[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

March 17




TANZANIA:

19 Face Death Penalty Over Albino Killings in Tanzania


19 people have been sentenced to death after being convicted of killing 
albinos, the Tanzanian government has confirmed.

Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Hamad Yusuf Masauni told Anadolu Agency on 
Saturday that the convicted are among 133 people arrested and charged with 
killing people with albinism from 2006 to 2015.

"Other albino attacks and killings cases are in different stages in different 
courts countrywide," the minister said in a telephone interview from Dodoma, 
Tanzania's administrative capital.

Masauni said at least 75 people with albinism have been killed in Tanzania 
since 2006, while more than 100 people have been attacked and mutilated.

Such attacks are due in large part to widespread superstition in East Africa 
that body parts of people with albinism carry magical powers that witch doctors 
claim to harness, or other beliefs that view albinos as cursed or causing bad 
luck.

Commenting on the plea from people with albinism asking the government to 
implement death penalties for those convicted of the killings, the minister 
said the government is keen on exercising the court's ruling.

"Death penalties have long procedures and processes to be followed before 
implementation. Once we are done with the process, those found guilty will be 
executed," Masauni said.

Last year, the government formed a tripartite committee involving government 
officials, people with albinism, witch doctors who are believed to have a hand 
on albino killings and other stakeholders, as a strategy to combat attacks and 
killings of people with albinism.

The Tanzanian government has also targeted witch doctors, arresting more than 
200 of them in different parts of the country, as part of the fight against 
albino killings.

The government, civil society and various groups including those with albinism 
have also joined hands to prevent attacks through special concerts, radio and 
TV programs in both public and privately owned media outlets.

Apart from Tanzania, albino attacks and killings have also been reported in 
other East African countries, including Burundi and Kenya.

(source: The Citizen)






INDIA:

German Bakery blast: Baig's death sentence commuted to life term


The Bombay High Court on Thursday commuted, to a life term, the death sentence 
to Mirza Himayat Baig after his conviction for the February 13, 2010 Pune 
German Bakery blast which killed 17 people, including foreigners, his lawyer 
said.

"Baig has been totally absolved of all charges including conspiracy, murder, 
attempt to murder and other serious charges pertaining to the German Bakery 
blast," said his lawyer Abdul Rehman.

"He has only been convicted under the Explosives Act and given a life sentence. 
This is the first step only - we plan to appeal this and we are confident he 
will come clear from this too," he added.

Around 7 p.m. on the day, a powerful blast ripped through the popular eatery 
near the Osho Ashram in the fashionable Koregaon Park area and much frequented 
by the young crowd. Among the 17 killed were an Italian woman, an Iranian and 2 
Sudanese students. Another 60 patrons were injured in the blast, including 12 
foreigners while the eatery subsequently reopened briefly and shut down.

A Pune sessions court had in April 18, 2013 awarded the death penalty to the 
sole accused, Indian Mujahiddeen operative Baig, against which he had appealed 
before the Bombay High Court.

(source: sify.com)

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

India police arrest father-in-law over 'honor killing'


The father-in-law of a lower-caste student brutally hacked to death in a 
suspected " honor killing" in India has been arrested, police said on Tuesday.

3 men armed with sickles and sharp weapons attacked the 22-year-old student 
from the lowest Dalit caste and his wife on a crowded street in the southern 
state of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, killing him and seriously injuring her.

The woman's father and uncle were among 5 people arrested over the assault, 
which was apparently motivated by her decision to marry outside her own caste, 
police said.

"We have arrested 5 accused and are looking for 5 more," A. Dhavamani, an 
investigating officer, said.

"3 of them were involved in the attack, including the woman's uncle," he said, 
adding that the others have confessed to conspiracy to kill the victim.

The Press Trust of India news agency said the woman's mother was also among 
those arrested, although this could not immediately be confirmed.

Her father surrendered to police late on Monday and was formally arrested. 
Police said the 19-year-old woman married the Dalit engineering student 8 
months ago in defiance of her family, who are from the higher Thevar caste.

