[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

may 30



SUDAN:

Sudan to charge detained Pastor with death penalty


A pastor could face the death penalty after his attorney told International 
Christian Concern that the Sudanese government is planning to charge him with 
espionage and other crimes against the state.

Last December, Sudanese officials had arrested Church of Christ Pastor Hassan 
Taour and has held him incommunicado ever since.

According to Taour's attorney, Mohaned Mustafa, his client is awaiting charges 
under several sections of Sudan's Criminal Act of 1991. The charges range from 
"waging war against the state" to "disclosure and obtaining information and 
official documents."

Mustafa defended Pastors Peter Yein Reith and Yat Michael who faced similar 
charges before international pressure compelled Sudan to release them in 
August. Mustafa also defended Meriam Ibrahim, who was sentenced to hang in 2014 
for both apostasy and adultery by marrying a Christian and practicing his 
faith. Sudanese authorities released Ibrahim later that same year.

Sudan is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
Rights, which protects religious freedom.

"Sudan continues to show itself as the enemy of religious freedom and one of 
the prime persecutors of the Church in Africa," said Troy Augustine, ICC's 
regional manager for Africa. "The government's actions towards Hassan 
Abduraheem Taour are deeply unjust .... However, as we have seen in the past 
with the cases of Meriam Ibrahim and Pastors Peter and Yat, Sudan often 
responds to international pressure. ICC calls on everyone concerned to voice 
your protest with the Sudanese Embassy in Washington and Ambassador Maowia 
Osman Khalid to call for Rev. Taour's immediate release...."

Last week Sudanese authorities re-arrested Pastor Kwa Shamaal, who along with 
the Rev. Hassan Abdelrahim Tawor could face charges calling for the death 
penalty, according to Morning Star News.

As head of missions for the Sudanese Church of Christ, Shamaal was re-arrested 
in Khartoum after a National Intelligence and Security Services prosecutor 
interrogated him at security offices. Shamaal and Tawor had been arrested from 
their respective homes last December; Shamaal was released on Dec. 21, but he 
had to report daily to NISS office.

On May 10, Tawor was transferred from prison to a holding cell for those facing 
crimes against the state, indicating that his trial could soon come under 
fabricated charges of espionage and other serious offenses calling for the 
death penalty. An attorney said Shamaal could face the same charges.

(source: Worthy News)






KUWAIT:

Kuwait upholds death sentence for mosque blast ringleader


Kuwait's supreme court today upheld the death sentence handed down to the main 
convict in the Islamic State group bombing of a Shiite mosque that killed 26 
people.

The court confirmed the sentence of capital punishment passed on Abdulrahman 
Sabah Saud, a stateless man who drove the Saudi suicide bomber to the mosque in 
June last year. The court also upheld jail terms of between 2 and 15 years for 
8 people, including 4 women, and acquitted 15 others including 3 women.

The court did not hear the appeals of 5 others -- 4 Saudis and a stateless man 
-- who had been sentenced to death in absentia by a lower court.

Under Kuwaiti law, sentences issued in absentia are not reviewed by higher 
courts until those convicted appear in person.

The 4 Saudi men still at large include 2 brothers who smuggled the explosives 
belt used in the attack into Kuwait from neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The 5th man 
is a stateless Arab.

29 defendants, including 7 women, had been charged with helping the Saudi 
suicide bomber attack a Shiite mosque in the capital, which was the bloodiest 
in Kuwait's history.

An IS-affiliated group calling itself Najd Province claimed the bombing as well 
as suicide attacks on 2 Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia in May last year.

Najd is the central region of Saudi Arabia.

The Sunni extremists of IS consider Shiites to be heretics and have repeatedly 
attacked Shiite targets in the region.

In addition to driving the suicide bomber, Saud was also charged with bringing 
the explosives belt from a site near the border and aiding the bomber.

At his initial trial, Saud confessed to most charges, but later denied them all 
in the appeals and supreme courts.

