[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Sept. 13




ETHIOPIA:

UN Human Rights Chief 'Deeply Concerned' Over Ethiopia Abuses


The UN's human rights chief has used a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council 
to criticise Ethiopia for a recent crackdown on opposition which has included 
the kidnapping and sentencing to death of a British man, Andargachew 'Andy' 
Tsege.

Speaking this morning at the opening session of the Council, Zeid Ra'ad Al 
Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: "While Ethiopia has 
made impressive gains in terms of economic development, we are deeply concerned 
about repeated allegations of excessive and lethal use of force against 
protestors, enforced disappearances, and mass detentions, including of 
children, as well as by worrying restrictions on civil society, the media and 
opposition."

The High Commissioner said it was "mystifying" that the Ethiopian government 
refused to allow his office access to parts of the country where human rights 
abuses - including the recent shooting of protestors - have been alleged.

Among the victims of a recent crackdown on dissent in Ethiopia is Andargachew 
'Andy' Tsege, a British father of 3 who is held under a sentence of death, 
handed down in absentia in 2009. Mr Tsege was kidnapped from an international 
airport in June 2014 and 'rendered' to Ethiopia, where he has been held ever 
since.

International human rights organization Reprieve, assisting Mr Tsege's family 
in London, has raised concerns about the UK's approach to the case, which has 
focused on a call for 'legal access' for him. In June, former UK Foreign 
Secretary Philip Hammond returned from a visit to Ethiopia claiming that he had 
"secure[d] legal representation" for Mr Tsege - however, last month it emerged 
that Mr Tsege has not yet been given a pen with which to write a request for a 
lawyer.

American diplomats observing Mr Tsege's in absentia trial in 2009 said it 
"lacked basic elements of due process", and described it as "political 
retaliation." UN experts have said that Mr Tsege was sentenced to death 
"without due process" and in violation of his rights under the Convention 
Against Torture. UK MPs, the European Parliament, and members of Congress have 
called for his release.

Commenting, Maya Foa - director of the death penalty team at Reprieve - said: 
"Ethiopia's ruling party has shown that it has no qualms about brutally 
crushing those who dare to oppose the government - shooting protestors, locking 
up journalists, and sentencing political opponents to death, in trials which US 
embassy officials have described as 'political retaliation'. This is a 
government which sentenced British father of 3 Andy Tsege to death whilst he 
was living in London, then kidnapped him from an international airport, and has 
held him illegally ever since.

"The High Commissioner is right to sound an urgent warning over these terrible 
abuses. Countries that are close to Ethiopia - including the UK - must urge 
Ethiopian officials to end the repression, and release Andy and the many others 
who are unjustly imprisoned."

(source: commondreams.org)

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

Boris Johnson Is 'Comfortable' With My Partner's Kidnap, Torture And Death 
Sentence


My British partner, Andargachew "Andy" Tsege, has spent over 2 years on 
Ethiopia's death row for daring to speak out against one of Africa's most 
brutal dictatorships.

Last week I went to the High Court in London with our three children for a 
hearing about how the Foreign Office has handled Andy's case. The court said it 
could not force the British government to do more to help Andy. "I am sad 
because I thought this judge would help us bring back my dad," our 9-year-old 
daughter told me afterwards.

Every British passport says Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State promises 
to ensure that the bearer should receive "such assistance and protection as may 
be necessary." In other words, Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, has a duty 
to help British citizens like Andy when they are in peril abroad.

We went to court because in 2 years the Foreign Office has not even called for 
Andy's release, something it has done in many similar cases. When Boris became 
Foreign Secretary, I hoped he would help Andy. After all, as Mayor of London, 
he wrote to me saying, "I am truly saddened to hear of Mr Tsege's situation.... 
with no foreign policy remit, any other intervention is beyond my powers as 
Mayor of London...I very much hope Mr Tsege safely returns to the UK in the 
near future."

Now that Boris has the power to help, I was sickened to see his lawyers tell 
the court they were "comfortable" that Andy is not being ill-treated. How can 
they say this when British Embassy staff only visit Andy with a guard in the 
room? Andy would be forced to say he is the victim of torture in front of his 
torturers.

Boris should listen to the UN, whose Special Rapporteur on Torture said in 
February that "Ethiopia, by subjecting Mr. Tsege to torture, ill-treatment, 
prolonged solitary confinement and incommunicado detention, by denying him 
access to adequate medical care and legal process, and by sentencing him to 
death without due process for a non-violent crime, has violated his right to be 
free from torture." Or the US State Department, which in its 2015 report on 
Ethiopia, found that "security officials tortured and otherwise abused 
detainees."

