[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

March 31



PAKISTAN:

Man facing death penalty acquitted after 8 years


The Supreme Court on Thursday acquitted a man, who was awarded death sentence 
by a trial and a high court in a murder case, after 8 years in prison.

Abdul Baqi was convicted in the killing case of Muhammad Ali in Balochistan in 
2009. The trial court on the basis of a medical report and witnesses' 
statements had awarded him the death sentence. Later, the Balochistan High 
Court upheld Baqi's death sentence. The convict had challenged high court 
verdict in the Supreme Court.

A 3-member bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa after hearing the 
arguments of the prosecution and the defence counsel acquitted Abdul Baqi and 
set aside the BHC verdict.

The bench observed that there was a contradiction between the medical report 
and the statements of the prosecution witnesses. Justice Khosa said that in the 
charge-sheet it was written that an axe was recovered from the accused, but 
later it was added that a 'blood soaked axe' was recovered.

The court observed that the prosecution has failed to prove its case and 
ordered to release Baqi.

(source: nation.com.pk)






IRAN:

Mad mullah's give man death penalty for blasphemy


Iran's mad mullahs have sentenced a young man to death - for "insulting the 
prophet" on a social media app.

The Daily Mail reports that Sina Dehghan was just 19 when arrested by the 
country's fanatical revolutionary guard for insulting Islam on the LINE app.

But human rights activists claim the confession was tricked out of Dehghan who 
was told he would be released if he signed.

Once he signed, prosecutors allegedly reneged on the deal and in January, he 
was sentenced to die.

"During his interrogation, Sina was told that if he signed a confession and 
repented, he would be pardoned and let go," a source told the Center for Human 
Rights in Iran. "Unfortunately, he made a childish decision and accepted the 
charges. Then they sentenced him to death."

What exactly he did - and said - remains unknown.

Dehghan even confessed on camera, believing he was about to be sprung. Fanatics 
told his family to keep quiet and the matter would fade away.

That didn't happen.

"Unfortunately, the family believed those words and stopped sharing information 
about his case and discouraged others from sharing it as well," the source 
said.

Now, his lawyer has asked for a judicial review in a scramble to save the young 
man's life.

His co-defendants, Sahar Eliasi and Mohammad Nouri were also convicted of 
posting anti-Islamic material on social media.

Nouri was sentenced to death but his eventual fate remains unknown. Eliasi was 
sentenced to 7 years in prison but that was reduced to 3 on appeal.

Dehghan was a draftee in the military when he was arrested in 2015.

"They took him to his home and searched it while he repeatedly expressed regret 
and repentance," a source told CHRI.

(source: torontosun.com)