[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

March 14



PAKISTAN:

SC maintains death penalty of 5 murderers from Gujrat


The Supreme Court on Monday maintained death penalty of Ashraf Baho, who was 
involved in the killing of 5 people at Shaheen Chock Gujrat, while changing the 
death penalty of Nasar into life in prison.

A 5-member bench of the SC headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed 
hearing of the case in which it was informed by the prosecutor that 2 
proclaimed offenders have not been arrested so far.

The apex court expressed annoyance over inapprehension of proclaimed offenders 
Tahir and Imran Baloki. It directed DPO Gujrat to arrest and present the 
offenders before the court within a week. Justice Ameer Hani Muslim in 
satirically thanked the police department for arresting culprits in 
instalments. He remarked that 2 proclaimed offenders were not arrested despite 
passage of 16 years, adding that society would benefit if police performed its 
duty efficiently.

(source: Pakistan Today)






IRAN:

UN Expert Expresses Concerns Over Juvenile Death Penalty In Iran


A United Nations rapporteur has raised concerns about the extremely high rate 
of executions, especially for juvenile offenders, in Iran.

Ahmed Shaheed, who presented his report to the UN Human Rights Council on March 
14, said that "with at least 16 juvenile offenders reportedly hanged in 
2014-15, Iran remains one of a few countries still resorting to this practice 
despite a strict prohibition against it under international law."

Shaheed also noted reports that individuals accused of national security and 
drug-related crimes in Iran are often deprived of the most basic due-process 
and fair-trial rights.

Shaheed acknowledged Iran's efforts to engage with his mandate and cooperate 
with UN human rights bodies, and called on the international community to 
continue supporting Tehran in realizing its human rights obligations.

Shaheed has not been allowed to visit Iran as part of his mandate, now in its 
5th year.

(source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)






GREAT BRITAIN:

Cameron Urged to Save Saudi Juveniles Facing Execution


David Cameron has been urged to intervene with Saudi Arabia to prevent the 
execution of 3 Saudi juveniles, after reports suggested their sentences may 
soon be carried out.

Last week, a government-affiliated Saudi news website reported that the 
authorities are planning to 'complete' a mass execution of 47 prisoners in 
January, by executing 4 more prisoners convicted in the country's Specialized 
Criminal Court (SCC). The reports raised fears that the juveniles - Ali 
al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher - would be among those 
executed. All three juveniles had their sentences upheld last year, following 
secretive SCC proceedings which relied on 'confessions' they signed following 
torture.

Human rights organization Reprieve has written to David Cameron, asking him to 
intervene with the Saudi government and request that the authorities commute 
the sentences. Last year, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that, having 
raised Ali al-Nimr's case with Saudi Arabia, he "did not expect" the execution 
to go ahead. However, subsequent comments by Mr Hammond regarding January's 
mass execution - that those killed had been 'terrorists' - raised concerns 
about the UK's approach. Reprieve has established that the 47 prisoners who 
were executed included political protestors, and at least 4 juveniles.

Reports of the latest impending executions came as the juveniles' families 
voiced their fears. Speaking to Vice News, Abdullah's father, Hassan al-Zaher, 
said: "We have been living a nightmare ever since Abdullah was arrested." He 
added: "Please help me to save my son from the imminent threat of death - he 
doesn't deserve to die just because he attended a protest."

Research by Reprieve last year found that, of those that could be identified as 
facing execution in Saudi Arabia, some 72 % were convicted of non-violent 
crimes, including drug offences and political protest. Torture and forced 
'confessions' were also reported to be common.

Commenting, Maya Foa, head of the death penalty team at Reprieve, said:

"Though Philip Hammond and David Cameron claim to have received assurances from 
the Saudi government that these juveniles will not be put to death, the 
executions of Ali, Dawood, and Abdullah once again appear imminent. It is too 
late to save the peaceful protestors and juveniles killed in January's mass 
execution - but David Cameron can still act to ensure that the UK does not 
allow more children, convicted on sham terrorism charges, to be executed in 
Saudi Arabia."

(source: Reprieve is a UK-based human rights organization that uses the law to 
enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantanamo Bay---- 
commondreams.org)






INDIA:

Sacrilege cases: Damdami Taksal for death penalty


Damdami Taksal, a prominent seminary of Sikhs, has sought death penalty or 
minimum of life imprisonment for the persons found involved in incidents of 
blasphemy.

Expressing deep concern over recent 2 incidents of desecration of Guru Granth 
Sahib, Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa opined that time had come when 
government needed to take some serious steps to prevent such incidents in the 
future.

Harnam Singh said legislators should bring a Bill in the current session of 
Punjab assembly advocating capital punishment and if not, minimum of life 
imprisonment to the persons who disgrace the holy book of Sikhs.

(source: The Times of India)






BANGLADESH:

Bangladesh ministers tender apology over CJ criticism


A senior Bangladeshi cabinet minister today offered an "unconditional apology" 
a week after the Supreme Court ordered him to personally appear along with 
another minister to explain their "contemptuous comments" against the Chief 
Justice over the 1971 war crimes trial.

"My client has sought the court's mercy for his comments as he respects the top 
court, chief justice and all other justices," food minister Qamrul Islam's 
counsel Syed Mamun Mahbub said.

The minister's apology came a day ahead of his scheduled appearance in the dock 
along with liberation war affairs minister A K M Mozammel Haque, summoned by 
the full bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.

But his counsel said he submitted before the court Islam's apology in writing 
which also sought rescheduling of the date for his appearance as he currently 
was outside the country on an official tour to Malaysia.

"He will certainly be present if the court fixes a date after March 16 for 
appearing before it (on his return home)," Mahbub said as Haque's counsel also 
informed the court that he too would submit a similar plea soon.

The apex court in an unprecedented move on March 8 had summoned the two senior 
ministers to clarify their "contemptuous comments" for criticising chief 
justice Sinha over the appeal hearing of Jamaat-e-Islami leader and 1971 war 
crimes convict Mir Qashem.

Speaking at a discussion on March 5, Islam had called for a new bench that he 
said should exclude Chief Justice Sinha to hear Qashem's appeal.

Sinha's displeasure at the work of International Crimes Tribunal's 
investigators and prosecutors in the war crimes cases, including Qashem's, had 
been seen by Islam as a 'broad hint' that the accused's death penalty may not 
be upheld, bdnews24.Com reported.

Islam had alleged that the chief justice openly spoke in the language of 
fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami by questioning the quality of the war crimes 
investigation.

Haque supplemented him at the same function saying the chief justice should not 
be a part of the appeal hearing process against Qashem but their comments 
sparked an uproar in political and judicial arenas.

"Their (2 ministers) comments undermined the dignity and prestige of the 
Supreme Court and the chief justice's office and their unholy and contemptuous 
comments stunned the judges of the top court," Sinha said while passing the 
order summoning the 2.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also today snubbed the 2 ministers for 
"embarrassing" the government by their remarks saying the government did not 
agree with their "private comments".

(source: Press Trust of India)