Marriage outside caste or religion still attracts strong censure in parts of 
India and can even lead to so-called honor killings, carried out to protect 
family pride.

Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, are a historically marginalized 
community who have faced centuries of discrimination in India.

The couple had reportedly faced threats from her family before Sunday's attack 
that was captured on CCTV, footage from which showed 3 men on a motorbike stop 
and attack them as they walked along a crowded street.

There are no India-specific figures on honor killings available, but United 
Nations statistics say 1,000 out of the 5,000 such killings every year are in 
India.

India's Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that those involved in honor killings 
should face the death penalty.

(source: Saudi Gazette)






SAUDI ARABIA----execution

Saudi beheads 73rd person this year


Saudi Arabia has beheaded one of its citizens after sentencing him to death for 
murder, bringing to 73 the number of such executions in the kingdom since the 
start of the year.

The convicted man, identified as Omar al-Rabie, was beheaded on Wednesday, the 
Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press 
Agency.

The ministry added that al-Rabie was found guilty of shooting to death his 
fellow Saudi citizen Ghanem Salem in a dispute.

According to AFP tallies, the latest execution brings to 73 the number of 
locals and foreigners put to death this year.

In the most stunning case, Saudi Arabia executed on January 2 Sheikh Nimr 
al-Nimr along with 46 other people in defiance of international calls for the 
release of the prominent Shia cleric and other jailed political dissidents in 
the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia carried out 153 executions, including 71 foreign nationals, in 
2015. This number of executions in terms of annual basis in Saudi Arabia has 
been unseen since 1995.

Under the Saudi law, apostasy, armed robbery, drug trafficking, rape and murder 
carry the death penalty. Beheading with a sword is the most common form of 
execution in Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh has been under fire for having one of the world's highest execution 
rates.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Saudi regime to 
abolish its "ghastly" beheadings.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has recently called on the United Nations 
Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its gross 
human rights violations.

In a statement to the 31st meeting of UNHRC, the rights group said that the 
kingdom has breached international humanitarian laws on numerous occasions.

(source: albawaba.com)

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

KSA takes pride in applying Sharia Law


The delegate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to the United Nations 
Ambassador Faisal Trad stressed the fundamentals of the kingdom as being proud 
in applying the provisions of the tolerant Islamic Sharia which ensures 
justice, rights and duties for all equally without any discrimination.

He added that the best proof of that is the level of growth, prosperity and 
progress experienced by the kingdom and the Saudi society of all sects and 
individuals of both sexes compared with many countries of the world.

Ambassador Trad made the remarks as he delivered the kingdom's reply to what 
was stated by a number of European countries especially Germany, Iceland and 
Ireland on human rights in the kingdom before the Human Rights Council held in 
Geneva.

He said that the provisions of Islamic law, Saudi applicable regulations and 
the kingdom's international obligations ensure non-violation of the right of 
any human being and therefore any penalty applied to anyone in the kingdom is 
the result of his acts and an offense that is punishable by law and that levels 
of litigation are met and all guarantees are provided for a fair, open and 
transparent trial that is open to the public, including representatives of the 
missions of the above mentioned countries.

Trad said that not under any circumstances, privileges or immunities can be 
granted to a class of people without others under any name or any capacity. All 
are equal before the judiciary, he stated.

He indicated that the death penalty is provided for by the laws of the kingdom 
and that there are dozens of countries around the world that still apply the 
death penalty for the most serious crimes, such as terrorism and drug 
trafficking.

He stressed the strong rejection of the kingdom for any statement by any 
country against the independent and fair judiciary in the Kingdom and its 
demand for everyone to respect the judiciary and its rulings, and not interfere 
with it in any way. He also demanded that these countries verify their sources 
of information before directing any criticism against the kingdom where there 
is no respect for the cultural and religious special nature of a country that 
represents the heart of the Islamic world, and asked them to refrain from 
double standards and trying to exploit the Human Rights Council for political 
purposes or to accomplish electoral achievements and to address real human 
rights violations without any political, cultural or ideological motives.

