[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 5



IRAQ:

Iraqi general responsible for losing Mosul has been sentenced to death



The Iraqi commander responsible for conceding the historical city of Mosul to 
the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in the Summer of 2014 has been sentenced to 
death by a military tribunal, Al-Sura News reported.

General Mahdi Al-Gharawi was issued a death sentence by a military tribunal 
this week, marking the 1st time an army commander has been given the death 
penalty under Iraqi Prime Minister, Haidar Al-'Abadi.

ISIS took control of Mosul in 2014, following the abrupt withdrawal of some 
10,000 Iraqi Army soldiers under the command of General Gharawi.

(source: almardasnews.,com)








ISRAEL:

Report: Netanyahu prevented advance of terrorist death penalty----PM publicly 
supported death penalty for terrorists at condolence visit, 2 days after 
reportedly thwarting a proposal to advance the issue.



Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thwarted several months ago during a cabinet 
meeting a proposal that sought to impose a death penalty on terrorists who had 
committed particularly brutal acts, according to a report this morning in 
Haaretz.

At a July 25 cabinet meeting following the murder of 3 members of the Salomon 
family in the community of Neve Tzuf, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman 
reportedly requested that the military prosecutor seek a death penalty for the 
terrorist murderer, who was caught alive after the attack. Transportation 
Minister Yisrael Katz also supported Liberman's position.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit responded that the prosecution's policy has 
long been not to seek the death penalty. He added that the issue was complex 
and had broad political implications, and he therefore did not want to make 
such a decision alone. He suggested that cabinet ministers authorize him to 
seek the death penalty for particularly cruel murders.

According to the report in Haaretz, Netanyahu heard the remarks and said that 
they had not convened to talk about this issue, thus ending deliberations on 
the matter.

2 days later, the Prime Minister arrived for a condolence visit at the Salomon 
family home, where he specifically expressed support for the progression he had 
thwarted 2 days before.

Netanyahu told the family members, "The time had come to impose the death 
penalty for terrorists."

"This is permitted by the law; it needs a unanimous decision by the judges, but 
they'll want to know the position of the government as well. And my position 
is, as Prime Minister, that in this case, of this lowly terrorist, that he 
should be executed. He simply cannot be allowed to smile again," Netanyahu 
said, referencing pictures taken of the terrorist smiling shortly after the 
attack.

Several cabinet ministers present were amazed by Netanyahu's words, in light of 
the gap between his rhetoric and lack of readiness to advance such a proposal 
when the opportunity had presented itself.

(source: israelnationalnews.com)








LEBABON:

Manal Assi's killer sentenced to death



Mohammad al-Nhaily was given the death penalty at the Court of Cassation 
earlier this week for the 2014 murder of his wife, Manal Assi, according to 
local paper An-Nahar.

(source: The Daily Star)








SAUDI ARABIA:

New anti-terror laws include death penalty



The newly announced laws against terrorism and its funding include the death 
penalty.

The new laws state that individuals defaming and publicly insulting the King 
and the Crown Prince will be sentenced to 5 to 10 years of imprisonment.

Terrorists conducting terror attacks while carrying arms and explosives will 
face 10 to 30 years in prison.

Terrorists establishing a terrorist cell or leading one will face 10 to 25 
years in prison.

Individuals receiving training from terrorist organizations on using arms, 
explosives, chemical substances, wired and wireless telecommunication devices 
and ways to smuggle them into the Kingdom will face 20 to 30 years in prison.

Individuals who entice and coax another person to join a terrorist organization 
will face 8 to 25 years in prison.

Individuals who set up a training camp or manage one or get training in such a 
camp will face 10 to 20 years in prison.

The punishment will be harsher for individuals with a military background. They 
may face 20 to 30 years of imprisonment.

Individuals who help terrorists with weapons in any way will face 10 to 30 
years in prison.

Individuals who misuse their status in any way either academic or social status 
or media influence to promote terrorism will face a maximum of 15 years in 
prison.

Individuals who forge documents for terrorist operations and get training on 
martial arts for terrorist operations will face 10 to 30 years in prison.

Individuals who smuggle explosives, atomic substances or wired or wireless 
communication devices will face 15 to 20 years in prison.

Individuals conducting a terror attack that results in the death of 1 or more 
people will face the death penalty.

Individuals may face a fine of a minimum of SR3 million and a maximum of SR10 
million for funding terrorist operations.

The specialized court has the authority to freeze the individual's financial 
accounts and transactions or to appoint a judicial guard to manage the 
individual's money and transactions.

The court also has the authority to publicize the individual's crime and 
penalty.

The new laws also include protecting witnesses and keeping their identities 
confidential.

(source: Saudi Gazette)




ZIMBABWE:

Mugabe's death wish is cruel, unhelpful



The death penalty has been a contentious subject of debate in Zimbabwe for many 
years, but there have been indications in recent years that Zimbabweans are 
against taking of life as punishment.

The country's new constitution leans in favour of abolition and Vice President 
Emmerson Mnangagwa who was, until last month, the Justice minister, is also 
against capital punishment.

The fact that there has been no executions for the past 12 years and that the 
country has no hangman is evidence that Zimbabwe has been moving towards the 
abolition of the death penalty.

