[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

August 29



EGYPT:

Court postpones verdict in the Al-Fatah Mosque case



The Cairo Criminal Court postponed Monday the verdict of 493 defendants in the 
Al-Fatah Mosque case to 15 September, state media reported.

The defendants include several high-profile Muslim Brotherhood youth cadres and 
preachers known to have supported the group.

They are charged with murder, attempted murder, violating Al-Fatah mosque, 
protesting, torching public and private properties, attacking security 
personnel, and possessing live weapons, birdshot firearms, and ammunition.

The 1st trial session took place in August 2014.

Amnesty International reported that the judges 'who made up a court panel which 
was due to hear the case recused themselves on account of objections raised by 
the defendants' lawyers'.

Among the defendants is Egyptian-Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa, who Amnesty 
International considered a 'prisoner of conscience', arguing that if convicted 
he could face the death penalty.

'Ibrahim was shot in his hand when the security forces stormed the building, 
but was not given access to medical care for his injury, and the only treatment 
he received was from a cellmate who happened to be a doctor,' the organisation 
said in an earlier statement.

Islamic preacher Salah Soltan, father of the hunger striking detainee Mohamed 
Soltan, is among the defendants.

Violent clashes took place around and inside Al-Fath Mosque, 2 days following 
the forced dispersal of the encampments in support of ousted president Mohamed 
Morsi in August 2013. The clashes left over 90 dead, according to Amnesty 
International.

The organisation argued that the high death toll was a result of the 'reckless 
use of force by the security forces'. The Egyptian government, however, blamed 
the Muslim Brotherhood, arguing that police forces provided 'a safe exist for 
peaceful protesters'.

On 16 August, after the Friday prayers protests started after the Friday sermon 
reaching Ramses Square in downtown. The demonstrations were confronted by riot 
police, taking refuge in the mosque. After hours of confrontations, security 
forces broke into the mosque and arrested scores of protesters.

(source: menafin.com)








IRAN:

Mass Executions, Death Sentences Continue----Call to condemn Tehran, condition 
relations on halting executions



The religious dictatorship ruling Iran continues to issue death sentences and 
carry out executions. The number of prisoners executed in the month of August 
alone has reached over 50.

Seyed Jamal Seyed Mousavi, a Sunni Kurdish political prisoner, was executed on 
August 23 on the bogus charge of moharebe (enmity against God) for having 
contact with Sunni groups. He had endured 9 years behind bars.

The day before Ariya Javeedan was executed in Kerman prison for moharebe and 
disrupting security.

Alireza Tajiki, arrested at the age of 15, was executed on August 10 after 
enduring 6 years behind bars in Diesel Abad prison of Shiraz. A large number of 
prisoners, arrested under the age of 18 for their alleged crimes, are currently 
on death row.

Moreover, another so-called court in Iran has sentenced Mohammad Ali Taheri to 
execution. Introducing himself as the founder of Iranian simontology, Taheri 
has committed no crime, possessed no weapon, and based on this regime's own 
medieval and cruel laws cannot even be charged with the vague charges of 
moharebe or mofsed fel-arz (corruption on earth).

To justify this execution ruling the Iranian regime has charged him with 
"providing illegitimate education, distributing visual-audio work, and illegal 
use of scientific titles." Whereas all Iranian regime officials are involved in 
embezzlement and huge theft from public funds.

Many senior officials of the regime, from its President Hassan Rouhani, 
Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaie, Expediency Council Member Mohammad 
Bagher Ghalibaf and former interior minister Ali Kordan claim to be doctors. 
They are all ridiculed by the Iranian people.

These titles are entirely fabricated or simply documents issued by the regime's 
own educational institutions based on orders from the Ministry of Intelligence 
and Revolutionary Guards.

The Iranian Resistance calls on all human rights advocates and relevant United 
Nations organs to strongly condemn the mullahs' regime for issuing death 
sentences, including the recent ruling of Mr. Taheri, and to take urgent action 
to halt mass executions in Iran. Continuing and expanding political and 
economic relations with this regime must hinge on halting executions and 
improving human rights conditions.

(source: Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran)

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

Taheri's Death Sentence Will Not Stand, Says Hopeful Lawyer



The lawyer for imprisoned Iranian spiritual leader Mohammad Ali Taheri is 
optimistic that the latest death sentence against his client will again be 
turned down upon appeal.

The verdict, issued by Judge Mashallah Ahmadzadeh of Branch 26 of the 
Revolutionary Court on August 27, 2017 on the charge of "corruption on earth" 
will be appealed within the 20-day legal deadline, attorney Mahmoud Alizadeh 
Tabatabaee told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

"The Supreme Court has already rejected the death sentence against my client on 
the same charge and I am hopeful that it will once again declare the verdict 
unlawful and reject it," said Tabatabaee.

The attorney added that the verdict had been issued on the basis of Article 286 
of Iran's Islamic Penal Code which states, "Any person, who extensively commits 
felony against the bodily entity of people, offenses against internal or 
international security of the state, spreading lies, disruption of the economic 
system of the state, arson and destruction of properties, distribution of 
poisonous and bacterial and dangerous materials, and establishment of, or 
aiding and abetting in, places of corruption and prostitution, [on a scale] 
that causes severe disruption in the public order of the state and insecurity, 
or causes harsh damage to the bodily entity of people or public or private 
properties, or causes distribution of corruption and prostitution on a large 
scale, shall be considered as mofsed-e-fel-arz [corrupt on earth] and shall be 
sentenced to death."

