[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 3




PAKISTAN:

Pak army courts sentence 11 Taliban militants to death ---- The 11 belonged to 
the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan which is waging a bloody insurgency against the 
military and the government.


Pakistan military courts have sentenced 11 Taliban militants to death for 
terrorism-related offences, the army said on Tuesday.

The nation has hanged hundreds of people -- 326 last year alone -- since 
lifting a moratorium on the death penalty in December 2014.

The "hardcore terrorists" had been convicted of offences including killing and 
kidnapping civilians, attacks on the armed forces and police, and destruction 
of schools and communications infrastructure, an army statement said.

The 11 belonged to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan which is waging a bloody 
insurgency against the military and the government.

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency for over a decade 
following its decision to side with the US-led coalition which toppled the 
Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Since June 2014 its troops have been engaged in a full-scale offensive against 
Taliban and other militants in the North Waziristan and Khyber tribal districts 
in the northwest.

The fight gained renewed impetus following a Taliban massacre at a Peshawar 
army school in December 2014 in which 134 children were killed.

The attack sparked widespread outrage and led to a series of measures aimed at 
combating terror.

Among other measures the government ended a six-year moratorium on executions 
-- initially only for people convicted of terrorism but later for all capital 
offences.

Pakistan also amended its constitution to allow military courts to try terror 
suspects for a 2-year period.

Supporters of the courts say cases previously dragged on for years and many 
suspects escaped punishment due to legal loopholes or intimidation of 
witnesses.

But the country's growing use of the death penalty has come in for 
international criticism.

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

COAS confirms death sentence of 11 militants


General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Army Staff, Tuesday confirmed death sentences 
awarded to another 11 hardcore terrorists, who were involved in committing 
heinous offences.

According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the convicts were involved 
in killings and kidnappings civilians, attacks on Armed Forces and Law 
Enforcement Agencies, destruction of schools and communication infrastructure.

The convicts were tried by military courts.

Details of each case is attached.

1. Muhammad Umar S/O Daleel Khan. The convict was an active member of 
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Armed Forces of 
Pakistan and Law Enforcement Agencies which resulted in death of soldiers and 
injuries to police officials. He was also involved in fabrication of 
explosives. He admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. 
He was tried on 3 charges and awarded death sentence.

2. Hameedullah S/O Muhammad Ghazi (Convict Number 1), Rehmatullah S/O Umar Din 
(Convict Number 2), Muhammad Nabi S/O Dilawar Shah (Convict Number 3) and 
Moulvi Dilbar Khan S/O Kashkar (Convict Number 4). These four convicts were 
active members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. They were involved in attacking 
Law Enforcement Agency which resulted in death of Senior Superintendent of 
Police Muhammad Hilal Khan, Colonel Mustafa Jamal and Captain Ishfaq. They were 
also in possession of fire arms and explosives. The convicts admitted their 
offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. Convict numbers 1 and 2 
were tried on 3 charges, convict number 3 was tried on 2 charges and convict 
number 4 was tried on 1 charge and all were awarded death sentence.

3. Rizwan Ullah S/O Taj Mir Khan. The convict was an active member of 
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in killing of a civilian, 
kidnapping WAPDA employee and attacking Armed Forces which resulted in injuries 
to an officer and a soldier. He was also in possession of fire arms and 
explosives. He admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. 
He was tried on 5 charges and awarded death sentence.

4.Gul Rehman S/O Zareen. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban 
Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Armed Forces which resulted in death of 
a civilian and a soldier. He was also in possession of explosives. The convict 
admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was tried 
on 2 charges and awarded death sentence.

5. Muhammad Ibrahim S/O Maseen. The convict was an active member of 
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Armed Forces and 
destruction of Babu Chamtalai Bridge which resulted in death of civilians and a 
soldier. He was also in possession of explosives. The convict admitted his 
offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on 4 charges 
and awarded death sentence.

6. Sardar Ali S/O Muhammad Akram Khan. The convict was an active member of 
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Armed Forces and 
destruction of educational institutions which resulted in injuries and death of 
soldiers. He was also in possession of explosives. The convict admitted his 
offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on 3 charges 
and awarded death sentence.

7. Sher Muhammad Khan S/O Ahmed Khan. The convict was an active member of 
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in killing of a civilian and 
attacking Armed Forces which resulted in injuries and death of soldiers. He was 
also in possession of fire arms and explosives. The convict admitted his 
offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on 4 charges 
and awarded death sentence.