It was shocking, frightful and tragic therefore, to hear President Robert 
Mugabe last week expressing a wish to have executions resumed. One of the 
reasons for Mugabe's death wish was the recent callous murder of a Catholic nun 
by a suspected mentally-challenged person.

Mugabe is entitled to his personal opinions, but as leader of a country, 
advocating for death when it is apparent, in the constitution, that the 
majority of your subjects are against the death penalty, becomes worrisome.

There is more than 60 people waiting to be killed at Chikurubi Maximum Security 
Prison right now and they have been sitting in the solitary confinement of 
their cells for years, waking up every morning and expecting to be dragged to 
the gallows. Their petitions for clemency have been rejected by Mugabe.

We extend no mercy for these condemned societal outcasts, but still, they 
deserve to receive justice as modern society deems - not to be killed. While we 
do not condone criminals, including murderers, we think the death penalty is 
morally wrong.

Those who clamour for the death penalty do not know that they have literally 
descended to ancient times where an eye for an eye was central to legislation 
and this, as Mahatma Gandhi once said, will make the whole world blind.

We are all aware of how the justice system is prone to manipulation by 
politicians in this country and it might not be surprising to have innocent 
people hanged for political expediency.

Research has also shown that although the death sentence represents a strong 
condemnation of brutal and violent crimes, it does not necessarily deter people 
from perpetrating violent crimes.

The late former High Court judge Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe, who in his 
career sentenced many convicts to death, said him and many of his colleagues on 
the bench, wished the death penalty was abolished.

He said judges go to great length to find extenuating circumstances in a bid to 
avoid reaching the capital sentence verdict.

We believe human life is sanctified and no person has the power or control over 
another.

(source: Editorial, The Standard)








PAKISTAN:

Pakistan's political parties capitalise on blasphemy laws



3e police officers stand daily guard at the tomb of Pakistani student Mashal 
Khan to prevent religious hardliners from fulfilling threats to blow up the 
grave of the 23-year-old who was beaten to death over rumours that he 
blasphemed against Islam.

His grieving family, also under police protection, have little hope the 
shocking campus killing will lead to a re-examination of blasphemy laws that 
carry a death penalty, or action against the mob justice that often erupts in 
such cases.

On Friday, there was more evidence the opposite is happening.

A new political party that has made punishing blasphemers its main rallying cry 
won a surprisingly strong 7.6 % of the vote in a by-election in Peshawar, 60km 
from where Mr Khan was killed 6 months ago.

The Tehrik-e-Labaik's relatively strong showing - and a separate outcry over a 
proposed change to an election law that outraged the religious right - has 
elevated blasphemy into a potent political issue in the run-up to a general 
election next year.

While Tehrik-e-Labaik (Movement of the Prophet's Followers) is unlikely to 
break out of single digits in coming votes, its rapid rise, along with another 
ultra-religious party, could create an additional challenge for the ruling 
Pakistani Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif was ousted as prime minister in July by the Supreme 
Court, and opposition leader Imran Khan - who spearheaded the legal case that 
removed him over unreported income - is seeking to press the advantage.

While Mr Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party retained the parliamentary seat 
on Friday with 34.8 per cent of the vote, the gains by Tehrik-e-Labaik - formed 
just last year - have grabbed attention.

Blasphemy is an effective wedge issue in Pakistan because there is almost no 
defence against an accusation. For that reason, say critics, blasphemy laws are 
often invoked to settle personal scores and to intimidate liberal journalists, 
lawyers and politicians.

Even before the Labaik party's political debut, politicians found promising 
swift action against blasphemers an easy way to appeal to conservative voters.

In March, then-Prime Minister Sharif issued a public order to prosecute anyone 
posting blasphemous content online.

The next month, Mr Mashal Khan was accused of online blasphemy and beaten to 
death by fellow students and religious activists as onlookers filmed the scene.

Mr Khan's father, Iqbal, said his son was the victim of false rumours.

Learning of the Labaik party's gains only made him more pessimistic about the 
government's ability to stop abuse of blasphemy claims. "I know very well, I'm 
not going to get my son back," he said. "But this only adds to my pain."

(spirce: straitstimes.com)








SOUTH AFRICA:

Bring back the death penalty in bloody republic



The murder statistics are horrible - 52 people murdered a day, including young 
children.

What use is our constitution if murderers go free or spend little time in jail?

The renowned ones like Oscar Pistorius get treated favourably - 6 years for a 
cold-blooded murder. The rest are never caught.

The police lose documents, so cases are dropped for lack of evidence.

Jacob Zuma keeps saying he will send the army to crime hot spots, but nothing 
happens.

A number of murders are committed by people who have murdered before.

Bring back the death penalty so that the criminals are put to death so at least 
they won't be able to repeat the crime.

It is no use saying that civilised countries have banned the death penalty.

South Africa is nothing like a civilised country, as the crime statistics show.

If it were, people would not be raping and abusing small children, teenagers 
and defenceless women daily.

This is indeed a bloody republic, and until steps are taken to bring back the 
death penalty, it will remain so.

JM Chipkin

Cape Town

(source: Letter to the Editor, The Republic)