[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 8




MAURITANIA:

Mauritania appeals court set to review blogger death penalty case



In Mauritania, an appeals court is set to review on Wednesday the case of a 
young blogger sentenced to death after posting a 2014 article challenging the 
use of religion to support social injustice.

Mohammed Ould Mkhaitir was arrested almost 4 years ago after sharing his 
critical views on the way Islam is wielded as a weapon to perpetuate what is 
essentially modern-day slavery in the western African nation. He was initially 
charged with apostasy and - although that charge was later reduced - the death 
sentence remains.

Mkhaitir's case drew angry street protests from those calling for his execution 
as well as those who wished to defend human rights and free speech. The social 
and political instability surrounding the widely publicized case led to 
frequent court delays and postponements.

On Friday, Mauritanian journalist Mohamed Diop reported that police authorities 
prevented protesters calling for Mkhaitir's execution from marching in the 
streets of Nouakchott.

The Human Rights Watch organization said Mkhaitir's parents fled the country 
last December amid death threats that are common among human rights activists 
who support the blogger.

"Mauritania has no business charging anyone with 'apostasy,' much less 
sentencing a blogger to death for such an absurd charge based on an article he 
wrote," said Sarah Leah Whitson, the regional HRW director. "It's good that the 
appeals court is reviewing this case, but he never should have been charged in 
the first place."

The Freedom Now organization has provided legal counsel to Mkhaitir in the 
past, along with local lawyers, some of whom quit during the proceedings 
because of the death threats. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and 
other rights groups have appealed to President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on the 
blogger's behalf without success.

Aziz initially told Mauritanians that media content must respect Islam, and the 
government "will do everything that is necessary to protect the Islamic 
religion and to defend the Messenger of Allah."

(source: africatimes.com)








NIGERIA:

Ekiti Assembly approves death penalty for cultists



A bill seeking to prohibit the activities of secret cults on Tuesday scaled 
third reading at the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

The substance of the bill, which is yet to be signed into law by the governor, 
is the prescription of death penalty for those found guilty of breaching the 
law in that regard.

Those aiding and abetting cultism would also bag life imprisonment if found 
guilty. The new provision was an amendment to the law against cultism, enacted 
by Ayo Fayose during his 1st tenure as governor of the state.

The law had provided a 7-year imprisonment for anyone convicted of cult 
activities, whereas those aiding and abetting the act were to be imprisoned for 
5 years.

The bill titled, 'Secret Cult (Abolition and Prohibition) [Amendment] Bill, 
2017,' gained the lawmakerss attention following increase in cult activities at 
the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti which led to the killing of students 
recently.

Before the passage, the House Leader, Akinyele Olatunji, recalled the killings 
at the university due to cult activities.

"We will not allow any group to turn Ekiti into death trap area," he said, 
while thanking the governor, Ayodele Fayose, for introducing the bill.

"We cannot fold our arms while some people would constitute themselves as a 
menace and eliminating the lives of innocent people of this state," Speaker of 
the house, Kola Oluwawole, said, while making his remarks on the bill.

"It is an everlasting sorrow for someone to lose his child or relative. The 
bill will reshape the lives of our youth. It will 'touch' those who intend to 
join any secret cults and those who have the intention to take another person's 
life.

"Those people that we are representing will have peace of mind that their lives 
and those of their children are safe. The bill considers very seriously the 
negative consequences of such action because of the irreparable loss of lives."

(source: premiumtimesng.com)








SOUTH AFRICA:

How these UDF cadres ended up on death row - Michael Masutha----At handing over 
of exhumed remains justice minister says he hopes racist tendencies deterred by 
coffin case



Address by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Michael Masutha, 
MP, (Adv) on the occasion of the handing over of exhumed remains of 12 UDF 
political activists in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Program Director

Families of our departed patriots

Premier of the Eastern Cape; Mr Phumulo Masualle

Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Metro; Mr Anthol Trollip

Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans; Mr Kebby Maphatsoe

Eastern Cape MEC for Sports Arts and Recreation; Miss Pemmy Majodina

Provincial leadership of the ANC and alliance partners

Members of MKMVA

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Molweni

At 6h00, on 6th April 1979, a young heroic son of our revolutionary struggle 
from Mamelodi was hanged by the racist minority regime in Pretoria. Solomon 
Kalushi Mahlangu walked to the gallows with unflinching courage and defiance in 
the face of his own demise. As the hangman was about to end his life, he said 
"Tell my people I love them and that they must continue the struggle, my blood 
will nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom". As if that was not 
enough, the apartheid regime was so ruthless that they had no shame in putting 
a rope around the neck of an 18 years old POQO cadre from Bhaziya in Mthatha, 
Bhekaphantsi Vulindlela thereby mercilessly ending his life.

