[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Oct. 24



UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:

Death sought for accused in rape-murder case of boy in Abu Dhabi----Suspected 
committed the heinous crime in the holy month of Ramadan, say prosecutors



Prosecutors here asked for the death penalty for what they termed as a 
"merciless beast" suspected in the rape and murder of a Pakistani boy in June.

Public prosecutors presented evidence in court, during which the victim's 
father broke into tears - and prosecutors argued for the maximum punishment to 
be meted out on the accused.

The suspect earlier pleaded not guilty in court after he was accused in the 
Pakistani boy's murder-slay case.

The victim's father burst into tears after hearing the detailed narrative of 
the case and the merciless rape and murder of his son.

The prosecution said the suspect didn't care about the fact that it was during 
holy month of Ramadan when he committed the heinous crime.

The boy, Azan Majid Janjua, 11, had gone missing in June. His body was later 
found on the rooftop of the building where his family lived.

Upon the defence lawyer's request to study the claims of the prosecution, the 
case was adjourned to October 31.

During the October 11, 3rd hearing, it was established that the accused is 
mentally and psychologically fit to stand trial.

Medical records submitted to the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court on Wednesday affirmed 
the mental fitness of the accused.

In a previous hearing, his defence lawyer claimed the accused was 
psychologically unfit and demanded for a professional evaluation of his mental 
capacity.

(source: Gulf News)








INDONESIA:

Indonesia Rejects UN Recommendation to Abolish Death Penalty



Jakarta. Indonesia on Thursday (21/09) accepted 167 of the 225 recommendations 
it received from international delegations during the 27th session of the 
United Nations Universal Periodic Review, or UPR, earlier in May, but crucially 
rejected the recommendation to abolish the death penalty.

Indonesia said the remaining 58 recommendations, including ones on abolishing 
the death penalty, addressing past human rights violations and ending 
prosecutions under blasphemy laws, "were noted" but considered "not in line 
with the priorities in Indonesia's human rights agenda."

Indonesia went through its third UPR cycle in May, and had straight away 
accepted 150 recommendations put forward by 101 delegations during the review 
while placing the remaining 75 under further examination.

Indonesia stated its final position on the pending recommendations during the 
36th session of the Human Rights Council last week.

During the session, Indonesia reaffirmed its position that "the death penalty 
is still a prevailing positive law in Indonesia."

"However, the revision of the penal code had provided a more robust safeguard 
in due process of law on the death penalty," Indonesia's deputy permanent 
representative to the UN office in Geneva, Michael Tene, said.

The United Kingdom said it "regretted that the recommendations on the 
moratorium on the use of the death penalty had not been supported" and repeated 
its call that no evidence suggests death penalty is a more effective deterrent 
than alternative forms of punishment.

Other delegations in the session also expressed concerns that the Indonesian 
government had not addressed discrimination against minority groups in the 
country, which include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and 
followers of religious minorities.

"Indonesia took note of the remaining 58 recommendations with the consideration 
that they are not in line with the priorities in Indonesia's human rights 
agenda. Some of the recommendations were also inaccurate and not based on 
facts," Michael said, according to a statement released by the Foreign Affairs 
Ministry.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) urged the Indonesian 
government nevertheless to take some measures to deal with the recommendations 
it did not accept, including "measures to eradicate impunity, prioritize the 
settlement of gross human rights violations, guarantee freedom of religion and 
belief, ensure freedom of expression and abolish the death penalty."

Komnas HAM and Amnesty International also noted that Indonesia has yet to 
ratify several international human rights accords, including the Optional 
Protocol on the Convention Against Torture and Convention for the Protection of 
All Persons From Enforced Disappearance.

(source: Jakarta Globe)








SYRIA:

IS 'executed' 116 in Syria town revenge campaign: monitor



The Islamic State group killed 116 people it suspected of collaborating with 
the Syrian regime in Al-Qaryatain this month before losing the desert down to 
government forces, a monitor said Monday.