Instead, Boris's barristers argued that there has been no "grave breach of 
international law, particularly in the context of human rights". I think Andy's 
case involves lots of violations and abuses. He was kidnapped off a plane in 
the Middle East and bundled into Ethiopia, where he was constantly shackled for 
the first fortnight and held in a secret prison for months. He now sits in a 
cell facing execution for his peaceful political opposition to a repressive 
Ethiopian regime, after a trial where he was not invited to be present.

The Foreign Office claims that doing more for Andy "would have consequences for 
[our] relationship with Ethiopia..." So Boris is more worried about offending a 
totalitarian state than repatriating a British citizen to his family. This is 
appeasement. When did those who represent Britain become so cowardly?

(source: reprieve.org)






SIERRA LEONE:

Amnesty re-echoes call for the removal of Death Penalty


Following the death sentence passed on Baimba Moi Foray alias LA Chocolate and 
Foday Amara Kamara alias G-Fag, Amnesty International Sierra Leone (AISL) has 
re-echoed its call for the repeal of the death penalty.

Speaking to Awoko newspaper last Friday on the sentence, the Executive Director 
of AISL, Solomon Sogbandi said though the judgment was based on the laws of the 
country, it was "not fashionable in the 21st century."

He stated that the death penalty should be replaced by life sentence, adding 
that seizing ones freedom is worse than killing the person and that even if he 
is released he is released after a long time, he would have lost touch with 
society. He furthered that, the State should be proactive in addressing the 
issue of violence rather than reacting to it. "Where we see the State 
implementing the death penalty, it is reacting to the violence in the country."

He went on to say, "though many people are pushing for the death penalty 
because of what is happening among the youths, it is not a deterrent to youth 
violence in the country."

"Killing for killing" Sogbandi said, will not solve the problem rather they 
should ensure that the youth understand the value system of the country.

He urged that, the laws which have death penalty attached to them be removed 
from our law books. Suggesting also, the Executive Director said the government 
should try to improve the working conditions of judges and other law enforcers; 
to ensure that they are well resourced so that they will perform well.

Sogbandi also stressed on the issue of political interference, saying "there 
should be no political interference in the justice system. We should capacitate 
the justice system and make them well resourced to stand up against their 
challenges."

Amnesty international is among those organizations that have been calling for 
the repeal of the death penalty in the country. Since the truth and 
reconciliation commission made this recommendation after the country's civil 
war over a decade ago; Sierra Leone is yet to abolish this law.

Meanwhile the public is waiting to see whether the said sentence on the two 
convicts will be implemented.

The convicts were sentenced to death by hanging last Thursday.

(source: awoko.org)






PHILIPPINES/INDONESIA:

Duterte on Veloso: 'The law is the law'


Saying "the law is the law," President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he would 
respect whatever the decision of Indonesian President Joko Widodo would be on 
the case of Filipino drug convict Mary Jane Veloso who is on death row in 
Indonesia.

"I just said, 'We will respect the judgment of your courts, period,'" Duterte 
said in a speech before the members of the 250th Philippine Airlift Wing at the 
Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

"It would have been a bad taste in the mouth to be talking about having a 
strong posture on drugs and here you are begging for something ... I'm sorry, I 
have nothing to apologize [for]because the law is the law," he added.

The President issued the statement after Widodo was quoted by the Indonesian 
press as saying Duterte had given the green light for the execution of Veloso.

Duterte went to Jakarta last week for a working visit and met with Widodo, who 
is also leading a campaign against drugs in Indonesia.

In a report, the Jakarta Post, citing the Antara news agency, said: "President 
Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo said on Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte 
had given the green light for the execution of Filipina death row inmate Mary 
Jane Veloso."

But Duterte insisted that he did not mention Veloso's case to Widodo when they 
talked about Indonesia's anti-drug campaign and death penalty law in Jakarta 
last Friday.

Duterte said on Tuesday his utterance of "go ahead" referred to his support for 
Indonesia's death penalty and not to Veloso???s case specifically.

"I had a talk with Widodo. He has 4 million [drug addicts in Indonesia]. We 
talked about that. We said we will implement the laws. Then I said, 'Mr 
President, so as not to apologize or anything, It's good you have the death 
penalty here. At least you can bring the problem to the barest minimum,'" he 
said. The President added: "I said, 'Go ahead and implement the law. We never 
mentioned about Veloso.'"

Veloso, on death row in Indonesia for her drug trafficking charge in 2010, was 
supposed to be executed together with other foreigners in Indonesia last year, 
but was spared by Widodo after an appeal from then President Benigno Aquino 
3rd.

Upon arriving from Jakarta early on Saturday, Duterte was mum on what he and 
Widodo discussed in relation to the Veloso case, saying he needed to talk to 
the Veloso family first.

Veloso's mother, Celia, told a radio interview on Tuesday she was confused with 
the turn of events, and was awaiting the government's advise on when she would 
be able to meet the President.

Celia said her daughter called her up after watching Widodo's interview with 
reporters. While Mary Jane was resigned to whatever would be her fate, she 
wanted help from the President, Celia said.