This sombre occasion should remind us of the words of the late President 
Mandela when he summarised the death penalty and said "The death sentence is a 
barbaric act ... It is a reflection of the animal instinct still in human 
beings".

We are here today, at the friendly province of the Eastern Cape, the birthplace 
of many late and living struggle icons, OR Tambo, whose 100th birthday we 
celebrated on 27 October, Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, Chris 
Hani, Steve Biko, Reverend Makhenkesi Stofile and the former President Thabo 
Mbeki, to rededicate ourselves to the cause of Afrika, to establish contact 
beyond the grave, with the great African heroes and assure these sons of the 
soil that their struggle was not in vain. We have been here in Port Elizabeth 
on several occasions to hand over mortal remains of PEBCO 3 and Thamsanqa Poto, 
amongst others.

To you families of our departed comrades, after travelling hundreds of 
kilometres from this province to Gauteng to witness the exhumation of their 
remains, you must be relieved that at last you can now close the chapter in 
this dignified and solemn occasion for your loved ones.

Today's event was preceded by the launch of the Gallows Exhumation Project, on 
23 March 2016 at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional centre in Gauteng. This was all 
in recognition of the sacrifice of political prisoners who were judicially 
executed between 1960 and 1990. This was also in appreciation of some of the 
earlier political resistance initiatives against the colonial rule and 
domination imposed on Africans here and elsewhere on the continent and around 
the world .On that day we recounted the remarkable story of the brutal hanging 
of Kgosi Mampuru II which was reported as far as the United States.

The New York Times of 19th December 1886 recorded that: "Mampuru was led naked 
to the jail yard in the presence of 200 whites. The 1st rope broke when the 
trap was sprung and Mampuru fell into a pit below. He was dragged out, however, 
and another attempt to hang him was successful."

These cadres including Kgosi Mampuru II were eliminated by the racist regime 
because they were black and it is quite disheartening that the racism they 
fought against is still rearing its ugly head as clearly evident in the recent 
coffin assault case. However we must commend the judiciary, NPA and law 
enforcement for aggressively dealing with the case and hope that any racist 
tendencies will be deterred.

Program Director

Allow me to also give an account of how these cadres ended up on death row.

All of these 12 UDF comrades were hanged for events or incidents that took 
place during the period of intense political turmoil in the Eastern Cape in 
1985 and 1986. They were all buried as paupers in unmarked graves in Mamelodi 
cemetery in Tshwane within hours of being hanged. At the time the bodies of 
hanged prisoners remained the property of the state and families were not 
permitted to attend the burial. It means you were a prisoner of the state even 
in death.

Today we are able to fully acknowledge and register our appreciation of their 
role in the struggle for freedom. The 1980s was a period of detention, death, 
imprisonment, banning of organizations and a state of emergency. Despite those 
conditions, they decided that their mission was the freedom of their country 
and its people from apartheid oppression.

Generations to come will know the outstanding heroism and bravery they 
displayed. They will know how their families were harassed and persecuted by 
the apartheid state by virtue of being related to them as fighters of freedom 
and justice.

Lungile Rewu, age 19, and Sipho Mahala, age 21, were among 8 persons charged 
with the murder of a 16 year old teenager on 2 November 1985 in Veeplaas in 
Port Elizabeth during violent clashes between UDF and AZAPO supporters. The 
teenager was suspected of being part of an AZAPO group sent to attack UDF 
supporters. 1 of the accused absconded and 4 were discharged at the end of the 
trial. Another was found guilty of common assault. Lungile Rewu and Sipho 
Mahala were convicted of murder without extenuating circumstances and sentenced 
to death on 20 May 1987. They were hanged 10 months later on 29 March 1988.