The death penalty in Kuwait is carried out by hanging, and to be implemented it 
requires the approval of the Gulf state's ruler.

Among the supreme court's main verdicts today, the court upheld the commuting 
of the death sentence for the alleged IS leader in Kuwait, Fahad Farraj 
Muhareb, to 15 years in prison.

It also upheld the acquittal of Jarrah Nimer, owner of the car used to 
transport the bomber.

Courts in Kuwait have previously handed down several verdicts against IS 
supporters and financiers.

(source: Agence France-Presse)






INDONESIA:

Cleric calls on govt not to carry out executions during Ramadhan


A local leader of Indonesia's biggest Islamic organization has called on the 
Attorney General's Office ( AGO ) not to carry out the anticipated execution of 
several drug convicts during the fasting month of Ramadhan, which begins on 
July 6.

KH. Maslahuddin, the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama ( NU ) in Cilacap, Central 
Java, said it was hoped the government would respect the holiness of Ramadhan 
and give the death row inmates a chance to repent before God in the special 
month for Muslim people.

"After that, please carry out the execution as quickly as possible. Do not 
postpone it further," Maslahuddin told journalists last week.

He said if necessary the executions could even be conducted before Ramadhan. 
"So that prosecutors, firing squad personnel, the Muslim death row inmates and 
other parties involved in the execution can be devoted to carrying out their 
Ramadhan religious services," Maslahuddin said.

He said it was important that the AGO not repeatedly postpone the execution of 
the convicts, especially in the case of those whose court ruling was already 
final and could not be legally challenged, so the punishment would create a 
deterrent effect on other drug crime perpetrators.

"It should be conducted as soon as possible -- the sooner the better. The 
execution and threat of the death penalty must be continuously communicated to 
the public so that potential perpetrators think twice before committing such 
crimes," said Maslahuddin.

Repeatedly postponing the execution of the sentences would only open room for 
perpetrators to file appeals or use other legal measures in an effort to escape 
the death penalty.

Citing an example, Maslahuddin said the second appeal and a repent and forswear 
request letter filed by drug convict Freddy Budiman at the Cilacap District 
Court were merely aimed at postponing the execution of his death sentence.

As reported earlier, the AGO confirmed it would soon carry out a 3rd round of 
executions conducted under President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. However, the AGO has 
not yet provided details on the date of the execution and the number of inmates 
to be executed.

The government reportedly delayed the execution due to ongoing legal measures 
by lawyers of several convicts. The AGO executed 14 people convicted for drug 
crimes in 2 rounds last year.

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

Govt to submit appeal for Indonesian on death row in Malaysia


The Foreign Ministry will submit an appeal to the Penang High Court in Malaysia 
regarding Indonesian migrant worker Rita Krisdianti, who was sentenced to the 
death penalty on Monday for her alleged involvement in drug smuggling.

Taufiq Rodhi, general consul at the Indonesian Consulate General in Penang, 
said Indonesian officials had instructed an attorney from law firm Goi & Azzura 
to submit an appeal as the ruling was still at the 1st level of the court 
system.

"Through the Foreign Ministry, we will keep coordinating with all stakeholders 
who can help us to provide evidence that could lessen [the punishment]," Taufiq 
said in a statement.

The opportunity remained, therefore, for further defense from the Indonesian 
side, he added.

The ministry said it had also cooperated and coordinated with the Indonesian 
Consulate General in Hong Kong, the country where Rita worked from January to 
April 2013, as well as the local administration of Ponorogo regency, East Java, 
where Rita is registered as a resident.

It was also coordinating closely with Rita's family, who attended the hearing 
with the Consulate General in Penang, Taufiq said.

Indonesian NGOs such as Migrant Care have been given permission to monitor the 
development of the case, which held its 21st hearing on Monday.

Separately, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir asserted that 
officials would keep pushing and monitoring the appeal process. He gave his 
assurances that the legal process was still ongoing.

