[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 20




NIGERIA/SINGAPORE:

Dabiri-Erewa laments execution of Nigerian in Singapore


The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, 
Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described the execution of a Nigerian in Singapore 
on Friday for drug related offences as heartbreaking.

She also urged Nigerians to avoid drug trafficking which can result in similar 
executions.

In a statement issued in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdur-Rahman 
Balogun, 'titled Execution of a Nigerian in Singapore, Heartbreaking - 
Dabiri-Erewa' the SSA said the planned execution was heartbreaking despite 
repeated warnings to Nigerians to obey the laws of the land of their host 
countries.

Dabiri-Erewa said since Singapore determined to enforce its laws as a deterrent 
to drug trafficking, which has reduced as a result of its stringent capital 
punishment, nothing much can be done

"While we regret the death of the Nigerian, we once again appeal to Nigerians 
to avoid crimes like drug trafficking with most countries especially in Asia 
declaring zero tolerance for drug trafficking", she stated.

She reiterated her appeal to Nigerians to avoid drug peddling in their host 
countries, as the laws of such countries, whether acceptable or not, will be 
difficult to influence.

A Nigerian, Chijoke Obioha was caught in Singapore trafficking in hard drugs on 
December 30, 2008 with his execution slated for and carried out on Friday, 
November 18. Obioha was arrested with more than 2.6 kilogrammes of cannabis, 
surpassing the statutory amount of 500 grammes presumed as drug trafficking in 
Singapore on April 9, 2007.

The international watchdog, Amnesty International had called on Singapore to 
halt Friday's planned execution of Obioha, a Nigerian national on death row for 
possession of drugs, a demand which was ignored. Obioha's family was informed 
that his appeal for clemency was rejected.

Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International's Director for South-East Asia and the 
Pacific, said: "The death penalty is never the solution. It will not rid 
Singapore of drugs. By executing people for drug-related offences, which do not 
meet the threshold of most serious crimes, Singapore is violating international 
law.

Under Singaporean law, when there is a presumption of drug possession and 
trafficking, the burden of proof shifts from the prosecutor to the defendant.

This violates the right to a fair trial by turning the presumption of innocence 
on its head. Drug-related offences do not meet the threshold of the "most 
serious crimes" to which the use of the death penalty must be restricted under 
international law.

International law also prohibits the imposition of the death penalty as a 
mandatory punishment and Amnesty International opposes the use of the death 
penalty outright, regardless of the crime.

(source: today.ng)

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

. . Chijioke Obioha: Lesson Not Learnt


A Nigerian, 38 year old Chijioke Obioha, was executed recently in Singapore 
after he was found guilty of possessing 2.6 kilograms of cannabis (Indian 
hemp). He was caught with the substance in April of 2007 and sentenced to death 
in 2008. Under Singaporean laws, possession of drugs beyond 500 grams attracts 
the death penalty. The Nigerian High Commission in that country made futile 
effort to save his life by appealing for clemency.

The Singapore embarkation card contains a warning to visitors about the death 
penalty for drug trafficking under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Warning signs can 
also be found at the Johor-Singapore Causeway and other border entries. 
Singapore has had capital punishment since it was a British colony and became 
independent before the United Kingdom abolished capital punishment. In 2012, 
however, Singapore amended its laws to exempt some cases from the mandatory 
death sentence while boosting enforcement. Although the penalty will stay, 
discretionary measures are now given to judges.

Possession of and trade in hard drugs is becoming increasingly dangerous all 
over the world. To demonstrate the seriousness attached to the campaign against 
the substances, in certain countries, illegal importing, exporting, sale, or 
possession of drugs constitute capital offences that may result in the death 
penalty. According to a 2011 article by the Lawyers Collective, an NGO in 
India, 32 countries impose capital punishment for offences involving narcotic 
drugs and psychotropic substances. A 2012 report by Harm Reduction 
International documents the 33 countries and territories that retain death 
penalty for drug offences, including 13 in which the sentence is mandatory.

