[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 10




PAKSITAN----execution

Death row convict hanged in Sahiwal


A death row prisoner involved in murder case was executed in the Central Jail 
Sahiwal on early Tuesday morning, Dunya News reported.

According to details, prisoner Mansha had killed a man in 2001 during a robbery 
attempt. The dead body of the prisoner was handed over to his heirs after the 
execution.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted a 6-year moratorium on death penalty on 
December 17, 2014 for those convicted for terrorism a day after the deadly 
attack on Army Public School in Peshawar that left 150 persons including mostly 
children dead. There are more than 8,000 prisoners on death row in the country.

(source: Dunya News)






IRAN----executions

2 Prisoners Hanged in Northwestern Iran


2 prisoners with murder charges were reportedly hanged at Darya, Urmia's 
central prison (in the province of West Azerbaijan, northwestern Iran), on 
Monday May 9.

According to a report by the human rights news agency, HRANA, these 2 prisoners 
are among 6 who were transferred to solitary confinement at this prison on 
Sunday May 8 in preparation for their executions. HRANA has identified the s 
executed prisoners as Nasser Saeedi and Mehdi Naboshi.

s of the other prisoners, reportedly identified as Omid Behrouz and Khaled 
Zika, succeeded to postpone their executions for a brief period of time and 
were returned to their cells. Behrouz is scheduled to be executed one month 
from now and Zika in 5 days. The other 2 prisoners, reportedly identified as 
Behnam Hassanzadeh and Hesam Neez, were spared from execution after they 
succeeded to receive consent from the plaintiffs on their case files. They were 
also returned to their cells.

Iranian official sources, including state-run media and the Judiciary, have 
been silent on these executions.

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

Prisoner Hanged in Southern Iran on Drug Charges


A prisoner with drug charges was reportedly hanged at Minab Prison (in the 
southern Hormozgan province) on Sunday May 8. The Baloch Activists Campaign has 
identified the prisoner as Mohsen Bahaoldini, a man who resided in Giran, a 
town located in the southern Sistan & Baluchestan province of Iran. Iranian 
official sources, including state run media and the Judiciary, have been silent 
about Bahaoldini's execution.

(source for both: Iran Human Rights)






INDONESIA:

Govt Agrees on Death Penalty for Rapists


The government has agreed to give maximum penalties to rapists and sexual 
offenders. The agreement is the result of a coordination meeting between 
ministries that was held at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human 
Development and Culture Monday, May 10, 2016.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yasonna H. Laoly said that the prison 
sentence for rapists and sexual offenders will be extended from 15 years to 20 
years. Some rapists and offenders can also be given life sentences.

"They may also be given the death penalty if the victim dies," Yasonna said.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan 
Maharani said that the identity of sex offenders will also be revealed to the 
public. "So that the public knows that the offenders have committed an inhumane 
crime," said Puan.

Yasona said that that only adult rapists and sex offenders will have their 
identities revealed to the public. The identities of offenders who are still 
minors when they committed the crime will be kept private.

The government will also impose social sanctions to enhance the deterrent 
effect and provide shock therapy. "We are still discussing the technicalities 
of this social punishment," Puan said.

During their sentences, the criminals will be guided and rehabilitated to 
prevent them from repeating their crimes.

The coordination meeting this morning also discussed the possibility of 
castrating sexual offenders and rapists. No decisions have been made regarding 
this idea.

Puan said the meeting was held in response to the rampant cases of rape and 
sexual assaults. The most recent case is one that took the life of a 
14-year-old girl in Bengkulu, who was gang-raped and killed by her assaulters.

The police have arrested 12 suspects. 2 others are still at large. 7 suspects 
are currently being tried in court.

(source: tempo.co)

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

Preparations for Next Round of Death Penalty on Track: A-G Prasetyo


Preparations ahead of the 3rd round of executions are on track with 14 death 
row inmates on the list, Attorney General H.M. Prasetyo said on Monday.