As leader of the Erfan-e Halgheh spiritual organization established in the 
2000s, Taheri, 61, was arrested on May 4, 2010 and charged with "insulting the 
sacred," "immoral contact with women," and "carrying out illegal medical 
procedures." At the time, he also taught at Tehran University and practiced a 
form of alternative medicine.

He was sentenced to 5 years in prison and 74 lashes, along with a nine-billion 
rial (approximately $300,000 USD) fine. But instead of being released at the 
end of his sentence, he was re-questioned about his books and sentenced to 
death for spreading "corruption on earth." In December 2015, the Supreme Court 
rejected the death penalty and asked the lower court to review and issue a new 
sentence.

"I don't understand such a sentence being issued in today's world where freedom 
of speech is respected," Taheri's sister, Azardokht, told CHRI in reaction to 
the 2nd death sentence.

"More importantly, the Supreme Court had already acquitted my brother and 
rejected his execution. So how can you sentence him to death again for the same 
charge?

"His sentence must be thrown out and he should go free. Any outcome other than 
his freedom will be unusual and unlawful. This is the verdict his interrogators 
decided for him. The trial was just a pretense.

"They say the sentence is based on charges stemming from his writings. But they 
denied several requests by my brother for copies of his book in prison to 
prepare for his defense. He wrote the books 10 years ago and he's been in 
prison since 2010. He needed to read his books again to be able to defend 
himself."

Iran's security establishment has cracked down on Taheri and supporters of his 
Erfan-e Halgheh spiritual group, viewing it and any other organized alternative 
beliefs as a threat to the prevailing Shia religious establishment.

During a speech on December 28, 2016, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described the 
emergence of spiritual groups in Iran as a Western plot to undermine Islam.

"The enemies are plotting to weaken our young people's faith in Islam and 
Islamic principles by encouraging promiscuity and promoting false spirituality, 
Bahaism and home churches," he said.

In March 2017, Iran's state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) 
aired a documentary titled "The Devil's Circle," which included alleged 
"confessions" from Taheri and several of his followers about the group's 
ideology and activities. In the heavily edited interviews, Taheri's "students" 
claimed he taught anti-Islamic ideas.

(source: Iran Human Rights)








NIGERIA:

Court remands 3 men over kidnap of 2 Filipinos



3 men were on Monday remanded in prison on the orders of an Ebute-Meta Chief 
Magistrates' Court, Lagos, for allegedly kidnapping 2 Filipinos.

The accused - Yinka Adebanjo, 29; Seun Ogunsumbo, 31; and Ishau Awokoya, 32 - 
were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Oluyemisi Adelaja on a 4-count charge 
bordering on conspiracy, kidnap and unlawful possession of arms and ammunition.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Chinalu Uwadione, had told the court that the accused 
committed the offences on July 5 at Odonla in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

He said the accused allegedly kidnapped Jammie Lacar and Mario Maglundo, both 
from the Philippines and staff of Mateco Industry West Africa, and demanded a 
N4 million ransom for their release.

The accused also had in their possession arms and ammunition concealed in a DVD 
player, he alleged.

The offences contravened Sections 2, 3 and 11 of the Kidnapping Prohibition Act 
of Lagos State 2017.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the offence carries death 
penalty.

The offence also contravened Section 329 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 
2015.

NAN reports that the three accused are to be kept behind bars at Ikoyi Prisons 
pending legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

(source: The Nation)








JAPAN:

Japanese man handed death sentence by Yamanashi court over Manilla killings



A 43-year-old Japanese man on Friday was handed a death sentence by a local 
court over the murder of 2 fellow countrymen from Yamanashi Prefecture in the 
Philippines in 2014 and 2015, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 26).

At the Kofu District Court, presiding judge Tetsumi Maruyama handed Toshihiko 
Iwama, a resident of Fuefuki City, the death penalty for crimes that were 
fueled by the collection of insurance money.

"These were very clever and highly planned crimes. There can be no escape from 
the death penalty," the judge said.

Iwama, 42, ordered the killing of Shinsuke Toba, a 32-year-old resident of 
Nirasaki City, who was shot dead inside a taxi on a street in the Philippine 
capital by a gunman riding a motorcycle on October 18, 2014, according to the 
ruling. In September of the year after, Tatsuya Nakamura, a 43-year-old 
resident of Fuefuki, a business acquaintance of Toba, was also killed by a 
hitman hired by Iwama in Manila.

Shoichi Kubo, a 44-year-old accomplice of Iwama, received a life-in-prison term 
in the case.

Insurance policies

Toba operated an osteopathic clinic in Nirasaki while Nakamura was a company 
employee. According to a previous report, a traveler's insurance policy valued 
at 100 million yen had been taken out on Toba. Another policy valued at 50 
million yen was taken out in the name of Nakamura. However, payouts were not 
made for either policy.

In its closing argument, the prosecution indicated that insurance payouts were 
the motives for the crimes. The defense claimed innocence, countering the 
accusations by saying that Iwama was not suffering from financial problems.

(source: tokyoreporter.com)