Rita has been sentenced to the death penalty under section 39B of Malaysia's 
1952 Dangerous Drugs Act, following her arrest on July 10, 2013, when Malaysian 
authorities at Penang's Bayan Lepas Airport found over 4 kilograms of crystal 
methamphetamine in her bag.

She claimed she did not know about the meth, saying the bag belonged to a 
fellow Indonesian who had managed her travel arrangements from Hong Kong to 
Penang, via Bangkok and New Delhi.

According to the Foreign Ministry, there are currently 154 Indonesian convicts 
on death row in Malaysia, with 102 citizens - 66 % - involved in drug cases.

The ministry has coordinated closely with the National Narcotics Agency ( BNN ) 
to assist the Indonesians by providing information to those who are allegedly 
victims of drug smuggling.

Workers in Indonesia have begun to show their solidarity with Rita by changing 
their display pictures on Facebook. The hashtag #SaveRitaKrisdianti has also 
been widely used. Demonstrations have taken place outside the Malaysian Embassy 
in Jakarta, demanding the release of Rita and safety for other Indonesian 
migrant workers facing the death penalty.

(source for both: Jakarta Post)

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

No death penalty for Jessica: Australia


Australia insists an Indonesian woman accused of murdering her friend with a 
cyanide-laced coffee will not face the death penalty, after Jakarta prosecutors 
stated publicly it was still "possible".

Jessica Kumala Wongso is accused of killing her 27-year-old friend Wayan Mirna 
Salihin in January with a poisoned Vietnamese ice coffee at a popular Jakarta 
restaurant.

On Friday, after months while the case file on the alleged murder was 
repeatedly sent back to police due to lack of evidence, prosecutors declared 
the investigation complete and she was handed over to them amid a crush of 
shouting local media.

The 2 women had studied together in Australia and the Australian Federal Police 
agreed to assist with the investigation after they were assured by Indonesia 
that the death penalty would not be "sought nor carried out".

It was a position that Jakarta Attorney Office spokesman Waluyo refused to 
publicly concede on Friday, saying it was still "possible" she would face the 
death penalty.

In a statement from the Australian Attorney-General's Department, a 
spokesperson reiterated to AAP that the "Indonesian government has given an 
assurance to the Australian government that the death penalty will not be 
sought nor carried out in relation to the alleged offending".

"Australian Federal Police continue to assist the Indonesian National Police 
with its investigation ... For operational reasons it would not be appropriate 
to comment further."

According to Jakarta police, Jessica met Mirna and their friend Hani on January 
6, during a trip home to Indonesia and poisoned her.

Moments after, Mirna collapsed and began convulsing.

Jessica, who continues to maintain her innocence, has been taken to the women's 
penitentiary, Pondok Bambu Prison in Jakarta to await trial.

(source: The Courier Mail)






TAIWAN:

Death penalty issue not urgent: justice minister


There is no urgency to resolve the question of whether to abolish the death 
penalty in Taiwan, Justice Minister Chiu Tai-san said Monday, in response to 
questions in the Legislature about his stance on the issue.

Chiu said Taiwan maintains the death penalty, both in law and in practice, and 
his ministry will continue to carry out the execution of death row inmates 
after grave consideration.

Nonetheless, Taiwan is aware of the views of the international community, the 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International 
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights -- 2 international human 
rights covenants that Taiwan ratified in 2009, he said.

Any move to abolish capital punishment will be a complex process, Chiu said, 
noting that it has long been a contentious issue in the society.

"I hope consensus can be forged through dialogue," Chiu said at a legislative 
hearing, when asked whether his ministry planned to push for abolition of the 
death penalty.

10 days before Chiu took office on May 20, his predecessor Luo Ying-shay gave 
the order for the execution of one of the 43 death row inmates in Taiwan. Cheng 
Chieh, who killed 4 people in random a knife attack on a Taipei Metro train in 
2014, was executed by gunshots to the back on May 11.

(source: focustaiwan.tw)






NORWAY:

World Congress against death penalty in Oslo


Norway will host the World Congress against the death penalty in Oslo in June.