(source: Saudi Press Agency)






SRI LANKA:

Sri Lankan gets death for rape, murder of 5-year-old girl


Several suspects were rounded up. The father of the child, who was also under 
suspicion, volunteered to undergo DNA test to clear his name.

A Sri Lankan court on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for rape and murder of a 
5-year old girl in September last year.

Saman Jayalth, a 36 year old man was found guilty after the DNA test. He later 
confessed to the crime. He was charged on 4 counts including abduction, abuse, 
rape and murder.

5-year-old Seya Sadewmi went missing from her home after she went to sleep on 
September 11. Her body was found a day after near the village stream by her 
small home. Forensic reports later showed that the child was tortured and raped 
before being strangled to death.

Several suspects were rounded up. The father of the child, who was also under 
suspicion, volunteered to undergo DNA test to clear his name.

According to a Unicef report, everyday 3 to 5 children are raped in the 
country. The horrific rape and murder of Seya triggered rights groups' 
campaigns to invoke death penalty.

Although Lankan courts hands out death sentences for crimes, the state has not 
carried out any executions since 1976. Instead the death sentences have been 
commuted to life imprisonment.

Soon after the murder of Seya, then newly elect President Maithripala Sirisena 
promised to re-introduce the death penalty. According to the commissioner 
general of prisons, Rohana Pushpakumara, there are 1,115 prisoners on death row 
in Lankan prisons.

(source: Khaleej Times)






BANGLADESH:

Nizami tells son, lawyers to 'seek review' against his death penalty


Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami will seek a review of the death 
sentence awarded to him for crimes against humanity during Bangladesh's 
Liberation War, his lawyer says.

His son Barrister Nazib Momen and 2 lawyers were at Kashimpur's Dhaka Central 
Jail-2 at noon on Wednesday.

Nizami, who headed vigilante militia Al-Badr in 1971, appeared 'worried' during 
their meeting, Jail Superintendent Prashanta Kumar Banik told bdnews24.com.

His lawyer Motiur Rahman Akhand said, "He (Nizami) was not present during the 
incidents for which he has been sentenced to death. He said he will plead for a 
review to get justice."

The International Crimes Tribunal issued a death warrant for Nizami on Tuesday 
night hours after a full copy of his appeal verdict was released by the Supreme 
Court.

The warrant wrapped in red cloth was read out to him after it reached Kashimpur 
prison.

Nizami's lawyer Akhand said the defence would file a plea within the 15-day 
deadline. The sentence cannot be executed unless the review plea is resolved.

The convict then may seek a presidential pardon if the plea is turned down.

The tribunal on Oct 29, 2014, ordered Nizami to be hanged for murder, rape, and 
the killing of intellectuals.

The Supreme Court, after hearing his appeal later, upheld the maximum penalty 
for the Jamaat chief.

An influential minister in the BNP-Jamaat coalition government of 2001-6, he 
carries another death sentence for his role in the 10-truck arms haul case in 
Chittagong.

Born on Mar 31, 1943, in Monmothpur of Pabna's Sathia Upazila, Nizami had 
earlier headed Islami Chhatra Sangha, Jamaat's student front before it was 
renamed to become Islami Chhatra Shibir.

The Jamaat-e-Islami had actively opposed the secession from Pakistan and formed 
militias to collaborate with the invading forces of the Pakistani Army in 1971.

Nizami was chief of the Al-Badr, a militia made up of members of the so-called 
Peace Committee and Islami Chhatra Sangha.

Al-Badr gained notoriety for executing prominent pro-liberation members of the 
Bengali intelligentsia ranging from doctors, journalists and teachers to 
writers and composers on Dec 14, just days before Bangladesh secured victory by 
defeating West Pakistan's forces.

(source: bdnews24.com)