[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Jan. 10



JAPAN:

Former Aum cultist publishes memoir on gas attacks, cult leader


The sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system on March 20, 1995 killed 13 and 
left more than 6,000 people injured.

A former executive of the Aum Shinrikyo cult who helped manufacture the sarin 
gas that killed 13 people and sickened more than 6,000 on the Tokyo subway 
system in 1995 has published a memoir.

In it, Tomomasa Nakagawa, 54, a former medical doctor and now death-row inmate, 
reveals the method used by the cult to manufacture the deadly nerve gas and 
also discusses former Aum leader Shoko Asahara, whom he cared for.

"He was a criminal before (being regarded as) a religious leader in that he 
transformed a religious organization into a criminal enterprise," Nakagawa 
noted about Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto.

Matsumoto, 61, is also on death row.

Nakagawa published the memoir in the November issue of Gendai Kagaku (Chemistry 
Today), urged by Anthony Tu, professor emeritus at Colorado State University 
and an authority of toxicology.

Tu, who wrote a book on the subway attacks and also a 1994 sarin attack in 
Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, that killed 8 people and sickened about 600, has 
interviewed Nakagawa many times.

The cultist, whose death sentence was finalized in 2011, was involved in both 
sarin atrocities and also the abduction and murders of anti-Aum lawyer Tsutsumi 
Sakamoto and his family members in 1989.

At the beginning of the memoir, whose main theme was "Why was (Aum) able to 
manufacture sarin?" Nakagawa apologizes to victims of the series of crimes 
committed by Aum cultists.

As for Asahara's skill as a leader of yoga and meditation sessions, Nakagawa 
writes, "His capability was extremely high."

"There were no people who joined Aum to commit murders. Including me, those who 
put absolute trust in Asahara in the fields of yoga and meditation became 
involved in the (fatal) incidents," Nakagawa recalls.

He also reveals the chemical formulas he says were used to manufacture the 
sarin, which the cult began producing in around 1992.

In January 1995, the media reported that police suspected Aum was behind the 
sarin attack in Matsumoto. The gas was sprayed in a residential area in June 
the previous year.

Aum members hurriedly disposed of several hundreds of tons of sarin and other 
chemical substances to prevent police from finding the stockpile, Nakagawa 
writes in the memoir.

"All of us were poisoned by sarin (while doing that). I was just about able to 
stand," he recalls.

The sarin attacks on the Tokyo subway system were carried out on March 20, 
1995.

Nakagawa was one of the cultists who manufactured it, utilizing chemicals that 
were not disposed of in the January clearing out.

Nakagawa said in court that Yoshihiro Inoue, 47, also a former Aum executive 
and a death-row inmate, was responsible for storing the chemicals.

However, in a court ruling on a different former executive of Aum, it was 
stated keeping the chemicals was Nakagawa's job.

"Whatever the reason, terrorism is always intolerable," the memoir reads.

It concludes with, "The background (of the act) of joining dangerous religious 
or terrorist organizations and the background (of the act) of carrying out 
terror acts after joining those organizations should be distinguished."

Minoru Kariya, 56, the eldest son of Kiyoshi, a notary public who was also 
abducted and killed by Aum in 1995 at the age of 68, said that many bereaved 
families still have questions after listening to the remarks made by various 
Aum members in court.

"If former executives of Aum release their memoirs, it could help clarify the 
facts (of the series of crimes committed by the organization)," said Kariya, 
who has repeatedly interviewed Inoue and Nakagawa.

(source: Asahi Shimbun)






BAHRAIN:

Bahrain uses torture evidence to sentence 3 more to death


Bahrain's highest court has Monday upheld the death sentences of 3 men, despite 
allegations that they were tortured into making false confessions. Their 
executions are now imminent.

Abbas al-Samea, Sami Mushaima, and Ali al-Singace were originally sentenced to 
death in February 2015.

All 3 were tortured into signing false 'confessions' that were used against 
them in court.

Mr Mushaima was forced to sign documents despite being illiterate. He is a 
relative of a prominent opposition politician, but has never been involved in 
activism.

Mr al-Samea was admitted to hospital for surgery as a result of his 
interrogation. He is a PE teacher and aspiring photojournalist who had taken 
pictures at a protest.

The 3 men's death sentences were overturned in October 2016 after a court ruled 
that their initial sentences were "misjudgements."

However, in December 2016, the appeals court reinstated their death sentences.