The countries still practising the death penalty and also those who have 
abolished this punishment will participate in the 6th World Congress that will 
take place between June 21 and 23, Norwayemb.org.in said on its website.

The congress aims to open dialogue across different positions and geographical 
regions, recognising that exchange is needed to move together towards more 
effective and more humane justice systems.

The topics like national institutions for human rights and progress and 
setbacks in Asia will be on the agenda this year.

Other important topics such as death penalty and terrorism, minorities and 
psychological health will be discussed by about 1,300 participants from over 80 
countries.

The fight against the death penalty is a high political priority for Norway, 
and the country plays an active role in the international efforts to abolish 
it, a statement on the site said.

(source: Business Standard)






IRELAND:

Kerry barrister selected to work with US Innocence Project


A young Irish legal eagle has been selected to work on a US miscarriage of 
justice project which helped highlight the Steven Avery case featured in the 
smash Netflix series, Making a Murderer.

Barrister Marie-Louise Donovan, 24, from Moyvane in Co Kerry, jetted out to the 
US at the weekend to begin a three-month voluntary placement with the Innocence 
Project which has freed over 340 wrongfully convicted prisoners, some of whom 
were facing the death penalty.

She is 1 of just 3 Irish lawyers chosen by the Bar Council of Ireland to work 
this year on the project founded by lawyers Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, who 
were both on OJ Simpson's defence team in his famous murder trial in 1995.

Each US state now has its own Innocence Project, which, since its foundation in 
1992, has proven the innocence of and secured the freedom of over 340 
wrongfully convicted inmates, at least 20 of whom served time on death row. The 
inmates served an average of 14 years before being cleared.

The Wisconsin Innocence Project helped highlight Steven Avery's case which was 
the focus of the global hit Netflix documentary Making a Murderer. Avery, who 
has been in jail for 18 years, remains behind bars despite serious questions 
over his conviction.

Ms Donovan will be based in Cincinnati until August, working with the Ohio 
Innocence Project which has, since its foundation in 2003, exonerated 23 
inmates in a state where the current method of capital punishment is lethal 
injection.

"I applied to work on the Innocence Project when I was 21, shortly after 
qualifying as a barrister, but I was told I was too young," Ms Donovan said.

???Looking back now, they were probably right. But I'm really looking forward 
to it now. It is such a worthwhile cause and I'm looking forward to helping. I 
think this is a very worthwhile cause and we are always striving to improve our 
own criminal justice system here so I am very much looking forward to moving 
over to Ohio and working with the Innocence Project there over the next few 
months.

"It should be a very educational and rewarding experience. It will be a 
privilege."

Ms Donovan, whose parents are teachers in Listowel, started school aged four, 
sat her leaving cert aged 16, graduated from UCC with a law degree aged 19, and 
was called to the bar shortly after her 21st birthday, making history by 
becoming the youngest person to qualify as a barrister in Ireland.

After 3 years working in Dublin, she is now working on the South Western 
Circuit covering Kerry, Limerick and Clare.

She will spend the summer recess working voluntarily in Ohio with other lawyers 
from around the world to help exonerate wrongfully convicted inmates who are 
serving life sentences or who are on death row.

The Innocence Project teams take on certain cases post conviction and 
specialise in using advances in DNA testing, uncovering evidence of police 
misconduct, and in driving reforms of the criminal justice system to prevent 
future injustice.

They also review cold cases and engage in fieldwork interviews with key 
witnesses in the hope that they can prove a person\'s innocence before they are 
executed.

Ms Donovan said witnesses often come forward with new evidence or testimony 
years after a person has been convicted.

She said some of the cases she will be working on will involve inmates who are 
facing execution soon.

"I hope to provide a fresh pair of eyes. Coming from another jurisdiction, we 
might see things that may have been overlooked," she said.

An Irish Innocence Project was founded in Dublin in 2009 by David Langwallner, 
the Dean of Law at Griffith College.

(source: Irish Post)