[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

August 8



JAPAN:

Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa orders all Aum doomsday cult's trial records to 
be permanently preserved


Authorities have decided to permanently preserve trial records of criminal 
cases involving the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult as part of efforts to prevent a 
repeat of the serious crimes committed by its members, Justice Minister Yoko 
Kamikawa said Friday.

"Their crimes were unprecedented, and similar crimes should never happen again. 
It is my important duty to stop (the records) from being discarded while 
ensuring they are passed down to future generations," said Kamikawa, under 
whose orders all 13 Aum death-row inmates, including founder Shoko Asahara, 
were executed last month.

It is extremely rare for the ministry to announce which criminal cases will 
have their trial records permanently preserved.

In addition to the trial documents, administrative records related to the 
executions are to be retained indefinitely, Kamikawa said. "I expect them to be 
stored in the National Archives in the future."

Trial records, such as defendants' statements, are normally disposed of after 
being held by prosecutors for a prescribed period of time.

When a case is considered meaningful for academic research or helpful for 
investigations of future crimes, the justice minister can order the 
preservation of related documents. As of the end of July, documents from 722 
cases had been listed for conservation, but the ministry has not revealed the 
names of the people involved.

Most Aum-related records have been retained, but some - such as cases in which 
defendants were charged for minor crimes and sentenced to a fine - have already 
been discarded. A total of 190 people, including the 13 senior members hanged 
in July, were convicted.

A group of academics and journalists petitioned the ministry to retain the 
documents in April. They said the records should be retained because they are 
the property of the public and will be valuable for research into issues 
involving cults and terrorism.

Shizue Takahashi, whose husband died in the 1995 Aum sarin gas attack in the 
Tokyo subway system, assented to the petition and expressed her hope that it 
will be successful.

(source: Japan Times)






MALDIVES:

Death penalty will be implemented in a PPM govt: President Yameen


President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has declared that capital punishment will 
be established in an administration of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives 
(PPM), and called to stop obstruction towards the president.

The president made the statement during a speech at Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll 
Madaveli, amidst public criticism of the government over the delay in 
implementing the death penalty.

President Yameen stated that capital punishment will be implemented as soon as 
the procedure code is complete, and assured that the president will fulfil all 
pledges made to the public during his administration.

The president further alleged that members of opposition parties have been 
working to obstruct Yameen's foreign policy, which is built on religion, 
independence and Maldivian culture.

The government had earlier announced that capital punishment will be 
established by September 2017.

An execution chamber has now been established in Maafushi Prison. According to 
the regulations compiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs on capital punishment, 
the death penalty will be executed via hanging or lethal injection.

There are currently 18 individuals on death row in the Maldives, according to 
the statistics of Maldives Correctional Service. The 3 courts of the judiciary 
have upheld capital punishment for 3 of them: Hussain Humam Ahmed convicted of 
MP Dr. Afrasheem Ali's murder, Ahmed Murrath convicted of killing prominent 
lawyer Ahmed Najeeb, and Mohamed Nabeel convicted of killing Abdulla Farhad.

Meanwhile, international organisations and world powers have raised concerns 
over the Maldives' return to capital punishment after nearly 6 decades of 
upholding de facto moratorium. The United Nations, European Union and Amnesty 
International, along with nations such as the United States, United Kingdom and 
Canada have called on the Maldives government to axe its decision to implement 
the death penalty.

(source: edition.mv)






SAUDI ARABIA----execution

Saudi Arabia crucified a man in Mecca while aggressively calling out Canada 
over human rights


The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia executed a man by crucifixion in the holy city of 
Mecca on Wednesday, while it was trying to attack Canada on its human rights 
record.

Saudi Arabia frequently uses capital punishment, which can be issued for crimes 
like homosexuality or anti-government activities, though crucifixions are rare.

The execution came during a deepening dispute between the 2 countries sparked 
by Canadian criticism of how Saudi Arabia is treating jailed activists.

