexually harassed despite several laws have been enacted to 
prevent this menace.

The Law Commission, which Raja's resolution also mentioned, had in August last 
year argued that punishment cannot be reduced to vengeance, and recommended 
abolishing death penalty for all crimes except terror cases.

(source: Deccan Herald)