[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 8




AFGHANISTAN----executions

6 Taliban inmates on death row hanged: Afghan govt


6 Afghan Taliban inmates on death row were hanged on Sunday, government sources 
said, in the first set of executions approved by President Ashraf Ghani since 
he came to power in 2014.

"In accordance with the Afghan constitution... Ghani approved the execution of 
6 terrorists who perpetrated grave crimes against civilians and public 
security," the presidential palace said in a statement.

A government source told AFP that all 6 were Taliban inmates, but did not 
release further details about their offences.

In 2012, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Afghan government to "end 
its sudden surge of executions and institute a moratorium on further 
executions" after the Afghan government executed eight people, ending a 
four-year virtual moratorium on the use of the death penalty, during which only 
2 people were reportedly executed, according to the HRW.

The NGO cited the "weakness of the Afghan legal system and the routine failure 
of courts to meet international fair trial standards", which make Afghanistan's 
"use of the death penalty especially troubling".

(source: Daily Times)

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

Taliban Publicly Execute 2 Women in Northern Afghanistan


Taliban insurgents publicly executed 2 women, 1 of them in an apparent honor 
killing, in northern Afghanistan recently, according to Afghan officials, 
members of the victims' families and a video posted online.

The killings, which were thought to be unrelated, took place in recent months 
in northern Jowzjan Province, in predominantly Uzbek areas where Taliban 
presence has traditionally been weak except among ethnic Pashtuns.

The killings came to light after a video was circulated of one of them and 
officials discovered evidence of the other.

In 1 of the cases, a pregnant 22-year-old woman named Rabia, a mother of 2 
young children, was accused by her husband of adultery, tried and convicted by 
the Taliban on the spot, and then publicly shot 3 times. Members of her family 
said that her husband had concocted the adultery charge because of a land 
dispute between their families, and that he had wanted to inherit his wife's 
interests in the land.

"They buried her without even allowing her family to participate in her 
funeral," said Shakera, her aunt, who like many Afghans has only 1 name.

"I know she was a very innocent woman," Shakera said, speaking by telephone 
from her home in the provincial capital, Shibarghan. "She did not have the 
heart to be unfaithful."

Another motive for the Taliban to kill her, Shakera said, was that 2 of Rabia's 
uncles were militia commanders loyal to the Uzbek leader, Abdul Rashid Dostum, 
who is also first vice president of Afghanistan.

According to the deputy police chief of Jowzjan Province, Col. Abdul Hafeez, 
the apparent honor killing took place in Memlek village in the district of 
Faizabad. The district governor of Faizabad, Saira Shekib, who is one of 
Afghanistan's few female governors, said it had been personally carried out by 
the Taliban's shadow governor in the district, whom she identified as Qari 
Rasool.

The killings were reminiscent of similar executions carried out frequently from 
1996 to 2001, when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan and killed many women 
convicted of so-called moral crimes by shooting them in the head at the 
National Stadium before large crowds. In rural areas, where the group holds 
sway, they have often stoned women to death for suspected moral offenses.

The 2nd Jowzjan execution is believed to have taken place four months ago, 
though the video surfaced only in the past couple days. The victim is seen in a 
blue burqa, sitting on the ground. A Taliban court convicted her of killing her 
husband, whose family crowded around the execution site and loudly voted to 
execute her.

The victim's identity was not known, but Colonel Hafeez said that the 
authorities believed that the video was genuine and that the execution had 
taken place in the Khanaqa district. The executioner's face is covered, but he 
was believed to be the district's Taliban commander.

The children of Rabia, the victim in the suspected honor killing, were not 
present when the Taliban official summarily executed her in the yard of her 
home. But according to Shakera, Rabia's 3-year-old daughter found her mother's 
bloodied sandals after the killing and recognized them.

"She ran to her grandma asking where is her mother," Shakera said. "The grandma 
did not have an answer for her."

Rabia's 6-month-old son had still been breast-feeding at the time his mother 
was killed, Shakera said, and members of the family say they have been unable 
to afford enough powdered baby formula for the infant. Both children remained 
with the father's family.