"Preparations [of execution] have been conducted and the legal base as well. We 
just need to choose the time," Prasetyo told reporters.

The Attorney General's Office, however, is still keeping the dates of 
executions and the names of inmates secret, although it is believed the round 
will take place this year.

"We never said it would stop. The executions will be continued, but are yet to 
name the time," he said.

The 3rd round was expected to take place early this year but was postponed due 
to budget issues within the AGO.

Unconfirmed reports have said 14 death-row inmates have been included in the 
list, including 10 foreigners.

While the list of inmates in this round of execution is still unclear, the AGO 
has collected the list of foreign death convicts.

As reported by Vivanews, they are Ozias Sibanda and Federik Luttar of Zimbabwe; 
Okonwo Nonso Kingsley, Humphrey Ejike, Ek Fere Dike Ole Kamala, Michael Titus 
Igweh, Eugene Ape, Obina Nwajagu, Stephen Rasheed, Ken Michael and Jhon 
Sebastian of Nigeria; Gurdip Singh of India; Zulfikar Ali of Pakistan; Kamjai 
Khong and Bunyong Khaosa of Thailand and Emmanuel Iherjika of Sierra Leone.

The list also includes Tham Tuck Yen, Lim Jit Wee, Leong Kim Ping, Tan Cho Hee, 
Lee Cee Heen, E Wee Hock and Kweh Teik Choon of Malaysia; Zhang Manquan, Chen 
Hongxin, Jian Yuxin, Gan Chunyi and Zhu Xuxiong of China; Nicolaas Garnick and 
Siegfried Mets of Holland; Frank Amando of United States; Gareth Done Cashmore 
and Lindsay June Sandifor of England; Akbar Chakan of Iran and Seck Osmone of 
Senegal.

Last year, most of the executed inmates were foreigners, prompting a wave of 
international condemnation of Indonesia's use of capital punishment as well as 
diplomatic pressure from many countries.

After the executions, Australia temporarily recalled its ambassador to 
Indonesia following the execution of Bali Nine duo Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew 
Chan.

(source: Jakarta Globe)






NIGERIA:

Will death penalty end kidnapping?


In 2 months last year, there were 225 kidnap cases in 23 states. In October 
alone, there were 108 kidnappings and sea piracy in 24 states, with 180 
victims, including 26 foreigners. Alarmed, the Senate has proposed capital 
punishment for kidnappers. Can this stem the tide? ROBERT EGBE writes.

"I slept on the bare floor inside the bush throughout. My abductors covered 
their faces and changed locations as they moved about four times daily to avoid 
arrest. I had severe backache; I was drenched in the rain and was fed only 
bread and soft drink."----Chief Olu Falae (77), narrating his 4-day experience 
in a kidnapper's den last September.

Numbers do not lie. Or do they? In its Global Kidnap Review 2016, NYA 
International, a crisis prevention and response group, listed Nigeria 10th 
among "severe threat countries" for kidnapping.

The top 5 countries on the list are Libya, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of 
Congo and Somalia, all are torn or recovering from a war.

NYA said last year, "severe" kidnapping was perpetrated by the Boko Haram sect 
in Nigeria; there was also politically-motivated abduction of high-profile 
nationals.

The group added: "There has, however, been an increase in wealthy, prominent 
victims, indicating a shift towards criminally-motivated kidnappings.

"The line between piracy and kidnapping has become increasingly blurred as 
wealthy locals are increasingly being targeted."

A report by Reuters in February said at least 2 persons are kidnapped each 
month. It identified the kidnap hubs to include the Niger Delta "with the 
threat from both militants and armed gangs."

It continued: "Ransoms for foreign nationals range from $28,000 to $204,000, 
with ransom payments for Nigerians generally less than $100,000. Time spent in 
captivity is varied, with the longest period some 465 days."

