[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 25




ALGERIA:

Death penalty for alleged Mossad spy sentenced in Algeria



7 individuals accused of spying on behalf of the Mossad, Israel's secret spy 
agency, were sentenced on Monday by a criminal court in Algeria, with 1 of the 
accused given the death penalty, local media reported on Tuesday.

The leader of the squad, a man of Lebanese descent with Liberian citizenship, 
was charged with seeking "to harm the security of Algeria" and was given the 
death penalty.

The other 6 members of group, who were said to be of African origin, were given 
10 year jail sentences and each fined 20 million Algerian dinar.

According to Jerusalem Post citing local Algerian media, they were charged with 
espionage "possession and dissemination of documents that glorified terrorism," 
and undermining state security.

The defendants reportedly pleaded not guilty to their charges.

Algeria's Interior Minister Noureddine Bedoui said the exposure of the 
"international spy ring" working for Israel was clear proof that the Mossad and 
other foreign entities were trying to undermine the country's security and 
stability, Ynet reported.

In January 2016, security services in Algeria announced they had exposed the 
aforementioned spy network and subsequently arrested at least 10 agents.

Site of assassination of Dr Fadi al-Batash in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 21, 
2018

The Algerian incident follows on from gunning down of a Palestinian and 
Hamas-affiliated engineer, Dr Fadi Mohammad al-Batash, 35, in the Malaysian 
capital of Kuala Lumpur last week. Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad terrorist group 
have claimed it to be an assassination carried out by the Mossad.

Israel has dismissed claims that the country's spy agency was behind Batash's 
killing, suggesting instead that his killing was a "settling of accounts" 
between sparring terrorist factions.

Hamas has previously accused the Mossad of assassinating another one of its 
drone experts -- Mohamed Zouari -- in Tunisia in 2016.

The Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and 
scientists in the past, but rarely confirms such operations.

Back in November of last year, Lebanese authorities arrested and raided the 
home of prominent writer and actor Ziad Itani on charges of "collaborating and 
communicating with the Israeli enemy."

He was detained and eventually confessed to having been "tasked to monitor a 
group of high-level political figures" and their associates.

However, in February of this year, he was released as authorities claimed the 
the "confession" was extracted under duress and that the security apparatus had 
received the wrong information.

Muslim countries have in the past accused its locals and foreigners of acting 
as agents on behalf of the Jewish State.

(source: i24news.tv)








UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:

Blood money spares 5 Indians death penalty in UAE----They are now back home 
after group fight victim's family pardons them and benefactor arranges part of 
blood money



5 Indians, who were spared death penalty for murdering a compatriot in a group 
fight, are now back home after the victim's family accepted the blood money and 
pardoned them.

The unmarried youths had a reunion with their families - 2 of them after 9 
years - after they served about 6 1/2 years in jail following the murder of 
Virendra Chauhan.

Dharmendra, Harwinder Singh, Ranjit Ram, Dalwinder Singh and Sucha Singh had 
been sentenced to death after they were convicted of killing Chauhan during a 
brawl between 2 groups of bootleggers in Sharjah in November 2011.

"I wanted them to feel guilty for indulging in the fight and work hard to repay 
their families. So, I gave them only the amount that their families were 
falling short of." - S.P. Singh Oberoi | Indian hotelier who helped the 
convicts

Their release became possible after their appeal to be spared death was taken 
up by Indian hotelier S.P. Singh Oberoi, who is known for rescuing many from 
death penalty by paying blood money to the victims' families.

Speaking to Gulf News from India, Oberoi said he took up the case of the 
youngsters as he was convinced that it was not an intentional murder and their 
families would suffer if their capital punishment was executed.

He said he wasn't justifying the convicts and wanted them also to serve the 
jail sentence the court would order.

The court reduced their sentence to 3 1/2 years in jail after Oberoi managed to 
convince Chauhan's family to pardon them. "I went to his house with some family 
members of these boys to seek their pardon by accepting the blood money."

A total of Rs2.1 million (Dh116,245) was paid in blood money to Chauhan's wife 
and 6 children, of which Rs1.3 million was raised by the convicts' families, he 
said.

"I wanted them to feel guilty for indulging in the fight and work hard to repay 
their families. So, I gave them only the amount that their families were 
falling short of."

Since the convicts had already spent more than the prescribed term in jail, the 
court released them immediately after they secured the pardon of the victim's 
family.