The crucified man, Elias Abulkalaam Jamaleddeen, stood accused of murder, 
theft, and attempted rape, according to Bloomberg .

Saudi Arabia, ruled by its interpretation of Islamic law, rarely carries out 
crucifixions, but capital punishment remains common.

Crimes such as attending anti-government rallies and homosexuality have 
contributed to crucifixion sentences in Saudi Arabia in the past.

Wednesday's death sentence for Jamaleddeen coincides with a new Saudi state 
media push to attack Canada's human rights record as an escalation in a growing 
feud between the 2 distant countries.

Canada on Monday called for Saudi Arabia to release women's rights campaigners 
detained in the country, which prompted a harsh response from the kingdom.

Saudi-owned media blasted Canada for arresting a holocaust denier and other 
citizens. TV pundits brought up Canada's suicide rate in what appeared as a 
broadside against the country's way of living.

The absolute monarchy ruling Saudi Arabia tightly controls the media broadcast 
within its borders and its foreign policy messaging.

(source: businessinsider.com)






MALAYSIA:

Man, 53, faces death over 56gm of syabu


A 53-year-old man claimed trial in the High Court to trafficking 56.36gm of 
syabu.

Mukim Tamang, who was brought before Judge Datuk Nurchaya Hj Arshad, is accused 
of committing the offence at 2.30pm on April 26, 2016 at the car park in front 
of Borneo Spa Karambunai, Manggatal.

The charge is framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act which 
provides for the death penalty on conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Gan Peng Kun informed the court that the prosecution 
has 4 witnesses.

Assigned counsel Hamid Ismail told the court that he would make a 
representation to the Senior Federal Counsel's office to apply for a reduction 
of the charge.

The court set Aug 28 for mention of the case.

Meanwhile, a 36-year-old local charged with trafficking 4,619gm of syabu will 
go on trial from Aug 13-16 this year.

The court set the date for Muhd Zubir Sabtal during pre-trial case management.

Unemployed Zubir allegedly committed the offence at 2.45am on Jan 4, 2017 in 
room No. 502, Tang Dynasty Bay Hotel, at Kg Gudon, Sepanggar Bay.

He was represented by counsel Dominic Chew and Luke Ressa Balang.

In another case, the court fixed Oct 1-4 for the continuation of the trial of a 
39-year-old local charged with murdering his mother in Kota Belud.

The court set the date for Bukhari Jinol after being informed by both the 
prosecution and Bukhari's counsel, that the representation letter for the 
charge to be reduced had been rejected by AG's Chamber in Putrajaya.

Bukhari is accused of committing the crime to Teh Juari, 56, at 10.40pm on May 
1, 2017 in a house at Kg Linau, Kota Belud.

The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code carries the death penalty on 
conviction.

Bukhari was represented by counsel Ridwandean Borhan.

Mukim, Zubir and Bukhari were ordered to be remanded further as the charge 
framed against them respectively has no provision for bail.

(source: Daily Express)




INDIA:

Death penalty in India rape cases a 'ploy,' say rights activists


An Indian parliament ruling prescribing the death penalty for those convicted 
of raping a girl under the age of 12 has been criticized by rights activists, 
who call the legislation "hurrie" and "not in the larger interests of the 
society."

The legislation, which also tightened the law dealing with sexual offenses, 
follows a nationwide outcry after the rape of an 8-year-old girl girl in the 
Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir in April this year.

The girl, a member of the nomadic Muslim Bakharwal community, was held captive 
in a Hindu temple, raped and killed. Her body was found in nearby jungle.

Kashmir police arrested 8 Hindu men and claimed they carried out the attack to 
scare the nomadic community away from the area.

Several members of the ruling Hindu right-wing party Bhartiya Janata Party 
(BJP) came out in support of the accused and called for the case to be 
transferred to Delhi.

The attack on the girl caused outrage across India.

Under legislation passed on Monday the time limit for investigation and trial 
in rape cases is 2 months. Any appeal has to be completed within s6 months.