8. Muhammad Jawad S/O Muhammad Musa. The convict was an active member of 
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Law Enforcement 
Agencies and killing of a civilian. He was also in possession of fire arms, 
ammunition and explosives. The convict admitted his offences before the trial 
court. He was tried on 4 charges and awarded death sentence.

(source: samaa.tv)






JAMAICA:

Opposition says no to hanging


The Opposition yesterday poured cold water on National Security Minister Robert 
Montague's announcement that he is contemplating the resumption of hanging in 
Jamaica, arguing that the death penalty does not act as a deterrent to murder 
and is not the solution the country's nagging problem of violent crime.

According to Opposition spokesman on justice and governance, Senator Mark 
Golding, countries in the world that have abolished the death penalty generally 
remain the safest, with the least number of murders.

"Those states in the United States which retain and apply the death penalty 
(for example Texas) are not the states which enjoy the lowest murder rates in 
the US. The active use of the death penalty in Jamaica did not prevent the 
carnage of murders in 1980," Golding said.

Noting that it is not necessary for the resumption of hanging at this time, he 
said that murders have declined by 40 % since the extradition of Christopher 
'Dudus' Coke in 2010, during an era where the death penalty was not a factor.

He said that the Opposition is of the view that the death penalty cannot be the 
solution to Jamaica's problem of violent crime.

"Violent crime in Jamaica has several root causes, and curbing it requires 
solutions that address those causes," he said.

Golding suggested that Jamaica needs, among other things, growth with equity 
that creates good-quality employment opportunities for our people, so that they 
aren't drawn towards criminal organisations and violent crime.

He added that the modernisation and strengthening of the justice system need to 
be continued, and the implementation of the Justice Reform Programme should not 
be allowed to lose momentum.

"I do not regard minister Montague's announcement, that the Government is 
seeking "to determine if there are any legal impediments for the resumption of 
hanging in Jamaica", as a serious policy initiative that will be implemented. 
The Government can't hang more people; nor, as a practical matter, can 
Parliament. Only the courts can make that happen, and the courts are governed 
by the rule of law and, in particular, the human rights guarantees in our 
Constitution," Golding said.

In addition, he said that the reactivation of the death penalty after 28 years 
would bring condemnation and adverse criticism on Jamaica from international 
development partners that are not in support of capital punishment.

Last week, Montague said Government remains committed to mobilising all the 
resources at its disposal to wage a "relentless war" against criminal elements 
"intent on destroying our nation". To this end, he said the Administration is 
currently exploring the possible resumption of hanging.

Noting that it forms part of the crime-prevention strategies aimed at creating 
safer communities by tackling "lawless elements", Montague said his state 
minister, Pearnel Charles Jr, has been asked to consult with several 
stakeholders, including the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Office, 
to determine if there are any "legal impediments" to be addressed.

He said the ministry's overall approach to creating safer communities is based 
on five key pillars of crime prevention: social development, situational 
prevention, effective policing, swift and sure justice processes, and reducing 
re-offending.

(source: stluciatimes.com)

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

An option to the death


The death penalty debate, we see, has returned in what is clearly an unending 
cycle that inflames passions more than it stimulates rational discourse.

That is somewhat understandable, given Jamaica's perennial problem with crime, 
especially murders, committed in an environment where our justice system is 
struggling to cope with heavy case loads.

The current debate has been triggered by National Security Minister Robert 
Montague's announcement at a police graduation last week that he is looking 
into the possibility of a resumption of hanging.

In that address Minister Montague told guests, and by extension the nation, 
that he had asked his junior minister, Mr Pearnel Charles Jr, to consult with 
several stakeholders, including the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney 
General's Office, to determine if there were any "legal impediments" to the 
Government applying the death penalty.

The measure, Mr Montague said, would form part of the Government's crime 
prevention strategies aimed at creating safer communities by tackling "lawless 
elements".

He added that the Administration remained committed to mobilising all the 
resources at its disposal to wage a "relentless war" against criminal elements 
"intent on destroying our nation".

Minister Montague will no doubt receive widespread public support on this 
issue, given the number of heinous crimes committed in the country over time, 
and especially so since the start of this year.

Readers will recall that in 2010, after the murders of eight people in the St 
Catherine community of Tredegar Park, as well as other brutal crimes committed 
in August that year, the call for a resumption of the death penalty was loud 
from Jamaicans living in the United States.

We agree that the scum who commit these vile acts, for instance the 2 criminals 
who gunned down police corporal Judith Williams last Thursday morning, should 
not be allowed to simply roam free as if they did nothing wrong.

Neither should the villainous individual who commissioned her murder, if the 
information we have received so far is proven to be true.