At the 18th African Reinsurance Forum of African Insurance Organisation (AIO) 
hosted by the Insurance Institute of Mauritius in 2012, Nigeria was designated 
as the global capital for kidnap for ransom. AIO said: "The number of kidnaps 
for ransom in Africa continued to increase. In the 1st half of 2011, Africa's 
proportion of the global total increased from 23 % in 2010 to 34 %. Nigeria is 
now the kidnap for ransom capital of the world, accounting for 1/4 of globally 
reported cases."

It said there was an upsurge in the demand for terrorism insurance to provide 
financial cover in the event of a kidnap.

On April 15, 2014, perhaps Nigeria's most high profile kidnap incident occurred 
with the abduction of 276 female students by Boko Haram; 219 of them are yet to 
be found.

Also abducted were Mike Ozekhome (SAN) (August 23, 2013), Mrs. Toyin Nwosu, the 
wife of Mr Steven Nwosu, Deputy Managing Director, The Sun Newspaper; Sheikh 
Adam Idoko, Deputy Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for 
Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), who was kidnapped in Ogrute Enugu-Ezike on September 
3.

Last September 21, national leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and 
1-time presidential candidate Chief Olu Falae was also abducted, while last 
Tuesday, former Minister of State for Education Senator Iyabo Anisulowo 
regained her freedom after 7 days with her abductors. A leading Nollywood 
actor, Pete Edochie, was also kidnapped, as well as wife of Supreme Court 
Justice, Doyin Rhodes-Vivour.

Death penalty for kidnappers?

In response to the surge, 7 states - Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu 
and Imo enacted laws making kidnapping punishable by death.

They have since been joined by Cross River, Kogi, Bayelsa, and Edo States.

The 1st capital punishment convictions for kidnapping were recorded last Friday 
in Ebonyi State, when an Abakaliki High Court sentenced 2 persons, Onyemachi 
Oge and Okechukwu Oma, to death by hanging for kidnapping a medical doctor.

Justice Eze Udu found them guilty of abducting Dr. Chuka Manyike of the 
Paediatrics Department, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, on May 5, 2013, 
at his private hospital at 15, Owerri Street, Abakaliki.

They were said to have received N200,000 from the N3 million ransom that was 
paid before the doctor was released after 6 days in captivity.

This action by the states is soon to be replicated at federal level with the 
resolution by the Senate on May 4, to enact a countrywide legislation 
prescribing the death penalty for kidnappers.

The resolution followed the submission and consideration of the report of its 
Joint Committee on Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence on the 
"unfortunate recurrence of kidnapping and hostage-taking in Nigeria."

The recommendation for death penalty was recommended by Senator Adamu Aliero 
(APC-Kebbi Central) in respect of a motion on the recurrence of kidnapping and 
hostage-taking in Nigeria, entitled: "A National Wake-Up Call".

Senators were outraged that kidnapping and hostage-taking, which used to be a 
problem in the Southsouth and Southeast, were becoming widespread.

The report observed that between October and November 2015, there were 225 
recorded kidnap cases recorded in 23 states across the country with over N85m 
ransom demanded and N28m paid by victims.

Earlier in the presentation of the report, Chairman of the Joint Committee, 
Senator Abu Ibrahim, relying on another report by the Department of State 
Security (DSS) stated that in October 2015, there were a total of 108 kidnap 
and sea piracy incidents in 24 states where 180 victims, including 26 
foreigners, were involved.

The Senate also asked state governments that had not done so to enact laws that 
would prosecute kidnappers in their jurisdiction

However, until the Act is passed, only Houses of Assembly can enact laws on 
kidnapping since it is not on the exclusive list of the Nigerian Constitution.

Global practices

Can death penalty deter kidnapping in Nigeria? It is possible, if the Singapore 
example is anything to go by.

The United States, Singapore, Taiwan, and St. Kitts & Nevis prescribed death 
for the offence of kidnapping, just like China, North Korea, Iran and Saudi 
Arabia.