Oberoi said the Indian Consulate in Dubai provided emergency exit papers and 
flight tickets for 3 of them as they were not employed with any companies and 
did not have valid travel documents.

"The other 2 got flight tickets from the companies where they worked before the 
case."

Sucha Singh, who reached his home in a remote village in the state of Punjab on 
Friday, said it is now a 2nd life for the youths.

"We didn't know if we would ever see our families again," said Singh who 
reunited with his family after over 9 years.

He had first come over to the UAE in 2009 to work with a labour supply company.

"There was no proper salary or regular job for several months and I left the 
company after 2 years. I couldn't visit my family before going to jail as I was 
staying without a visa."

However, the family reunion was incomplete for him since his mother had passed 
away in 2012 while he was in jail.

Oberoi said the number of bootlegging-linked murder cases in the UAE has come 
down over the years as severe punishment like death sentence has become a 
deterrent.

Starting with the much-publicised case of 17 Indians on death row in a similar 
incident in 2010, Oberoi said he has so far helped get 93 prisoners released in 
the UAE.

"That includes 13 Pakistanis, 5 Bangladeshis and 1 Filipina woman, who was 
jailed for causing the death of a woman in a road accident."

He claimed that he does not support or pay blood money for prisoners convicted 
of intentional murder, drug peddling, rape and other heinous crimes.


(source: Gulf News)








IRAQ:

German woman who joined IS spared death sentence in Iraq



An Iraqi court has lifted the death penalty handed to a German woman for 
belonging to the Islamic State jihadist group, sentencing her to life in prison 
instead, German foreign ministry sources said Tuesday.

The German woman of Moroccan origin, identified by German media as Lamia K., 
was condemned to death by hanging in January for providing "logistical support 
and helping the terrorist group to carry out crimes".

"The foreign ministry confirms that the death penalty against a German citizen 
in Iraq was commuted to a life sentence. The verdict is not yet final," a 
ministry source told AFP.

The woman continues to receive consular assistance from the German embassy in 
Baghdad, the source added.

Lamia K. left Germany with her 2 daughters in 2014 to join IS.

One of the daughters was killed while with the jihadists, a judicial source 
told AFP.

Lamia K. and her other daughter were arrested by Iraqi forces during the final 
stages of the battle to oust IS from its stronghold Mosul last July.

According to German news agency DPA, the commutation of her death penalty comes 
after Lamia K. appealed the verdict. An Iraqi life sentence usually translates 
to 20 years in jail, or 15 years with good behaviour, DPA added.

While hundreds of foreign suspected jihadists are being held by Iraqi 
authorities, Lamia K. was believed to have been the 1st European woman 
sentenced to death in the country for links to IS.

Her surviving daughter, in her early 20s, was given a 1-year jail term for 
illegal entry into Iraq, Die Welt daily reported.

In February, a 17-year-old German teenager was sentenced to 6 years in prison 
for membership of IS and illegally crossing into Iraq.

Iraqi authorities announced the defeat of IS last December after a gruelling 
3-year battle.

(source: expatica.com)





IRAN----execution(s)

19 Executions in 1 Week



Iranian regime sent 19 prisoners to the gallows in cities of Gohardasht, Urmia, 
Hamedan,Tabriz, Kermanshah and Ilam prisons. 8 of the executed were hanged 
collectively in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj on April 18th.

On the same day, Bahman Varmazyar, a young prisoner who was a sports coach, was 
executed in Hamadan Prison. A day before, a prisoner was executed in Tabriz's 
central prison.

On April 23, 9 prisoners were sent to the gallows. 5 of them were hanged 
collectively in Urmia prion, 3 prisoners in Keramanshah, and on prisoner in 
Ilam.

Unable to deal with the deadly crises, in particular, the increasing protests 
of the people fed up of injustice and repression, the religious tyranny ruling 
the country has increased the number of executions in different cities to 
intensify the atmosphere of intimidation in society.

Meanwhile, a 50-year-old prisoner Mohsen Parvas committed suicide and passed 
away on April 21 in protest at the harsh pressures imposed on him.

In yet another occasion, on April 22, a 31-year-old prisoner, Nasir Zoraghi, 
died at the Zahedan Central Prison following a stroke and denial of his medical 
treatment.

The Iranian Resistance calls on all the Iranian youths to protest against the 
brutal death penalty and harsh conditions in Iran's prisons, and to support the 
families of the executed. It also calls on all international human rights 
authorities to strongly condemn the executions in Iran and to condition dealing 
with the Iranian regime on improvement of the human rights situation, in 
particular the suspension of the death penalty.