People who have no regard for the sanctity of life, and the fact that each 
human being has a right to life, should be deprived of their freedom.

They belong in an institution that will not only punish them, but will 
hopefully have some impact in reforming them into responsible adults.

Against that background, we reiterate our position that the Government should 
look seriously at the option of having convicted murderers, especially those 
found guilty of the most cold-blooded, premeditated homicides, serve life 
sentences without the possibility of parole.

That, we hope, will send a strong message to those who believe that life is 
theirs to take and that they can do so without facing the consequences of their 
action.

(source: Editorial, Jamaica Observer)






VIETNAM:

Singaporean man gets death penalty in Vietnam for trafficking 2.5kg of heroin


A Singaporean man has been sentenced to death for trafficking 2.5kg of heroin, 
according to a report by Vietnam's English daily Thanh Nien News.

Lee Loke Dah, 40, who appeared before a Ho Chi Minh City court last Friday 
(April 29), had been arrested at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in December 
2014.

He had in his possession a plastic bag with thousands of capsules in it, which 
further tests confirmed was heroin.

Vietnamese news site VnExpress reported that the capsules had been disguised to 
resemble peanut candy.

In his defence, Lee - who had entered Vietnam four days prior to his arrest - 
told investigators that he had stolen the bag from a stranger in a hotel he was 
staying at in District 5.

Prosecutors, however, rejected his claims and the court found him guilty of 
drug trafficking.

Under Vietnam's drug laws, a person convicted of possessing or smuggling more 
than 600g of heroin can face the death penalty.

(source: straitstimes.com)






IRAN:

Iran regime continues its spate of brutal hangings


Iran's fundamentalist regime on Tuesday, May 3, hanged 2 prisoners in the 
north-western city of Ardebil.

The regime's judiciary in Ardebil Province said the 2 unnamed prisoners were 
hanged in Ardebil Central Prison earlier in the day.

Separately, the mullahs' regime hanged 2 young prisoners earlier this week in 
the north-eastern city of Mashhad.

The unnamed prisoners, aged 25 and 28, were hanged at dawn on Sunday, May 1 in 
Mashhad Central Prison. The 28-year-old prisoner was only identified by his 
initial A.

The regime's judiciary in Hamedan Province, western Iran, said that the 
authorities have hanged a prisoner, identified only by the initials M. R., in 
Nahavand's central prison.

On Monday there were reports that 3 death-row prisoners in Qezelhesar Prison in 
Karaj, west of Tehran, and 1 death-row prisoner in Greater Tehran Prison 
(Fashafouye Prison) were transferred to solitary confinement in Qezelhesar's 
Ward 1 in preparation for their imminent execution.

They were identified as Ahmad al-Tafi, Abdolhamid Baqeri, Majid Imani, and Reza 
Hosseini.

The hangings bring to at least 57 the number of people executed in Iran since 
April 10. 3 of those executed were women and 1 is believed to have been a 
juvenile offender.

Commenting last week on the recent spike in the rate of executions in Iran, 
Mohammad Mohaddessin, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National 
Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said: "In the month of April, during and 
after visits to Iran by the Prime Minister of Italy and the EU foreign policy 
chief dozens of people have been executed in Iran."

"The increasing trend of executions indicates that the visits of senior 
European officials to Iran not only have failed to improve the human rights 
situation; rather, they have given a message of silence and inaction to the 
mullahs. This has emboldened the clerical regime in stepping up executions and 
suppressing the Iranian people. This is the regime that has been the record 
holder of executions per capita globally in 2015. This bitter reality is not an 
issue of pride for any of the guests of the religious fascism," he added.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a statement on April 
13 that the increasing trend of executions "aimed at intensifying the climate 
of terror to rein in expanding protests by various strata of the society, 
especially at a time of visits by high-ranking European officials, demonstrates 
that the claim of moderation is nothing but an illusion for this medieval 
regime."

Ms. Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for 
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was in Tehran on April 16 along with seven 
EU commissioners for discussions with the regime's officials on trade and other 
areas of cooperation.

Amnesty International in its April 6 annual Death Penalty report covering the 
2015 period wrote: "Iran put at least 977 people to death in 2015, compared to 
at least 743 the year before."

"Iran alone accounted for 82% of all executions recorded" in the Middle East 
and North Africa, the human rights group said.

There have been more than 2,300 executions during Hassan Rouhani's tenure as 
President. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation 
in Iran in March announced that the number of executions in Iran in 2015 was 
greater than any year in the last 25 years. Rouhani has explicitly endorsed the 
executions as examples of "God's commandments" and "laws of the parliament that 
belong to the people."

(source: NCR-Iran)