[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 31




UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:

Family disowns Obaidah's killer, seeks death penalty for the accused----Man has 
criminal record in his home country


The Jordanian national accused of killing 9-year-old Sharjah boy Obaidah has a 
criminal record in his home country, reported Emarat Al Youm newspaper.

Identified as N. Issa, the accused lured the child - also a Jordanian - 2 weeks 
ago from his father's garage in the industrial area of Sharjah, strangled him 
to death after failing to molest him.

Quoting its sources in the Jordanian capital of Amman, the newspaper reported 
that the defendant has a criminal record and committed crimes such as indecent 
assaults and threats to harm others.

The defendant was reportedly confined to his house and was kept under security 
surveillance due to the criminal record. He was instructed to report to a 
nearby police station on a daily basis to inform officials about his 
activities.

The accused was sentenced in 1 case and was charged in another lawsuit.

Moreover, the information revealed that a circular was also issued in Jordan to 
bring the accused to his homeland to face the charges.

The murder of 9-year-old Obaidah sparked angry reactions in the UAE and Jordan.

The accused's father, identified as Issa Abdullah, urged authorities to 
expedite the process and award death penalty to his son.

Family of the accused issued a statement, condemning and disowning him and also 
asking for his death penalty.

(source: emirates247.com)






INDONESIA:

HRWG Condemns the Death Penalty Verdict to Rita


Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) Indonesia said in its press release Tuesday, 
May 31, 2016 that it regrets and condemns the decision of Penang Court, 
Malaysia, today, on the case of Indonesian migrant worker Rita Krisdianti who 
is sentenced to death because she was charged as a drug smuggler.

Rita is accused as one of the networks of narcotics mafia. She was caught by 
Malaysia airport officials who found a 4kg methamphetamine in her bag.

Based on the press release, Rita has some witnesses in Macau that said that 
Rita did not realize that her bag was contained with methamphetamine on her way 
back from India to Malaysia for a business. After her contract as a maid in 
Hong Kong had expired, Rita was offered by a friend a job that has made her 
went to New Delhi, India, to take the deposit bag. Rita thought she was only 
bringing Saris (Indian traditional clothes); her friend had prohibited her to 
open the bag.

The HRWG calls on the Malaysian Government its relevant authorities to 
immediately consider the case and to review the decision with a fair legal 
process and ensure that Rita has a special attention due to her innocence. The 
organization also encourages the Indonesia Government to take strategic 
actions, especially to assist Rita to get legal assistances who is expert in 
human rights.

Currently, there are 281 Indonesians who have either been sentenced to death or 
might be given a death sentence abroad, HRWG said. The largest number of 
Indonesian migrant workers facing the death penalty abroad is located in 
Malaysia. As many as 212 Indonesians are presently undergoing trial, and 73 
have already been sentenced.

The HRWG viewed the death penalty is the ultimate denial of the right to life, 
a violation of fundamental human rights.

(source: tempo.com)






BANGLADESH:


Bangladesh Police have proved their ability in combating militancy as the 
investigation by the department ensured death penalty of 62 top militants, 
Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque said.

"Of the 62 militants, 6 have already been executied and 56 others are awaiting 
penalty as their trial procedure is underway in different courts including High 
Court and Appellate Division," said the police chief.

IGP was addressing the inauguration of CCTV security in Dhaka Metropolitan 
Police's Lalbagh division at the central auditorium of Jagannath University 
(JNU) on Tuesday. JnU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mizanur Rahman presided over 
the ceremony while DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah was the special guest.

/ IGP also said that they had been able to show their success unearthing many 
clueless cases, like the double murder of Xulhaz Mannan and Tonoy that took 
place at Kalabagan area in the capital recently.

"Around the killing spot, there was no close circuit television camera (CCTV) 
installed, however, we have successfully detected the perpetrators. And now 
drives are underway to arrest the criminals," the IGP said.

(source: Dhaka Tribune)






SRI LANKA:

Death penalty handed down to Chilaw man over the muder of his wife


Chilaw Magistrate's Court has handed down the death penalty to a man who locked 
his wife in a room and set fire to her body.

Magistrate Ravindra Amal Ranaraja thus sentenced a father of 3 from Galawatte 
area in Chilaw.

The crime has taken place in 2007, and after the case was taken up on courts he 
was released on bail. He has later married again.

(source: Hiru News)



UGANDA:

Kasiwukira murder case stalls over lack of witnesses


The trial of three suspected killers of slain city businessman Eria Ssebunya 
Bugembe alias Kasiwukira was on Monday stalled at the High Court in Kampala 
following the absence of prosecution witnesses in court. The widow of the slain 
businessman Sarah Nabikolo, 62, her cousin sister Sandra Nakungu, 36, and a 
police officer Ashraf Jaden, 40, who were charged for allegedly murdering 
Kasiwukira were further remanded to Luzira Prsion.

Speaking during the proceedings, which was held in the Judge's chamber, 
Principal State Attorney, Samali Wakooli asked court to halt the proceedings, 
citing lack of witnesses.

"The case had been fixed today for further hearing, but we are not ready 
because the witnesses did not turn up in court," She requested.

Meanwhile, her request was not objected by the defence lawyers who included 
MacDusman Kabega, Ladislaus Rwaakafuzi and Leonard Kasibante.

This prompted the presiding Judge, Wilson Masalu Musene, the head of Criminal 
division of the High Court to postpone the hearing of the case.

At the moment, over 17 witnesses have testified against the accused persons.

Clad in formal black dress and a pink jacket, Nabikolo looked confident before 
the presiding judge as his clerk interpreted the court proceedings in Luganda.