Clemency after court decision

In Malacanang, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the Philippine 
government would seek clemency for Veloso once Indonesia's Supreme Court acts 
on her case.

Speaking to reporters, Abella said there was no need to appeal for Veloso's 
life as there was no scheduled execution.

"The execution of Mary Jane Veloso had already been indefinitely deferred. 
Indonesia had previously agreed to allow Ms. Veloso to testify to the 
accusation and the criminal prosecution of her illegal recruiters in the 
Philippines," Abella said in a news conference.

"When the Indonesian Supreme Court decides to act on the execution, that would 
be the time to present the compelling evidence of Veloso's innocence as a 
justification for a plea of clemency," he added.

Abella claimed foreign media misinterpreted Duterte's pronouncement that he 
would "accept whatever final decision they (Indonesian government) will have on 
Veloso."

Abella was quick to clarify that the Palace was not blaming Widodo's choice of 
words before journalists in Indonesia.

"We are not saying Jokowi misinterpreted him (Duterte). We are just giving you 
the context," Abella said.

Also on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said Duterte did not ask 
for clemency from Widodo during their bilateral meeting in Jakarta last week 
because it was ???not the proper time."

Veloso, a single mother of 2 from Nueva Ecija, was sentenced to death in 
October 2010 after she was caught bringing in heroin at Yogyakarta's Adisucipto 
International Airport in April that year.

She has maintained her innocence, claiming she was duped into carrying the 
suitcase by her recruiter, who convinced her to go to Indonesia after losing a 
job in Malaysia.

(source: Maila Times)






CHINA:

5 Indians caught smuggling drugs in China may face death penalty: 
Lawyers----Indian diplomats in China will be able to meet the accused on Sept. 
21.


5 Indians arrested in China for alleged involvement in two cases of drug 
trafficking could face life imprisonment or even death sentence, say lawyers. 
The accused, who hail from Kidderpore in Kolkata, have been identified as 
Sheikh Ahmad Ali (46), Akrar Khan (33), Feroz Khan (31), Sheikh Ismail (24) and 
Maqsud Alam (24). Ismail is a student of Syamaprasad College in Kolkata.

They have denied knowledge about 24 kg of hashish found hidden in their laptop 
bags and packets of snacks. They were on their way to Shenzhen in southeastern 
China, an industrial and trade city that links Hong Kong to China's mainland.

According to legal protocol, Indian diplomats in China will be able to meet the 
accused on Sept. 21 and till then they will not be allowed to get in touch with 
their families.

Punishment, according to the law in China, is stricter when the quantity seized 
is large as that indicates the intent to sell. Cases involving drug lords, 
professional drug dealers or re-offenders may invite capital punishment in 
serious cases.

Death sentence may also be used to punish drug smuggling, organised 
transnational drug crime and armed or violent drug crime, according to Chinese 
news agency Xinhua.

Last year, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) had also issued a circular 
emphasising that death penalty should be used to punish drug crime.

"It is a very serious offence. According to the law, any deals related to the 
sales of marijuana over one kg could attract a punishment of a jail term of 15 
years," Shanghai-based lawyer Wang Chune was quoted as saying by Hindustan 
Times. But the quantity involved makes the 5 suspects vulnerable to harsher 
punishment, she added.

Beijing-based criminal lawyer Zhang Liwen, who handles drug-related cases, also 
agreed with Wang. "The punishment is likely to be 15 years imprisonment, life 
sentence or death penalty - death sentence is possible," Zhang said, adding 
that the results of the suspects being administered drug tests being found 
negative will be of little help to them.

"Whether these suspects took drugs or not will have no influence on their 
sentencing and judgment," Zhang added.

Zhang also highlighted that Chinese law doesn't discriminate between Chinese 
nationals and foreigners and the same laws will apply to the Indians. There 
have been past precedents of foreign nationals being executed for drug related 
offences in China, including 5 nationals from Philippines, 6 from Japan and 1 
man from Britain.

(source: ibtimes.co.uk)






RUSSIA:

Russia intends to use Crimea for the death penalty restoration


Program Director of the Valdai Discussion Club Oleg Barabanov believes that 
Russia should withdraw from the Council of Europe and restore the death 
penalty.

"One of the controversial things that Russia made, joining the Council of 
Europe, is abolition of the death penalty. It is still controversial in public 
opinion. A guerilla or a maniac sits in a colony and eats the bread of our 
taxpayers," said Barabanov.

He believes that Russia should take advantage of the international situation as 
it has developed after the annexation of Crimea to hold a referendum on the 
issue.

"Crimea can be used as an excuse to start debates about what is more important 
to us: our membership in the international club or the restoration of the death 
penalty for the most brutal crimes," said Barabanov.

(source: sobytiya.info)