(source: New York Times)

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

Horrific video shows Taliban publicly killing woman over adultery ---- The 
woman is forced to kneel in a dessert before she is shot dead


A horrific video has emerged online which purportedly shows the execution of a 
woman by the Taliban militants in northern Jawzjan province.

The woman was reportedly executed in Khanqa village in Aqcha district with the 
footage showing the woman is forced to kneel in a dessert before she is shot 
dead.

The execution is carried out by a Taliban insurgent who has covered his face 
with a scarf and shooting the woman with an Ak-47 rifle from behind.

The local officials have not commented regarding the report so far to confirm 
the exact date and location of the incident.

The brutal killing of the woman refreshes the savagery of the group while they 
were ruling the country in early 90s.

The group executed a woman in a stadium in capital Kabul in a similar way which 
sparked international condemnation.

The group still continues to try convicts in desert courts in areas where they 
have influence and publicly execute the convicts after they are awarded death 
sentence.

The latest video is followed amid concerns by the rights organizations that the 
condition of the women in northern parts of the country is rapidly getting 
worse amid deteriorating security situation.

(source: rawa.org)






THAILAND:

21 Malaysian 'drug mules' face death penalty in Thai court


The 21 Malaysians arrested in Thailand recently on suspicion of being 'drug 
mules' could face the death penalty under the country's Narcotics Act for 
possession and sale of Category 1 Substances.

"The suspects can face the death penalty following the large seizure of 
methamphetamine ('ice') and heroin from them. The police, on their part, have 
obtained strong evidence against them.

"However, despite the possibility of facing the maximum sentence of death under 
the stipulated charge, Thai courts seldom hand down the death penalty and 
prefer the long-term jail sentence, instead," he told Bernama on Sunday.

On March 23 and 24, the Malaysians, in 2 groups of 15 and 6 men were arrested 
by Thai Railway police at 4 different train stations and in a passenger van.

Seized from them were 226kg of methamphetamine and 8kg of heroin kept in 
backpacks.

The train they were travelling in was enroute to Butterworth from Hualamphong, 
Bangkok.

Thai police have described the drug haul as one of the largest confiscated in 
recent times, which could fetch about RM400mil in Europe.

The Thai police officer also divulged that based on information obtained, there 
was a link between the Malaysian suspects and a major drug trafficker whose 
nationality he declined to divulge.

In an interview with Bernama previously, Police Col Puttidej Bunkrapue from the 
Thai Railway Police said investigations revealed the drug smuggling attempt by 
the 21 Malaysian suspects was masterminded by 3 men.

The 21 Malaysians are currently under remand at Bangkok's Central Correctional 
Institution for Drug Addicts.

(source: Bernama)






BELARUS:

EU Condemns Belarus After Latest Execution


The European Union has expressed concern after news that Belarus, the only 
country in Europe still to apply capital punishment, had executed another 
prisoner.

In a statement issued on May 7, the EU said the recent execution of Syarhey 
Ivanua was "particularly disturbing" due to the fact his complaint was pending 
with the UN Human Rights Committee. The EU also said the death sentence against 
Syarhey Khmelevsky, which was upheld by the Belarus Supreme Court on 6 May, has 
also been confirmed.

In its statement, the EU said it expected Belarus to join a global moratorium 
on the death penalty as a 1st step towards its abolition.

(source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)






IRAN:

Prisoners Moved to Solitary Confinement in Preparation for Execution


On Saturday May 7, at least 3 prisoners in Rajai Shahr Prison (located in the 
city of Karaj, northern Iran) were reportedly moved to solitary confinement in 
preparation for their executions. According to close sources, the prisoners are 
each sentenced to death on murder charges and their names are: Mohammad Abdi, 
Seyed Jafar Jafaripanah, and Fariborz Jalali. Close sources say these 3 
prisoners are scheduled to be executed on the morning of Wednesday.

(source: Iran Human Rights)






NIGERIA:

Lagos lawmaker advocates capital punishment for corrupt politicians


Following the proposed capital punishment prescribed by the Nigerian senate for 
kidnappers, the Deputy Whip, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Omotayo 
Oduntan, has also prescribed same punishment for corrupt politicians.