"IS has over a period of 20 days executed at least 116 civilians in reprisal 
killings, accusing them of collaboration with regime forces," said Rami Abdel 
Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.

Regime forces retook Al-Qaryatain, which lies in the central Homs province, on 
Saturday, 3 weeks after the jihadists seized control of it.

IS had first occupied the town in 2015 and lost it to a Russian-backed Syria 
forces last year.

"After the regime retook it (on Saturday), the town's residents found the 
bodies on the streets. They had been shot dead or executed with knives," Abdel 
Rahman said.

"Most of the IS fighters who attacked the town a month ago were sleeper 
cells... They are from the town, know the town's residents and who is for or 
against the regime," he said.

The majority of those killed were executed in the last 2 days before IS lost 
the town again, he added.

(source: al-monitor.com)








IRAN:

Man might be hanged for drinking alcohol



A young man was tried on October 15 in the 9th Branch of the Tehran Penal Court 
on the charge of being arrested for the 4th time for drinking alcohol, 
according to the state-run Aria news agency on October 16, 2017.

Article 179 of the Islamic Penal Code stipulates that "whoever drinks alcohol 
numerous times and is punished after every time, upon the 3rd time, he will be 
executed". After hearing the defendants statement, the judges said they would 
shortly issue their verdict.

(source: Iran Human Rights Monitor)

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

Prominent academic sentenced to death after grossly unfair trial



The Iranian authorities must urgently quash the death sentence against 
Iranian-born Swedish resident and specialist in emergency medicine Ahmadreza 
Djalali, said Amnesty International today.

The medical doctor and university lecturer had studied and taught in Sweden, 
Italy and Belgium. Since his arrest in April 2016, several European officials 
have called for his release.

Zeynab Taheri, one of Ahmadreza Djalali's lawyers, told Amnesty International 
that he was sentenced to death for the charge of "corruption on earth" (ifsad 
fil-arz), and has been given a 200,000 euro fine. The court verdict, which was 
shown to 1 of the lawyers, states that Ahmadreza Djalali worked with the 
Israeli government, who subsequently helped him obtain his residency permit in 
Sweden.

"Ahmadreza Djalali was sentenced to death after a grossly unfair trial that 
once again exposes not only the Iranian authorities' steadfast commitment to 
use of the death penalty but their utter contempt for the rule of law," said 
Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Research and Advocacy Director for the 
Middle East and North Africa.

"No evidence has ever been presented to show that he is anything other than an 
academic peacefully pursuing his profession. If he has been convicted and 
sentenced for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression, 
association and assembly, including through his academic work, the authorities 
must immediately and unconditionally release him and drop all charges against 
him."

Ahmadreza Djalali was arrested by Ministry of Intelligence officials in April 
2016 and held without access to a lawyer for 7 months, 3 of which were in 
solitary confinement. Even after that period, every lawyer he selected was 
rejected by the court.

In a voice recording that was published on YouTube on 22 October, Ahmadreza 
Djalali is heard saying that, while in solitary confinement, he was twice 
forced to make "confessions" in front of a video camera by reading out 
statements pre-written by his interrogators. He says that he was put under 
intense pressure through psychological torture and threats to execute him and 
arrest his children to "confess" to being a spy for a "hostile government". In 
the recording, he says that his academic beliefs have been used to convict him 
and sentence him to death. He also denies the accusations against him and says 
they have been fabricated by Ministry of Intelligence interrogators.

"At a time when the Iranian authorities are actively strengthening ties with 
countries in the European Union, it is absurd that they are using Ahmadreza 
Djalali's academic links to a European country as part of the 'evidence' 
against him," said Philip Luther.

Ahmadreza Djalali's wife Vida Mehrannia, who lives in Sweden with their 2 
children, has told Amnesty International that his physical and mental health 
have sharply deteriorated since he was detained. She added: "We are calling for 
his release because he has not committed any crime."

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception 
regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or 
the method used by the state to kill the prisoner. The death penalty is a 
violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading 
punishment.

(source: Amnesty International)