Under the US Federal Kidnapping Act of 1932, if the victim is physically harmed 
in any manner during a kidnap, the crime could qualify for capital punishment.

In Singapore, executing kidnapers is legal. The country's Kidnapping Act of 
1961 designates abduction, wrongful restraint or wrongful confinement for 
ransom as capital offences.

According to a January 12, 2014 publication by online news agency, Asia One, 
quoting Singaporean, The New Paper, kidnapping was rare in the city-state 
because of the stiff penalty.

In the report titled: "Kidnapping rare because of death penalty", it quoted 
criminal lawyers, who explained that people were rarely abducted in the country 
because of the tough laws.

They also noted that Singapore's small size could also be another deterrent, as 
it makes it difficult to hold someone hostage for a long time.

Singapore's Parliamentary Reports of October 23, 2007 also quoted Senior 
Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee as saying that a study 
had shown that "95 % of Singaporeans feel that the death penalty should stay."

Govt proposes special court

Last Friday, the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC) 
Chairman Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) said the Federal Government is set to create a 
special court to speedily try certain offenses, including kidnapping.

He spoke in Abuja at an Anti-Corruption Summit organised by the Federal 
Ministry of Justice in conjunction with a group, Open Society Initiative for 
West Africa (OSIWA) and ONE Africa.

Sagay said his committee had completed the draft of a Bill for the 
establishment of special court. He said the draft, which is being taken through 
the required legal processes, will aid the establishment of the special court 
to deal with the special cases speedily.

Alternative view

Head of Department, Jurisprudence and International Law, University of Lagos 
(UNILAG) Dr. Adedayo Ayoade feels the Senate's proposal might be a knee jerk 
reaction.

He said: "Politicians tend to panic whenever there???s a problem, when they 
should think very carefully about the issues and then try to resolve it.

"Making kidnapping a capital offence will not solve the problem because they 
are dealing with a society where there are significant social issues that allow 
for kidnapping; wide income gap, deep poverty, deteriorating economic 
situation, very porous and poor security environment."

Ayoade urged the senators to channel their energies "towards solving the 
nation's problems by showing good example, letting us know how much they earn 
and by not spending so much money on themselves.":

"Things like these are more likely to have a longer time effect on the nation 
this issue of capital offence," he said.

He added: "If you go to those places where the houses of kidnappers are 
destroyed, pulling down their homes once they are caught; has it resolved the 
problem?

"So, the death penalty for kidnapping won't solve the problem at all. They're 
just trying to show that they are busy, but unfortunately they are very busy in 
the wrong direction."

On the proposal for kidnapping to be included in the jurisdiction of the 
proposed special court, National President, Committee for the Defence of Human 
Rights (CDHR) Malachy Ugwummadu expressed reservations.

He warned the government to avoid over-regulating the society.

Ugwummadu said: "On the call for special court, we must try, particularly those 
of us in the legal community must help to ensure that our country is not over 
regulated, and that we don't proliferate these courts.

"We're talking of special courts for robbery, corruption, kidnapping, special 
courts for child abuse etc. With respect, that is not how to run a society. We 
must deal with the fundamental causes of these vices, so as to make their 
occurrence impossible."

He added that "instead of looking in the direction of special courts, let us 
first consider deploying the state's energy in reviving the security apparatus 
of the country.

"There will be serious disincentive for some of these crimes if you kidnap and 
you are arrested in the next 48 hours. The business will completely disappear.

"But if you kidnap and after one month you are still waxing strong and 
collecting money randomly from people, it'll mean that there's a market for 
it."

Ugwummadu said only the government could provide the kind of disincentive that 
is necessary.

"It comes from the government through the security agents, and the Constitution 
of Nigeria under Section 14(2)(c) is that the welfare and security of the 
people shall be the primary responsibility of government."

(source: thenationonline.ng)