Historically, capital punishment has been used in almost every part of the 
world. Currently, the large majority of countries have either abolished or 
discontinued the practice. As of 31 August 2016, of the 195 independent states 
that are UN members or have UN observer status, 56 retain it in both law and 
practice. 31 have abolished it de facto, namely, according to Amnesty 
International standards, that they have not executed anyone during the last 10 
years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying 
out executions. 6 have abolished it, but retain it for exceptional or special 
circumstances (such as crimes committed in wartime). 102 have abolished it for 
all crimes.

Most human rights organisations have argued that sentencing someone to death 
and actually carrying out the sentence denies them the right to life as 
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is tempting to see 
the issue from that perspective. But most countries that take drastic measures 
against the trade have their reasons which are equally persuasive. For these 
countries and governments, the yield of the drug trade, when ploughed back into 
their systems, distorts the economic and social realities, fuels crime and 
criminal activities not to mention other health implications which result from 
direct consumption of the substances particularly by the more vulnerable 
segment of the society.

Curiously, in our view, this severe punishment has not affected the business in 
any significant way. On the contrary, those engaged in the trade see it just as 
a high risk lucrative business. In other words, if they are not caught, the 
reward is high and worth the trouble.

It may seem attractive to sermonise against the death sentence. This must be 
resisted when the anti-social dimensions to drug trade, possession and 
consumption are considered. Furthermore, it is a punishment the victims decide 
to suffer. They have the other options which include obeying the extant laws 
and staying away from the substances either as barons, couriers or consumers.

Obioha who has just lost his life in Singapore knew about the laws against the 
trade before he set out for the trip. That is why we find it difficult to share 
the position of the human rights activists. He was not the 1st. Even with the 
fate that befell him, there is no guarantee that someone will still not try to 
go to the same Singapore to trade in drugs. Proof that lessons the laws set out 
to teach are not learnt and the victims have only themselves to blame.

(source: Editorial, leadership.ng)






ISRAEL:

Jerusalem's top rabbi says 'homosexuality punishable by death,' faces backlash


Israeli politicians and LGBT activists have called for the resignation of 
Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar after the high-ranked cleric said that 
homosexuality was punishable by death.

"This is a cult of abomination, this is clear," Amar said when asked of his 
attitude toward homosexuality in an interview with Yisrael Hayom newspaper, 
cited by Times of Israel.

"This is an abomination. The Torah says it is punishable by death. It is in the 
1st rank of severe offenses," he said.

Amar added that he didn't believe in some people having a homosexual 
orientation, calling such claims "nonsense."

"There are desires and a person can overcome it if he wants, like all other 
desire," Jerusalem's top rabbi said.

After the release of extracts from Amar interview on Thursday, an LGBT 
activist, Shirley Kleinman, filed a complaint to the police, blaming the cleric 
for incitement to murder.

"Let's try and ensure that this man will not remain in his key public 
position," Kleinman wrote on her Facebook page, as cited by The Jerusalem Post.

"This is not an anti-religious issue, I have nothing against religion, every 
person shall live in accordance with their faith. I do have an interest to 
protect my rights and your rights to live, and [to live with] dignity," she 
said.

The call for Amar's resignation was backed by Knesset members Yael German and 
Meirav Michaeli, who wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious 
Services Minister David Azoulay on the issue.

The parliamentarians from Yesh Atid and the Zionist Union stated that the chief 
rabbi was "exploiting his position" as religious authority "for a campaign of 
dangerous incitement against a large public group in Israel."

"A public figure who endangers the safety of Israeli citizens by discrimination 
and incitement should be fired from their position immediately," German and 
Michaeli said in a letter.

Jerusalem City Council member Laura Wharton addressed Amar directly, calling on 
him to retract on his anti-LGBT statements.

"Your comments are gross incitement, and just one year after the murder of 
Shira Banki [at the 2015 Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade], I would have expected 
that you would know they are destructive of our society," The Jerusalem Post 
cited Wharton as saying.

It's not the 1st time Jerusalem's top rabbi has found himself in hot water 
after his controversial remarks on the LGBT community.

Last year, Amar was criticized for suggesting that most people were "disgusted" 
by homosexuality and labeling Jerusalem's gay pride parade "an embarrassing 
phenomenon."

However, he condemned the murder of a teenager at the 2015 parade, saying that 
the act couldn't be justified.

(source: rt.com)