Human rights organization Reprieve wrote to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa 
May asking her to raise the issue of police torture and the death penalty ahead 
of her meeting in Bahrain last month.

Millions of pounds in UK government aid have been spent on training Bahrain's 
police, prison guards and torture watchdog in recent years.

Commenting, Maya Foa, a director of Reprieve, said:

"It is extremely alarming that Bahrain, a close ally of Britain, is gearing up 
to execute 3 people, all of whom were convicted on the basis of false 
'confessions' extracted through torture. Abbas al-Samea, Sami Mushaima, and Ali 
al-Singace will be the first people to be executed in Bahrain in 6 years. All 3 
were charged with political offences and tortured into signing 'confessions' 
that were used against them in court - despite 1 of them being illiterate and 
not able to read the document. On her recent visit to Bahrain, Theresa May said 
that the UK 'does not uphold our values and human rights by turning our back on 
this issue' yet apparently declined to raise the cases of these prisoners 
facing imminent execution. The UK must do more to ensure its close allies do 
not render them complicit in the gravest abuses."

(source: Reprieve)






PAKISTAN----execution

Man hanged over judge's murder in Adiyala Jail


A death row prisoner was executed in Adiyala Jail on Tuesday morning over 
murdering 2 people, which included a judge, ARY News reported.

According to details, the murderer Naveed Hussain executed in the wee hours of 
Tuesday morning. After execution, the body was handed over to the relatives.

Jail sources said that Hussain had murdered a anti-terrorism court judge 
Jamshed Khan in 2006. He had escaped from Skardu Jail in 2013 and killed 
another person during that period.

Pakistan lifted a moratorium on the death penalty - on 17th December 2014 - a 
day after Taliban gunmen attacked Army Public School Peshawar, killing 132 
students and 9 teachers.

The bloodshed had shocked the nation and put pressure on the government to do 
more to tackle the Taliban insurgency.

A moratorium on the death penalty was imposed in 2008 after the Pakistan 
People's Party (PPP) government took reins of power in the country and only 1 
execution took place during its 5-year tenure.

(source: arynews.tv)






NIGERIA:

Lagos lawmaker explains reason behind death penalty law for Kidnappers


The chairman of Lagos state House of Assembly committee on public account has 
explained why the state passed the death penalty law for kidnappers

According to Hon Moshood Oshun, the law was passed to reduce criminal acts in 
Lagos

The chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly committee on public account, 
Hon Moshood Oshun, says the inclusion of a death penalty in the recently passed 
bill against kidnapping by the Assembly was to deter people of the state from 
taking up such vices.

(source: naij.com)




INDONESIA:

Mixed Messages on the Death Penalty in Indonesia's Drug War


Indonesian authorities are sending mixed messages on the death penalty. The 
country abstained on a UN resolution for its abolition, and the president 
hinted at ending it, but some senior political figures are calling for the 
increased execution of drug offenders.

On December 19, 2016, Indonesia was one of 31 countries that abstained from 
voting on a UN resolution that called for a moratorium on the use of the death 
penalty, the Jakarta Post reports. The UN has voted on a resolution on 
abolishing the death penalty every 2 years since 2008. Indonesia has abstained 
on every such resolution since 2012; prior to this, it had consistently voted 
against the measures.

Human rights advocates, including the Human Rights Working Group, praised the 
government's abstention, as Indonesia has built a reputation as a prolific 
executioner of non-violent drug offenders under President Joko Widodo.

Between 2010 and 2014, despite numerous people being sentenced to death in 
Indonesia, no executions took place. This changed after Widodo entered office 
in October 2014, since which 18 people have been executed - all for drug 
trafficking.

Many of those executed were foreigners whose respective governments engaged in 
futile diplomatic efforts to reduce their citizens' sentences. At least 2 death 
row inmates, including one who was executed last year, accused law enforcement 
of torture during their interrogation.

Despite Widodo's renewal of the death penalty, he recently hinted at potential 
reform. In an interview with ABC News in November 2016, the president said, "We 
are very open to options. I don't know when but we want to move towards that 
direction [of abolishing capital punishment]."

While Widodo's remarks suggest that human rights progress may be on the horizon 
for Indonesia, statements from other authorities paint a far darker picture of 
the future of the country's drug policy.

Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo stated in early December that executions 
were planned "in the near future", and that the state would be prioritising 
people convicted of drug-related crimes.

