[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 23




MALAYSIA:

Execution Date Set For Malaysian Brothers (Malaysia: UA 53/17)






Urgent Action

February 23, 2017


Suthar Batumalai and B. Rames Batumalai are scheduled to be executed on Friday, 
24 February 2017. The brothers were convicted of murder in 2010 on the basis of 
circumstantial evidence and sentenced to the mandatory death penalty.


Suthar Batumalai and B. Rames Batumalai are brothers facing execution by 
hanging in Malaysia on 24 February 2017. They were sentenced to the mandatory 
death penalty in April 2010 under section 302 of the Penal Code after they were 
found guilty of a murder committed on 4 February 2006. On 22 February 2017 the 
pair were moved, from their two separate detention facilities, to Kajang 
prison, Selangor State, where the executions will take place. A new clemency 
petition has been submitted for the consideration of the Sultan and Parole 
Board on 23 February.

The brothers, who were represented at trial by the same lawyer, were convicted 
on the basis of circumstantial evidence alone. During the trial they claimed 
that they had intervened to stop two other men from attacking and killing the 
deceased, claims which were disregarded by the High Court. The Court also 
failed to call a key witness, the deceased’s wife, to testify. Her testimony 
could have corroborated the brothers’ version of the facts, and the involvement 
of the two other men in the murder. The police had also failed to take blood 
samples and fingerprint samples to establish a direct link to the accused, as 
it stated it was not crucial and the identity of the accused had been 
confirmed. The final sentence was handed out on 30 October 2012 by the Federal 
Court.

The 1984 UN Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing 
the death penalty provide that the death penalty be imposed “only when the 
guilt of the person charged is based upon clear and convincing evidence leaving 
no room for an alternative explanation of the facts.”




1) TAKE ACTION

Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:

• Immediately take all the necessary steps to halt the execution of Suthar and 
B. Rames Batumalai , and to accept their new clemency appeal;
• Immediately establish a moratorium on executions and commute all death 
sentence as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty;
• Move forward with legislative reforms on the mandatory death penalty and 
abolish this punishment from national legislation.



Contact these two officials by 6 April, 2017:

Prime Minister of Malaysia

Mohd Najib Razak

Office of The Prime Minister of Malaysia Main Block,

Perdana Putra Building Federal Government Administrative Centre,

62502 Putrajaya, Malaysia

Fax: +603-88883444 or +603-88883904

Email: ppm at pmo.gov.my

Salutation: Dear Prime Minister



H.E. Ambassador Datuk Dr. Awang Adek Hussin

Embassy of Malaysia

3516 International Court, NW, Washington DC 20008

Fax: 1 202 572 9882

Phone: 202 572 9700

Email: mwwashington at kln.gov.my

Salutation: Dear Ambassador

(source: Amnesty International)