Oduntan made the call at a media parley held at the Assembly Complex in Ikeja, 
Lagos, while reacting to Senate's prescription of death penalty for kidnappers.

The lawmaker, who decried the rising cases of kidnapping, said such step would 
deter many young people from engaging in the crime.

"I am in support of capital punishment for kidnappers. It will serve as 
deterrent to many who thought the crime is a way to make cheap money. It will 
reduce the rate of criminality, it is not normal at all for young people who 
think they can make quick money through kidnapping be engage in such crime," 
she said.

The lawmaker urged the National Assembly to extend same punishment to 
politicians who embezzled public funds to serve as deterrent to others.

"As I am in support of capital punishment for kidnappers, politicians who 
embezzle public money should be given the same punishment to serve as deterrent 
to others who might want to toe that line.

"Criminality and corruption will reduce to the barest minimum with capital 
punishment. It is not normal to embezzle money that is meant for generation and 
the generations to come," she said.

She, however, urged the Federal Government to provide jobs for citizens, 
stressing that the kidnappers saw the menace as a quick means of getting money.

According to the lawmaker, all efforts must be made to ensure that masses 
experience change in their socio-economic life.

She said, "I will advise all women in position of authority to be fair to 
people, be honest, be a good example to other women. They (women politicians) 
should be mirror of courage, good character, honesty and let them be committed 
to uplift the common man in the streets."

Reacting to the crisis in the Edo State House of Assembly and emergence of a 
female Speaker, Mrs. Elizabeth Ative, Oduntan urged the new speaker to ensure 
she makes a good impact and leaves a good legacy behind.

The lawmaker urged the rich in the country to help the poor masses come out of 
hardship and suffering. She also urged the citizens to be patient with the 
President, expressing optimism that the economic would improve for the 
betterment of all.

(source: today.ng)






EGYPT:

Egyptian court recommends death penalty for journalists, Mursi verdict 
postponed


An Egyptian court on Saturday recommended the death penalty for 3 journalists 
and 3 others charged with endangering national security by leaking state 
secrets and documents to Qatar.

Jordanian national Alaa Omar Sablan and Ibrahim Mohammed Helal, who both work 
for Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, and Asmaa Al Khateeb, a reporter for 
Rassd, a pro-Muslim Brotherhood news network, were sentenced in absentia. They 
can appeal.

The sentence is the latest since a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood after an 
army takeover stripped former president Mohammed Mursi of power in 2013 
following mass protests against his rule. Mursi and other Brotherhood leaders, 
as well as leading figures from the 2011 popular uprising that toppled Hosni 
Mubarak, many of them secular activists and journalists, are now in jail.

Following Saturday's ruling, a final decision is expected on June 18, after the 
sentence has been referred to the top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for 
a non-binding opinion.

Judge Mohammed Shireen Fahmy, who announced the verdict, also said that a 
ruling against Mursi and several others charged in the same case, would be 
postponed to the same date.

Prosecutors in Saturday's case argued that Mursi's aides were involved in 
leaking sensitive documents to Qatari intelligence that exposed the location of 
weapons held by the Egyptian armed forces.

Defence lawyers said that documents were moved out of the presidential palace 
to protect them during growing protests against Mursi's rule, but this process 
was not the responsibility of the president and the documents presented in the 
case show no signs of spying.

"The case's documents are devoid of any type of espionage or participation in 
it," a defence lawyer told Reuters.

Mursi has been sentenced in 3 other cases, including the death penalty for a 
mass jail break during the 2011 uprising and a life sentence for spying on 
behalf of Hamas.

Qatar had supported Mursi, who is in jail along with thousands of Brotherhood 
members, many of whom have been sentenced to death on separate charges.

Relations between Qatar, a Gulf Arab state, and Egypt have been icy since July 
2013 when Egypt's then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi overthrew Mursi.

Sisi says the Brotherhood poses a serious threat to security despite the 
crackdown, which has weakened what was once Egypt's most organised political 
group.

(source: Reuters)