"The drastic sentencing introduced in this legislation is a hurried decision. 
It will harm children, not benefit them," said Anant Kumar Asthana, a child 
rights activist and lawyer.

"Putting the death penalty as a provision for punishment goes against the 
interest of the victims because most offenders are known to either the child or 
the family, and the death penalty act as a deterrent in filing a case."

But the junior interior minister, Kiren Rijiju, defended the bill, saying that 
"it will provide safety to young girls."

Speaking in the parliament, the minister said that "we have introduced changes 
in the Indian penal code, criminal court procedure and Evidence Act (to 
prevent) atrocities against children".

Suhas Chakma, director of the Asian Center for Human Rights, said that the 
death penalty was not a deterrent against crime.

"In a country where 30 million cases are pending in courts, each time you make 
a law, you only burden the judiciary with more special courts. Then, after a 
while, special courts collapse under the burden of the huge number of cases," 
Chakma said.

Political activist Kavita Krishnan, leader of the All India Progressive Women's 
Association, said the legislation is "a red herring to save the government, 
which is in the dock because leaders of the ruling party took part in a rally 
in support of the Kathua rape accused."

"In the past few weeks, cases of abuse of young girls in government-run shelter 
homes have cropped up. The death penalty is a ploy to divert the attention of 
the people," she said.

(source: Arab News)






IRAQ:

Iraq to hang 5 more 'Islamic State members'


The Central Criminal Court of Iraq on Tuesday sentenced to death by hanging 5 
persons for membership to the Islamic State (IS).

The court "reviewed the cases of 5 individuals convicted of membership [to IS] 
who worked in several divisions of the organization," the Iraqi Higher Judicial 
Council's (IHJC) spokesperson, Judge Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, said in a 
statement.

Over the past 2 years, Iraqi forces have arrested tens of thousands of people 
which include foreign nationals they claim are members or affiliates of the 
militant group. Most still await sentencing.

Despite concerns from the United Nations (UN), Iraqi courts repeatedly issue 
the death penalty for many IS members who have been arrested and detained under 
questionable conditions.

"The convicts partook in fighting against security and military forces in the 
provinces of Nineveh and Anbar and had carried out terrorist attacks," Birqdar 
added.

The IHJC regularly issues statements after they hand sentences to individuals 
who have been convicted and are awaiting the court's final verdict.

"The court issued its decision to hang to death the accused under the 
provisions of Article 4/1 of [Iraq's] anti-terrorism law," the spokesperson 
concluded.

In the past year, Iraq has executed dozens of foreign and local IS members. A 
few months ago, Iraqi courts sentenced 212 people to death in Mosul and 
surrounding areas, most of them for membership to the extremist group.

International humanitarian organizations, including the UN, say efforts by 
Iraqi authorities to speed up the implementation of death sentences could lead 
to the execution of innocent people.

The death penalty in Iraq was suspended on June 10, 2003, but reinstated the 
following year.

(source: kurdistan24.net)






PAKISTAN:

Zainab's killer sentenced to death for murder of 2 other girls


In another trial held inside a prison, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday 
handed Imran Ali - who is currently incarcerated and on death row for the rape 
and murder of 6-year-old Zainab Amin - the death penalty on 5 more counts for 
the rape and murder of 2 other girls.

Ali, a resident of Kasur, was involved in at least 9 incidents of 
rape-cum-murder of minors, including Zainab, which he had confessed to during 
her murder investigation.

ATC Judge Sajjad Ahmad Sheikh handed down the penalty judgement after the 
prosecution established the role of 24-year-old Ali in the rape and murder 
charges framed in cases 352/16 and 188/17.

In case 352/16 registered in April 2016, he was sentenced to 1 count of death, 
2 counts of 25 years of rigorous imprisonment, 1 count of 2 years RI and 1 
count of 1 year RI under PPC Sections 376(3), 364-A, 337-A(1), and 337-F(1), 
and Anti-Terrorism Act Section 7(c).

