[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 4




BAHAMAS:

Death Penalty Limitations


Re: 'Criminals Will Ravage Country Unless Death Penalty Enforced' (February 28)

It is absolutely mind-boggling that any reasonable person would tout 
enforcement of the death penalty as a worthwhile solution to crime.

Leaving out well-meaning considerations of ethics and religious beliefs etc, it 
has never been proven to lower crime rates significantly. Therefore, why 
continue to spout the crime-reducing benefits of a death penalty?

Reliance on the death penalty sounds like such an attractively easy and obvious 
solution. Furthermore, state-sanctioned homicide often has instant appeal to an 
apprehensive electorate (as long as it's done in private, of course). It grabs 
the imagination and fires up one's baser emotions very nicely.

But in order to improve our crime situation, we must also educate our young 
properly and use harsh approaches like tough love, community service in 
distinctive dress, curfews, aversion methods and public humiliation (such as 
caning) liberally. This should not only better their brutish lives but improve 
ours as well.

At present, far too many of our young people are actually too stupid to 
comprehend the meaning of a death penalty or any other kind of penalty - unless 
significant physical pain and/or degradation are involved (please spare me any 
references to slavery). Furthermore, the imbeciles are often so incredibly dumb 
that they frequently believe they are invincible and will not get caught. This 
lack of critical reasoning is carried over into adulthood.

On top of all that, they are too mindless to care. Many a bleeding heart will 
be shocked at terminology such as this. They might prefer to talk about 
poverty, lack of love in the home, low self esteem, culpability of the church 
and society etc. Others may even suggest formation of yet another committee to 
look into crime. Meanwhile, it's as if the Bahamian house is burning. When 
there is a fire, there is little point in discussing the problem. We have to 
put the fire out. Immediately.

It would be nice if all the aspects of crime could be handled with a simple 
solution, such as the death penalty, but unfortunately, as much as we would 
wish it to be, it simply is not the case. It never has been and never will be.

We tend to focus on homicides when talking about crime, but homicides are 
simply a final symptom of the widespread disease of lawlessness. Homicide is 
not the first and only crime performed by these dangerously silly, mental 
midgets. Homicide is frequently a result of the previous life of crime that led 
up to it. Therefore, we have to recognise the 'broken windows syndrome' as 
well.

It is now essential to make some hard, expensive efforts to guide/teach the 
rudiments of civilised behaviour forcefully to these cowardly and violent 
predators. If this also means passing appropriate laws, or an introduction of a 
mandatory National Youth Service etc, then we should do it. Also, we must stop 
overlooking crimes of friends, family, lovers and especially our professionals 
and other 'leaders'. We have to confront our failures and admit the only hope 
for our young, trigger-happy nitwits to become somewhat caring, productive 
citizens and improve their economic plight is to insist on, and enforce, 
improved academic or vocational education, as much as possible.

If a death penalty, along with praying and marching makes some people feel 
better, by all means continue. However, the limitations should be recognised.

Meanwhile, at the risk of sounding elitist, let's actually do the hard and 
costly work to do something constructive about the clear connection between 
crime and our young people's tiny, malicious, underdeveloped minds. Most of 
these young are worth salvaging. Not only is it essential for our self 
preservation but it is also our moral duty to try to do whatever is reasonable 
and necessary to accomplish that goal.

KEN W KNOWLES MD

Nassau,

March 31, 2017

(source: Bahamas Tribune)






BANGLADESH:

High Court commutes death sentences in Rakib murder


The High Court has commuted the death penalties handed to the convicts in the 
2015 murder of Rakib Hawlader, a motor workshop worker in Khulna.

On Tuesday, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Jahangir Hossain 
sentenced the 2 convicts -- Omar Sharif and Mintu Khan -- to life in prison.

They were slapped with a Tk 50,000 fine each. They have to serve 2 more years 
in jail in case of failing to hand over the money to Rakib's family.

"It has been found through evidence that the offenders tried to save the boy," 
said the court.

Both Rakib's father Nurul Alam Hawlader and the defence counsel will move to 
the Appellate Division against the verdict.

Rakib used to work at a motor workshop owned by Sharif in Khulna's Tutpara. 
Sharif and his uncle Mintu got enraged after he left the job.

On Aug 3, 2015, they inserted a high-pressure air pump nozzle into his rectum. 
The high air pressure tore the 12-year-old boy's intestines, rectum and bladder 
causing profuse internal bleeding in the stomach.

The incident shocked the nation and calls to bring the perpetrators to justice 
reverberated across the country.

In November the same year, a Khulna court handed death penalty to Sharif and 
Mintu.

Advocate Salma Sultana who is fighting the case for Rakib's family said the 
court's statements were self-contradictory.

"Anyone would die if air is inserted through his or her rectum. It is common 
sense," she said.

Sharif's lawyer Golam Md Chowdhury said what they had received was "partial 
justice".

"The offenders did not flee. They took him to hospital. The murder was not 
intentional."

Sharif's mother Beauty Begum has been acquitted in the case as the allegations 
against her could not be proven.

(source: bdnews24.com)






SAUDI ARABIA:

STOP EXECUTION OF JUVENILES IN SAUDI ARABIA


Ali, Dawood and Abdullah are facing imminent execution. They were arrested 
after allegedly participating in pro-democracy protests and sentenced to death. 
They were all children at the time. They were all tortured into 'confessions' 
and convicted in secret trials.

Torture, forced 'confessions' and death sentences for juveniles - PM must raise 
human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Theresa May has been urged to use a trip to Saudi Arabia to 
press for the release of 3 juveniles who face beheading for allegedly attending 
protests.

Theresa May is due to arrive in Saudi Arabia on today for talks. Her visit 
takes place amid fears for three prisoners who were arrested as children in 
2012 and sentenced to death on charges relating to pro-democracy protests.

Abdullah al-Zaher, Dawoud al-Marhoon and Ali al-Nimr were sentenced to 
beheading and, in Ali's case, 'crucifixion' despite their being 15, 17 and 17 
at the time of their arrest.

All 3 juveniles were tortured into forced 'confessions', and convicted in 
secretive trials. They remain imprisoned, and could be executed at any time 
without notice being given to their families.

"As the Prime Minister makes ever greater overtures towards the Saudi 
Government, the Kingdom continues to carry out appalling abuses - including 
torture, forced 'confessions' and death sentences for juveniles. Theresa May's 
desire for closer relations with the Gulf must not cloud Britain's commitment 
to human rights. The Prime Minister must make it absolutely clear to the Saudis 
that the UK condemns torture and the death penalty - and she must call for the 
immediate release of Ali, Dawood and Abdullah."----Harriet McCulloch, deputy 
director at Reprieve Execution methods

Beheading

Stoning

'Crucifixion' (beheading followed by public display of the body)

Executions in 2017

So far, at least 20 people have been executed (as of 3 March 2017)

Executions in 2016

154 executions were carried out in 2016

Reprieve has previously written to the Prime Minister about the cases, and 
asked her to call on the Saudi authorities to release the three and commute 
their sentences. In a Parliamentary answer last week, Foreign Office minister 
Tobias Ellwood said that the UK "remains concerned about [the] cases" and that 
UK officials last raised concerns with the Gulf Kingdom in January of this 
year. However, the UK appears not to have requested the release of the 3 young 
men.

The Prime Minister is understood not to have directly raised the cases with the 
Saudi authorities on her last visit to the Gulf. On that visit, she promised 
greater security assistance to governments in the region, saying the UK aimed 
to be the Gulf's "partner of choice."

(source: reprieve.org.uk)