Thobile Lloyd, age 27, and Siphiwo Lande, age 22, were among ten individuals 
charged with murder. During the trial, eight of the accused escaped of whom 2 
were recaptured. The 4 remaining accused faced charges regarding the killing of 
2 men on 18 April 1985 and a policeman on 28 April 1985 in KwaZakhele in Port 
Elizabeth. In the 1st incident, a large group of UDF supporters decided at a 
people's court to execute certain individuals suspected of certain murders in 
the community. In the 2nd incident, a policeman was abducted from his home and 
also necklaced to death with car tyres. Thobile Lloyd was convicted of the 1st 
2 murders and Siphiwo Lande of all 3. They were sentenced to death on 7 July 
1987 and both were hanged 9 months later on 14 April 1988.

Kholisile Dyakala, age 33, and Zwelidumile Mjekula, age 36, were charged along 
with 2 other individuals with the murder of a security guard at Coega in Port 
Elizabeth on 9 June 1986 and robbery with aggravating circumstances. The state 
alleged that the 4 men set out to rob the security guard of his fire arm and 
shot him dead during the robbery. One of the accused was killed in an unrest 
related incident prior to the trial and the 4th accused was acquitted. 
Kholisile Dyakala and Zwelidumile Mjekula were sentenced to death on 14 
December 1987 although Mjekula was only convicted on the basis of dolus 
eventualis. The 2 were hanged 11 months later on 24 November 1988.

Benjamin Mlondolozi Gxothiwe, age 27, and a member of the Port Elizabeth Youth 
Congress (PEYCO), was charged with the fatal shooting of a policeman on 25 
December 1985 in Swartkops, Port Elizabeth. He was 1 of 6 individuals charged 
for the murder as well as the theft of a firearm and a motor vehicle. Although 
the court accepted that there was no evidence of premeditation to the killing 
of the policeman, Benjamin was sentenced to death in September 1987 and was 
hanged 6 months later on 25 March 1988.

Tsepo Letsoara, age 25, was 1 of 4 individuals charged with the murder of a 
young woman on 7 October 1985 in Motherwell in Port Elizabeth. The young woman 
was accused of being a police informer after she was detained under the State 
of Emergency with a large group of youth but was released a day later while the 
others were detained for over a month. Tsepo Letsoara was convicted and 
sentenced to death in September 1987 while his co-accused were discharged. He 
was refused leave to appeal his conviction and sentence and was hanged 6 months 
later on 18 March 1988.

Ndumiso Silo Siphenuka, age 25, and Makhezwene Menze, age 44, were among 8 
persons charged with the murder of an elderly farmer and his wife on 17 June 
1985 at Kirkwood, Eastern Cape. The court charged that members of the Addo 
Youth Congress met on 16 June 1985 and decided to launch an attack on the farm 
the following day. All 8 accused were convicted of murder on the basis of 
common purpose, but extenuating circumstances were found in the case of 4 due 
to their young ages, and prison sentences were imposed on them. The remaining 4 
were sentenced to death. 2 were later commuted to prison terms. Ndumiso 
Siphenuka and Makhezwene Menze were hanged on 20 April 1989.

Raymond Welile Gwebushe, age 29, from Jansenville in the Eastern Cape, was 
charged with the murder of a suspected police informant. On 6 April 1985, a 
meeting of the Jansenville Youth Congress was held attended by several hundred 
youth at which a decision was taken to execute the alleged informant. Raymond 
was convicted of murder without extenuating circumstances and was sentenced to 
death on 6 June 1986. The State President declined to grant mercy and he was 
hanged on 19 August 1987.

Mangena Jeffrey Boesman, age 37, was 1 of 8 persons charged with the murder of 
a school teacher on 19 October 1985 in the town of Sterkstroom, Eastern Cape. A 
large group attacked the teacher's home as she was defying the longstanding 
school boycott and was believed to be reporting incidents to the police. 
Mangena Boesman and 2 fellow accused were sentenced to death on 21 October 1988 
for her murder. His 2 fellow condemned received a reprieve seven days before 
their execution. Mangena Boesman was hanged on 29 September 1989. He was the 
last political prisoner to be executed.