In December, Budi Waseso - chief of the country's National Narcotics Agency 
(BNN) - told members of a new regional counter-narcotic taskforce, "Don't 
hesitate to shoot drug traffickers, drug dealers and drug users. Anyone 
involved in drug trafficking should be punished harshly, including traitors in 
the BNN body".

With echoes of President Rodrigo Duterte's calls for the slaughter of alleged 
drug offenders in the Philippines, Waseso's remarks suggest that a striking 
intensification of the Indonesian approach to drug policy may occur.

Indonesian NGOs have repeatedly urged the government to officially end the 
death penalty, pointing out the lack of evidence for its supposed deterrent 
effect, and arguing that it contributes to societal harms.

Ardhany Suryadarma, Policy Manager for the EU-funded project, Asia Action on 
Harm Reduction, proclaimed: "These executions only exacerbate the 
stigmatisation of people who use drugs, driving them underground, and away from 
[harm reduction interventions, which] ... keep individuals safer and curb the 
HIV epidemic."

The country has, seemingly, reached a crossroads, and the next step that it 
takes in regard to the death penalty will clarify its place in a region that is 
increasingly divided on the matter.

For example, Malaysia seems to have introduced a secret moratorium on capital 
punishment for drug-related offences.

Conversely, President Duterte's state-mandated violence against people 
allegedly involved with drugs has left at least 6,000 people dead in the 
Philippines since July 2016. Despite international condemnation, his government 
advocates the continuation of his lethal campaign.

There are clearly conflicting ideologies between different authorities in 
Indonesia, and it is unclear which path the government will take. The country 
is currently at a crossroads: will Widodo stay true to his word and move 
towards adherence to the UN resolution? Will Indonesia return to its 
traditional approach of state-mandated executions? Or will it begin 
implementing extrajudicial killings as seen in the Philippines?

(source: talkingdrugs.org)


UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:

Dubai attorney general 'will not rest until Obaida's killer is dead'


Dubai's attorney general said that he would not rest until the death penalty 
against the man who raped and killed 9-year-old Obaida Al Aqrabawi was carried 
out.

Essam Al Humaidan posted the statement on Dubai Public Prosecution's official 
Twitter account after Dubai Court of Appeal said it would announce its verdict 
in the case on January 22.

His comments were triggered by the defence argument in court in which Nidal 
Eisah Abdullah Abu Ali's appointed lawyer said that the defendant's mental 
assessment report did not clarify whether him being an antisocial person was a 
disease or not.

The attorney general said this was an attempt by the lawyer to convince the 
court that the defendant suffers from a mental illness, in the hope of earning 
a reduced sentence.

"Bringing justice after what happened to Obaida is our responsibility. We carry 
the heavy weight of his blood, and Dubai Public Prosecution will not accept 
less than the death penalty. We will follow this case through appeal, cassation 
and until the moment the killer is executed," Mr Al Humaidan said.

Jordanian Obaida was kidnapped on May 20 last year while playing outside his 
father's garage in Sharjah's industrial area. His body was found 2 days later 
in Al Warqa, Dubai.

The killer, 48-year-old Abu Ali, who is also Jordanian, was handed the death 
penalty by Dubai Criminal Court on August 15 last year on charges of kidnap, 
rape, premeditated murder and consuming alcohol, as well as driving while under 
the influence of alcohol.

(source: The National)






IRAN----executions

2 Prisoners Executed in Public


2 prisoners were hanged in public in the city of Sarpol-e Zahab (Kermanshah 
province, western Iran) on Moharebeh charges (enmity against God).

According to a report by the Iranian state-run media IRIB, the executions were 
carried out in public on the morning of Sunday January 8. The prisoners were 
reportedly charged with armed robbery and the murder of a police officer. 
Although the state-run media has not identified the names of the prisoners, the 
unofficial news agency, Kurdpa, has identified the 2 prisoners as Rouhollah 
Koshtemad and Sajjad Zarsineh.

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

Urgent: More than 20 Prisoners in Imminent Danger of Execution in Iran


According to close sources, more than 20 prisoners at Rajai Shahr and Karaj 
Central prisons have been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation 
for their executions.

At least 11 prisoners in Rajai Shahr Prison were reportedly transferred to 
solitary on Saturday January 7. "Most of these prisoners are charged with 
murder," a close source tells Iran Human Rights.

At least 12 prisoners in Karaj Central Prison were reportedly transferred to 
solitary on Sunday. According to the close sources, these prisoners are all in 
danger of execution for alleged drug related offenses.

(source for both: Iran Human Rights)