(source: Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran)

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

Mass execution imminent in Rajaie Shahr Prison



At least 20 death row prisoners were transferred to solitary confinement in 
Rajaie Shahr Prison in Karaj. There are concerns that their death sentence 
would be carried out on Wednesday April 25. Among the prisoners, an Afghan 
national identified as Amir Khalili was transferred from Qezel Hesar Prison 
while another prisoner identified as Amir Ahmadi was transferred from Khorin 
Prison in Varamin. The other prisoners have been identified as Javad Sohrabi, 
Iman Hosseini Moghadam, Ali Masoumi, Ahmad Sabet Ahmadi, Amrullah Azhdar, and 
Mohammad Reza Kharratha who were all held in Rajaie Shahr Prison.

An inmate identified as Reza Sheikh, 40, was hanged today in central prison of 
Zahedan, capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province. He had been on death row 
since 9 years ago on charge of murder. The execution has not been announced by 
the state-run media so far.

Iran has sent at least 21 prisoners to the gallows during the past week in the 
cities of Karaj, Urmia, Hamedan,Tabriz, Kermanshah and Ilam. 8 of the executed 
were hanged collectively in Gohardasht Prison in Karaj on April 18th.

On the same day, Bahman Varmazyar, a young prisoner who was a sports coach, was 
executed in Hamadan Prison. A day before, a prisoner was executed in Tabriz's 
central prison.

On April 23, 9 prisoners were sent to the gallows. 5 of them were hanged 
collectively in Urmia prion, 3 prisoners in Keramanshah, and on prisoner in 
Ilam.

In yet another occasion, on April 22, a 31-year-old prisoner, Nasir Zoraghi, 
died at the Zahedan Central Prison following a stroke and denial of his medical 
treatment.

(source: Iran Human Rights Monitor)








MALAWI:

Malawi Debates Death Penalty to Halt Attacks on Albinos



It has been 24 years since the Malawi government executed a convicted murderer, 
but President Peter Mutharika has called for discussions on implementing the 
death penalty to deter attacks on people with albinism.

False beliefs that the body parts of albinos bring good fortune have led to a 
series of attacks on them in Malawi. Since 2013, at least 20 albinos have been 
killed and 130 injured in the southern African country.

Most recently, police officers, a medical officer and a Roman Catholic priest 
were charged in last month's slaying of MacDonald Masambuka, 22, whose body was 
found dismembered.

Mutharika wants the nation to debate imposing the death penalty for murder.

While the country has a death penalty law on the books, it hasn't been used 
since the change to a democratic government in 1994. Instead, convicted 
murderers remain in prison for life, even if they are given a death sentence.

That is cruel because there is no pardon or commutation of the sentence, says 
Imran Shareef of the Chancellor College of the University of Malawi. It "means 
the person still lives with psychological torture in his mind," Shareef said. 
"What if the incoming president will be willing to sign [a death warrant]?"

Shareef believes the death penalty is the best way to deter potential 
murderers.

Ahmed Chiyenda agrees.

"The perpetrators should be taken to an open ground, and they should be 
executed there while the public is watching," he said. "It will be dehumanizing 
at that moment, yes, but they [other people] will also stop thinking of killing 
each other like what people are doing at the moment."

The United Nations, however, encourages Malawi to take other approaches to end 
attacks on albinos.

Maria Jose Torres, the U.N. Development Program's representative in Malawi, 
says the U.N. opposes the death penalty.

"First, because it undermines human dignity," she said. "Second, it is because 
it is irreversible, meaning that innocent persons can be executed but if they 
prove she or he was innocent, it will never be reversible. And, thirdly, there 
is no conclusive evidence that death penalty is the deterrent to future 
perpetrators."

Instead, Torres said, Malawi should strengthen its justice system to ensure 
that killers receive tough sentences.

What's more, the death penalty isn't necessarily popular nationwide. A study by 
the Paralegal Advisory Service Institute, or PASI, and the Cornell Law School 
in the United States found that 94 percent of traditional leaders in Malawi 
oppose capital punishment.

There are several reasons why, says Clifford Msiska, PASI's national director.

"For instance, innocent people have been killed, and it would not give people a 
chance to reform," he said. "And people who have been killed cannot contribute 
to the society, and the trauma that is associated with death penalty."

Hetherwick Ntaba, who leads the government's technical committee tasked with 
ending attacks on people with albinism, said the topic is a contentious one.