The Missing Persons Task Team (MPTT) and the TRC unit have exhumed 105 remains 
of the freedom fighters, 24 identified and ready to be handed to their families 
while 10 are awaiting DNA and forensic examinations. On the Gallows Exhumation 
Project, out of 83 of those hanged, 37 remains of individuals belonging to both 
UDF and PAC have been exhumed leaving us with 46.

During apartheid rule it was common for black people convicted of murdering 
whites to be sentenced to death, but very rare for whites who murdered blacks 
to be given the death sentence. A study of death sentences in 1 year found that 
47% of blacks convicted of murdering whites were given the death sentence as 
opposed to no death sentences at all for whites convicted of murdering blacks. 
Between 1960 and 1990, at least 140 individuals were hanged for politically 
motivated offences.

Our country has since changed this reality and established a society that 
values human rights. As one of the leading nations in the promotion of human 
rights, South Africa has taken a progressive stance to end the death penalty. 
Our democratic constitution which has guided us for the past 20 years declares 
the right to life as a fundamental human right. The Constitution also implores 
us to uphold the dignity of all living human beings. We hope that the recovery 
of these remains will go some way towards relieving the decades of pain 
experienced by the families of those hanged, and at last allow them to be 
buried with the dignity they deserve.

I must take this opportunity and express our gratitude to the provincial 
government led by Premier Masualle and MEC Majodina for its support to this 
project, national Department of Defence and Military Veterans,Nelson Mandela 
Metropolitan Municipality, , Ekurhuleni Metro, Missing Persons Task Team and 
our TRC unit under the leadership of Madeleine Fullard and Thapelo Mokushane of 
the TRC Unit team for all the hard work that yielded these results.

As we proceed to take these cadres to be with their forebears, let us then be 
reminded to constantly be on guard, to defend this democracy, for it did not 
come cheap.

Masibakhaphe Ngesidima Ogatyeni, Otshangisa, Ombona, Omokoena, Ompondo, Osduli, 
Omzangwa, Omsiya, Omgcina, Omadiba, Odlomo, Nocirha.

Ndiyabulela

I thank you.

Issued by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, 6 November 
2017

(source: politicsweb.co.za)








JAPAN:

'Black widow' murder case casts shadow on lonely hearts among Japan's elderly



The sensational case of a serial killer, dubbed Japan's "black widow" and 
accused of killing elderly men - all of whom she met through a matchmaking 
service - has cast a shadow over a growing trend of elderly Japanese people 
seeking partners.

The case of 70-year-old Chisako Kakehi - who repeatedly met, dated and married 
elderly men, including her 4 victims - came at a time when elderly people have 
become more and more interested in finding partners amid a rapidly aging 
population and the spread of nuclear families in the country.

Kakehi was given the death sentence by the Kyoto District Court on Tuesday for 
the murders of her 75-year-old husband Isao and common-law partners Masanori 
Honda, 71, and Minoru Hioki, 75, as well as for the attempted murder of her 
acquaintance Toshiaki Suehiro, 79, by having them drink cyanide between 2007 
and 2013.

Kakehi had registered with a matchmaking service in the hope of meeting wealthy 
men with an annual income of more than 10 million Yen ($87,900). She married or 
was associated with more than 10 men and inherited about 1 billion Yen, though 
she eventually fell into debt.

But there is a view that Kakehi's case may not deter elderly people from 
falling prey to similar schemes, apparently due to an anticipated rise in 
elderly people living alone and no conclusive measures to prevent a repeat of 
such incidents.

"I will stay with you for the rest of my life," Kakehi wrote in an email to her 
husband, which was read during her trial. The email was sent to him before his 
death. It was apparent that immediately after meeting Kakehi through 
matchmaking, he was smitten by her charms and determined to marry her.

At a court hearing, a man in his 80s who said he dated Kakehi around the time 
of her husband's death took the stand as a witness.

"My wife died, and living alone was tough, so I wanted to live together (with 
Kakehi)," the man recounted.

The 2 met through matchmaking, and in their 4th meeting, he entrusted her with 
his house key. He eventually broke up with her, at the warning of local police, 
who found the circumstances of her husband's death suspicious.

Still, the man had good words to say about Kakehi, describing her as a "good 
woman."

According to a survey by a major marriage-hunting service company, there has 
been a rise in the number of people of middle age or older who have remained 
unmarried through their lives but are looking for partners. Of that age group, 
many men aged 65 and older use websites and marriage consultation centers.