The trio was indicted with the offence of murder contrary to section 188 and 
189 of the Penal Code Act (PCA). Any person who is convicted of murder faces a 
maximum penalty of death.

Prosecution alleges that Kasiwukira was on October 17, 2014 reportedly murdered 
at about 6:00am in Muyenga diplomatic zone.

(source: newvision.co.ug)


IRAN:

Mohammad Reza Haddadi Remains in Danger of Execution----The May 31st execution 
order for Mohammad Reza Haddadi was stopped, but he remains in imminent danger 
of execution.


Hossein Ahmadiniaz, the lawyer for Mohammad Reza Haddadi, has reportedly 
announced that the execution order for his client has been stopped pending a 
judicial review. However, prison officials have told Mohammad's father that his 
son's execution order has been stopped temporarily and will be carried out 2 
days from now.

According to close sources, Mohammad Reza Haddadi's execution was scheduled to 
be carried out early morning on Tuesday May 31st. "I went to see the plaintiffs 
on my son's case file and begged them to stop his execution. They said they 
will delay his execution for 3 days. I was informed by the prison officials 
that Mohammad's execution will be carried out 3 days from now," says Mohammad's 
father to Iran Human Rights.

Mohammad Reza Haddadi was born in 1987 and has been imprisoned since 2002. He 
along with 2 older boys, who were both reportedly over the age of 18, were 
arrested by Iranian authorities for allegedly stealing a car and murdering a 
man. Mohammad had initially confessed to the murder, but retracted his 
confession in court, claiming that he only accepted responsibility for the 
murder because his 2 co-defendants had offered to give his family money and 
also because they convinced him that he would not be sentenced to death since 
he was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offense.

Due to the conflicting information regarding the fate of Mohammad Reza Haddadi, 
Iran Human Rights calls on the international community to continue drawing 
attention to his case until there is official confirmation on his situation. 
"As long as there is no official announcement made on his case by Iranian 
authorities, Mohammad Reza Haddadi remains in imminent danger of execution. We 
urge the international community to call on Iranian authorities to quash the 
death sentences for more than 160 juvenile offenders in Iranian prisons," says 
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson for Iran Human Rights.

(source: Iran Human Rights)






BAHRAIN:

Appeals court upholds death sentence for police killers


The Terror Crime Prosecution Chief Advocate General Ahmed Al Hammadi said the 
High Court of Appeals today upheld death and lifetime sentences pronounced by a 
lower court against defendants for killing 3 officers.

The defendants were found guilty of placing an explosive device to target 
police forces in the Northern Area on March 3, 2014, that killed 
first-lieutenant Tariq Mohammed Al Shehi and policemen Mohammed Raslan and 
Ammar Abdou Ali Mohammed.

The court ruled the execution of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th suspects and a life in 
jail term for the 1st suspect and the 5th to the 10th suspects.

The court also revoked the citizenship of the 1st 8 suspects, and ordered all 
suspects to re-pay collectively for the damage incurred from the incident.

The suspects had lured the police forces to the location of the blast through 
rioting that necessitated the intervention of the public order servicemen.

The suspects detonated the device as the police force arrived, resulting in the 
death of three officers and the injuries of 13 others.

Investigations carried out by the public prosecution indicated that the first 
and second suspects had formed a terror group as part of the so-called Saraya 
Al Ashtar terrorist organisation.

They succeeded in recruiting the other suspects who had experience in making 
and using explosives and in acts of rioting with the purpose of forming groups 
that undertake terror attacks against policemen, destruction of vital security 
installations to undermine public order and to prevent the authorities from 
carrying out their work.

The suspects made several explosive packages and held several meetings during 
which they prepared their criminal plot to achieve the goals and purposes of 
the group.

As part of their terror plot, they agreed to use a funeral procession and laid 
explosives attached to remote detonation devices in different locations where 
in they knew the forces would gather to maintain public order. They lured the 
forces to the locations of the explosives with the purpose of causing the 
biggest number of causalities among them.

The suspects during the previous night placed 3 explosives on the road and 
tasked the 4th suspect to detonate the 1st which killed the 3 policemen. They 
assigned other members of the group who are still at large to detonate the 2nd 
and 3rd under the supervision of the 3rd suspect while the 5th suspect would 
photograph the location and the rest of suspects would monitor the situation. 
On March 3, 2014, they faked the rioting to lure the police forces to the 
location. The 4th suspect followed the police arrival from the top of a 
building and as soon as the servicemen arrived he detonated the explosive using 
a mobile phone.

The suspects could not detonate the 2 other explosives as the 2nd package was 
affected by the 1st blast and since none of the policemen has approached the 
location of the 3rd explosive.

The prosecution referred the 8 suspects, 3 in absentia, to the 4th High 
Criminal Court.

The case was deliberated during the sessions of the Criminal Court which 
listened to their defence arguments. The court enabled them to present all 
aspects of their defence arguments.

The court listened to the Public Prosecution's argument in conclusion of which 
it demanded the maximum penalty be meted out on the suspects. The court issued 
its sentence after it found the suspects guilty.

The court relied in its verdict on the firm evidence presented by the Public 
Prosecution that the suspects had committed the crimes ascribed to them, 
including reliance on witnesses' testimonies, seized materials and tools used 
in making the explosives found in possession of the suspects, including 
evidence of communications found in the phone of 1 of the suspects on the day 
of the incident.

The court also relied on technical reports including traces of human cells of 
one of the suspect on the explosives placed on the location of the crime.

Under Bahrain's law, the case can be taken to the Cassation Court for the 
ultimate ruling.

(source: Bahrain News Agency)