"You know, there are some [people in the] international community, some people 
of our own, saying 'No, no, no, we should not implement that.' So it's not that 
simple, it's not that straightforward," he said.

And while it's debated, Ntaba says the government will continue to look for new 
approaches to end attacks on albinos.

(source: voanews.com)








CHINA:

Jurors to attend death penalty cases



Chinese jurors are expected to participate in hearing cases in which defendants 
may face a death penalty, a draft law said on Wednesday.

The draft law on people's jurors was submitted to the bimonthly session of the 
country's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's 
Congress, for the 2nd reading. It was first discussed among the legislators 
last year.

Compared to the first version that stated criminal cases where defendants were 
likely to be sentenced to over 10 years in prison or life imprisonment, the 
latest one has added the death penalty, showing the nation's cautious attitude 
to the death sentence as well as ensuring the public participant in case 
hearings.

The latest draft also said some people could not become jurors, such as 
defaulters, arbitrators, lawyers whose license are revoked and those with 
serious violations.

Meanwhile, it stipulates that citizens aged 28 years old or above and who have 
received high school education or above can be selected randomly as jurors, but 
a certain proportion should be chosen based on personal applications and 
recommendations by entities.

In addition, the jurors will be selected for a term of 5 years and normally 
will not get a 2nd term.

(source: china.org.cn)








NORTH KOREA----executions

6 North Koreans are executed by firing squad after trying to smuggle out the 
nation's PHONEBOOK



6 North Koreans were executed by firing squad after trying to smuggle out the 
nation's phonebook, it has emerged.

The residents from the capital Pyongyang were executed at the end of last year 
on the charge of treason for attempting to leak the contents of a directory to 
the outside world.

Their relatives were booted out of the city and exiled in the countryside. 
North Korea's phonebook is considered a secret document.

It contains the phone numbers of factories and companies, managers, party 
chairmen and other high-ranking officials and office numbers and can sell for 
up to around 5,700 pounds in China.

'The authorities relayed the message to legal organisations through lecture 
materials stating that, 'At the end of last year, 6 Pyongyang residents who 
attempted to distribute a phonebook outside of the country were executed.'

'The point was emphasised that those who commit such acts can be punished at 
any moment,' a high-ranking source in the capital told Daily NK during a 
telephone call.

'The lecture materials explained: "A phonebook can be sold for 50,000 yuan in 
Chinese money. These individuals chose to commit treason in order to avoid 
working hard to earn money".'

The seriousness with which the punishment was enforced is thought to be related 
to the fact that the crime was committed in Pyongyang, the 'Revolutionary 
Capital' where the country's most loyal subjects supposedly reside.

'The families of the 6 executed individuals were deported to the Hwanghae 
Province area,' a separate source in Pyongyang said.

'The leadership of the country's party, military, and political leadership is 
all concentrated in the city of Pyongyang.

Many cadres who go in and out of the country also reside in Pyongyang.

That explains why the authorities reacted so strongly in order to prevent 
information about them from leaking out of the country.'

(source: dailymail.co.uk)








INDIA:

Will the death penalty stop India's wave of child rape?

Grotesque and barbaric is the only way to describe the rape and murder of an 
8-year-old child in a country where women and girls are traditionally revered 
as goddesses.

There have been numerous cases of rape across India, however, the story of 
little Asifa, who was sedated, gang raped, tortured and murdered in Kathua, in 
Jammu and Kashmir, has haunted us all. This is partly due to the heinous nature 
of the crime and partly due to disturbing allegations that this savagery was 
carried out as part of a concerted plan to drive out the nomadic Muslim 
community which her family belongs to.

Since then, the media in India has been awash with reports of babies and girls 
being raped - from an 8-month-old baby girl in Indore to a 9-year-old girl in 
Etah, Uttar Pradesh, a 10-year-old in Chhattisgarh and a 16-year-old in Unnao, 
Uttar Pradesh (allegedly by a political figure). But there has been little to 
no action to prevent these atrocities.

Elected officials have either been shockingly silent, or have spoken out too 
late, and some have even shown their active support for the accused 
perpetrators of such crimes.

Have we become so numbed in India, that such revelations no longer shock us? 
Has the simple humanity of protecting our innocent and helpless children from 
harm, the most important duty of every adult in India, forsaken us?

Consider this. In 2016, over 19,000 cases of rape were registered in India. In 
2017, in India's capital Delhi, an average of 5 rapes were reported every day.