The company has also started a new service catering to middle-aged and elderly 
people in recent years.

Novelist Hiroyuki Kurokawa, who wrote a book in 2014 about a woman who was 
angling for inheritance by repeatedly marrying and dating elderly men, said, 
"At marriage consultation centers, elderly men are popular."

Kurokawa, 68, discussed the psyche of elderly men, who have a short time left 
and assets to spare.

"A man, who lives on his own and far from his family, would want (someone) to 
be with him, even if he knew his partner is only out for his money," said 
Kurokawa, a recipient of the renowned Naoki Prize for popular fiction.

While the case brought to light the tactics of a scheming wife and serves as a 
cautionary tale, Kurokawa warned that there is no "preventive measure" to 
ensure that a similar incident does not occur.

"Elderly people living alone will increase due to a longer average life span. 
Those becoming 2nd wives are also on the rise," he said.

(source: Japan Times)




INDIA:

3 Men Get Death Penalty For Killing Woman, Son After Raping Her In 
Rajasthan----The 3 convicts were booked in December 2012 by Udhyognagar police 
in Rajasthan's Kota on charges of robbery, gang-rape and murder



3 people have been sentenced to death for raping a 30-year-old woman and 
killing her along with her minor son after a robbery in December 2012 in 
Rajasthan's Kota. The Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes special in Kota also 
imposed a fine of Rs. 75,000 on the three convicts.

The 3 were booked in December 2012 in Udhyognagar police station in the city on 
charges of robbery, gang-rape and murder.

Judge Girish Kumar Agrawal convicted Kapil Anna and Imran Dillhi Wala, both 
residents of Udhyognagar in Kota, and Tipu Sultan Aabeed of Tonk district, 
Special Public Prosecutor Kamal Kant Sharma said. The three convicts are 
between 22 and 25 years old, he said.

The 3 were also sentenced to life imprisonment.

Police said the 3 men broke into the house of Shiva Koli at night and looted 
jewellery, cash and other items. They gang-raped Shiva's wife, who was sleeping 
with her minor son in the room, the special public prosecutor said.

The 3 convicts then shot dead the woman and her son and escaped after placing 
the boy's body in a box, he added.

Udhyognagar police had on December 6, 2012 filed a case and then arrested the 3 
men after investigation. They have been in jail since.

35 witnesses have been produced before the court, the prosecutor said.

(source: ndtv.com)








BANGLADESH:

CTG GANG RAPE IN 2005----HC commutes death penalty of 3



The High Court yesterday commuted the death sentence of three convicts to life 
imprisonment in a case filed for gang rape of a Brac employee at Banshkhali in 
Chittagong in 2005.

The convicts are Md Shofi Alom, Md Kalu and Md Abul Hossain. Kalu is now on the 
run, Deputy Attorney General Md Bashir Ullah told The Daily Star.

The bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam 
delivered the verdict after hearing the death reference and appeals filed by 
the convicts against the trial court verdict that had sentenced them to death, 
he said.

Bashir said the 30-year-old health official of Brac was a mother of three 
children. She was gang raped by the convicts in Jaldi area in Banshkhali on 
June 12, 2005.

The Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 of Chittagong on 
January 5, 2015 sentenced the 3 to death, he said, adding that the HC commuted 
their death sentence to life imprisonment on the grounds that the 2 convicts 
were in condemn cell for a long time and death sentence for rape is harsh.

(source: The Daily Star)








INDONESIA:

\Alleged killer of Depok housemaid might get death sentence



The alleged killer of domestic worker Samsiah, 40, in Depok, West Java, is 
threatened with the death penalty, according to an official.

"The threat is a death sentence or lifetime imprisonment," Depok Police's 
criminal unit head Comr. Putu Kholis Aryana said on Wednesday as quoted by 
kompas.com.

Separately, the Depok Police's head Herry Heryawan said the suspect was upset 
with Samsiah because the latter urged him to pay his debt to her.

"The suspect and the victim argued because the latter asked him to give back 
her money," said Herry. After the argument, the suspect allegedly committed 
violence against the pregnant woman. Samsiah was found dead on Nov. 5.

(source: The Jakarta Post)