He was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs1,500,000 and Rs75,000 under daman 
(compensation determined by the court to be paid by the offender to the victim 
for causing hurt not liable to arsh, the compensation specified for offences 
relating to various kinds of hurt).

Failure to pay the fines will result in an additional 6 months of imprisonment.

In case 188/17 filed in Feb 2017, he received four counts of death, and one 
count of life imprisonment under PPC Sections 364-A (kidnapping or abducting a 
person under the age of fourteen), 376(3) (rape of minor), 302-B (punishment 
for qatl-e-amd), and 377 (unnatural offences); and Section 7(a) ATA (punishment 
for acts of terrorism).

He was also ordered to pay 3 fines of Rs1,000,000 each and Rs1,000,000 as 
compensation to the victim's heirs. In case of failure to pay any of the 
amounts, he will have to undergo an additional 6 months imprisonment.

On Saturday, the ATC handed Ali the death sentence on 12 counts for the rape 
and murder of 3 other minor girls.

3 more cases remain pending against Ali.

ZAINAB'S MURDER:

Zainab's rape and murder earlier this year had sparked outrage and protests 
across the country after the 6-year-old, who went missing on January 4, was 
found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on January 9.

Her case was the 12th such incident to occur within a 10-kilometre radius in 
the city over a 12-month period.

The heinous nature of the crime had seen immediate riots break out in Kasur - 
in which 2 people were killed - while #JusticeforZainab became a rallying cry 
for an end to violence against children.

The Punjab government had declared the arrest of Ali, the prime suspect, on 
January 23.

On June 12, the Supreme Court rejected Ali's appeal against the death sentence 
handed to him for the rape and murder of Zainab, noting that the petitioner had 
admitted committing similar offences with eight other minor victims and "in 
that backdrop, he did not deserve any sympathy in the matter of his sentences".

Imran had filed the appeal challenging the death sentence handed to him in 
February, claiming his trial was not fair. He still has the right to seek 
clemency from President Mamnoon Hussain.

(source: Pakistan Today)






SOUTH AFRICA:

Political party wants death penalty for rapists after Khensani Maseko 
protests----The death of Rhodes University student Khensani Maseko has gathered 
nationwide attention over the course of the week. One political party is now 
demanding action of the highest order.


Rape and rape culture have long been a major issue at Rhodes University and 
South African universities in general. While protests rocked campuses in 2016, 
it is clear that the situation has not improved. Women risk their lives and 
bodies daily just by going about their normal life.

On Tuesday, the National Freedom Party, NFP, called for the death penalty for 
those convicted of rape and murder.

With Rhodes University suspending its academic programme for both Monday and 
Tuesday after a student took her own life. Khensani Maseko posted her last 
picture on Instagram marking the day she would die. The caption read "no one 
deserves to be raped".

The NFP has been shaken by Maseko's death.

"The NFP challenges the ANC-led government to open a debate in Parliament on 
bringing back death penalty."

"NFP is deeply concerned and against the ongoing rape culture in South Africa. 
Khensani Maseko's death has proved again that many more women are dying in 
silence. As this month is supposedly Women's Month, losing a young intellectual 
like her is a huge loss."

The party believes that the ANC has failed the women of South Africa.

Rhodes University confirmed on Monday that before her death, Maseko and her 
family had informed the university that she was raped in May by a fellow 
student.

In 2016, Rhodes University was shut down briefly with ongoing #RuReferenceList 
protests. The movement looked to expose alleged rapists on campus and pressure 
university management into taking steps against rape culture.

As a result of the protests, a Task Team was created in December 2016 to 
provide recommendations to the university on how to better handle and combat 
rape instances involving students.

96 recommendations were made, but on Monday panel members remained unsure as to 
whether the university ever implemented them.

The accused rapist has been issued with a notice to suspend from the 
university.

(source: thesouthafrican.com)