In response, through an executive order and cabinet approval, the Indian 
government has introduced the death penalty for those found guilty of the rape 
of a child under the age of 12.

Globally, death sentences are coming to an end. It is my personal belief that 
the death penalty will have little or no effect, however heinous the crime is. 
As Friedrich Nietzsche said, "when fighting a monster, be careful not to become 
a monster yourself".

The issue that India is grappling with at present is an endemic, societal 
problem and no quick fixes are likely to solve it. Harsh penalties alone will 
not be a deterrent. As the malaise is systemic, so too should be the cure.

So here is a 4-tier approach

Firstly, it is important to increase the reporting of rape and assault. Across 
the world rape is an underreported crime; this is all the more true in India. 
It is essential that women and children be educated on their rights on 
reporting of a violent act against them through an active social media 
campaign.

Secondly, it is absolutely vital that law enforcers are trained to react 
swiftly and with sensitivity to women and children who have been harassed, 
assaulted or raped. Sensitivity training and knowledge of the rights of women 
and children must be made mandatory for all law enforcement agencies.

Thirdly, punishments need to be exemplary and widely covered in the media. 
There must be a "shock and awe" campaign of zero tolerance of sex offenders and 
those who kill and violate women and children. Fast track courts must ensure 
that the law is surgical and unrelenting in pursuing and ensuring that such 
offenders face the full force of justice, regardless of their rank and station.

Finally, a nationwide campaign is needed to ignite values and traditions that 
respect and nurture women and children. This can only be borne out of consensus 
in society. Awareness amongst men of the scope of this issue is critical. Men 
who turn a blind eye to such brutal acts in their own neighbourhoods, 
communities and families are just as culpable as those who perpetrate these 
acts. Action from courts and police will not suffice if the community remains 
defiantly opposed to change.

So the biggest question remains: how exactly to engage the entire populace to 
initiate a change in mindset? How can a national conversation on this subject 
be leveraged into national action?

* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of 
Thomson Reuters Foundation.

(source: Siddharth Chatterjee, United Nations Resident Coordinator to 
Kenya----Thomson Reuters Foundation)

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

Death penalty for child rape: Bar Council of India slams Centre, says 
government acted in haste----Bar Council of India has slammed the Centre over 
what it termed as a 'hurried decision'. Speaking to ANI, Bar Council of India 
chairman said that the government should have brought the ordinance after 
proper discussion.



A day after the Delhi High Court pulled up the Centre over its recently 
promulgated ordinance which strengthened the Protection of Children from Sexual 
Offences Act (POCSO) Act and provided for death penalty to persons found guilty 
of raping children aged 12 years and below, the Bar Council of India on Tuesday 
slammed the Centre over what it termed as a 'hurried decision'. Speaking to 
news agency ANI, Bar council of India chairman Manan Mishra said that the 
decision was taken in a hurry and that the government should have brought the 
ordinance after proper discussion.

"The amendment should have been brought by proper discussion. I think it is a 
step taken in hurry. Pros and cons should have been considered. Only then such 
amendments should be made," Mishra told ANI.

Amid an uproar over cases relating to sexual offences against children across 
the country, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on 
Saturday cleared the ordinance last week on POCSO Act. The ordinance has paved 
the way to court to award the death penalty to those convicted of raping a 
child up to 12 years of age. The ordinance received the assent of President Ram 
Nath Kovind on April 22, the next day.

As per reports, the Centre has cleared the criminal law amendment ordinance and 
POCSO Act is a part of this amendment. Official sources said that the criminal 
law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the 
Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of 
Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to 
sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

Union Cabinet has also decided to put in place measures for speedy 
investigation and trial of rape cases. In case of rape of a girl under 16 
years, minimum punishment is increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to 
life imprisonment; minimum 20 years' imprisonment or life imprisonment for the 
rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided in the Ordinance.

POCSO or The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012 
was established to protect the children against offences like sexual abuse, 
sexual harassment and pornography. It was formed to provide a child-friendly 
system for trial underneath which the perpetrators could be punished. The Act 
defines a child as any person below 18 years of age. It also makes provisions 
for avoiding the re-victimization of the child at the hands of the judicial 
system. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 received the 
President's assent on June 19, 2012. It was notified in the Gazette of India on 
June 20, in the same year.

The demand for the death penalty to child rapists took centre stage after the 2 
separate cases of gangrape and murder emerged from Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua 
and Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

(source: financialexpress.com)