[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Feb. 20



MYANMAR:

'Death to rapists' campaign is a response to rampant victim-blaming



Taxi driver Myo Zaw Oo is on trial in Yangon after confessing to the rape and 
murder of civil servant Shwe Yee Win on Jan. 20. Photo: Yangon Police

The release last week of national statistics on sexual assault for 2017 has 
struck a nerve across Myanmar, adding to the fear and anger that many already 
felt in the wake of the brutal rape and murder of a young civil servant in 
Yangon late last month.

The Myanmar government and its cheerleaders want victims and potential victims 
to take responsibility for the grim statistics. But women's rights groups know 
that this victim-blaming is both morally and practically flawed, and they are 
hitting back with demands for the death penalty for rapists. These demands are 
unlikely to be met, but they are already shifting the focus of 
assault-prevention policies from the victims to the perpetrators.

According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, reported 
rape cases rose from 1,100 in 2016 to 1,405 in 2017. This includes a rise in 
rapes of adult women from 429 to 508 and in rapes of underage girls from 671 to 
897.

The announcement came on the heels of a case that has caught national 
attention, in which 26-year-old Food and Drug Administration staffer Shwe Yee 
Win was raped and murdered by a taxi driver on Jan. 20. Women's groups, 
including the Women's Protections Organization (also known as the Women's 
Safeguarding Team) staged a protest outside the courthouse where the suspect, 
taxi driver Myo Zaw Oo, was on trial on Feb. 8, calling for the death penalty 
for convicted rapists, including those who were convicted in the past.

A similar protest was held in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region, on Feb. 18, 
after a local villager was charged with the rape and murder of a 2-year-old 
girl. The father of the victim called for rapists to be executed publicly.

According to Hnin Yee Aye, a leader of theWomen's Protections Organization, the 
"Death to Rapists" campaign is motivated by a need for Myanmar society to 
recognize that rape occurs because laws have failed to deter perpetrators of 
sexual violence.

Lenient sentences and amnesties for rapists have contributed to the rise of 
rapes in the country, she told the Myanmar Times.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees the police force, 
included in its release of the rape statistics a directive to women to "wear 
suitable clothing in order not to tempt fate."

On top of that, an opinion piece written by former diplomat Maung Thaung Win in 
today's Global New Light of Myanmar offers even more explicit victim-blaming.

"Women in Myanmar must be attentive and careful in their every moment of 
activities," the former diplomat writes. "If the woman is going out on business 
matter at night time, a companion must be called in. The clothing must be 
decent and proper, not showy. Fashion clothing and trendy outfits showing too 
much of the body must be avoided as it could tend to invite criminals. Too much 
stylish outfits are not advisable to wear as the girls might be mistaken with 
the call girls or hookers."

He also blames "Facebook culture" for rising rates of sexual assault, arguing 
that the "profuse enjoyment of phonographic [sic] video, sex literature, and 
sexual category photos...are the factors that push towards sex assaults."

According to women's rights advocates, what the Ministry of Home Affairs and 
Maung Thaung Win fail to understand is that dressing a certain way to prevent 
rape and shielding young people from information about sex and sexuality have 
been the main tactics for preventing rape in Myanmar for generations, and they 
have failed miserably. Last year's statistics can be interpreted as proof of 
that failure.

Even activists who do not support the death penalty for rapists are seizing 
this moment to speak out against victim-blaming and sexual repression.

Daw Yin Myo Su, a Shan State-based educator and founder of Inle Heritage, told 
the Irrawaddy last week: "Can we truly admit to ourselves why such rapes 
happen? It is because of our culture, a culture of not talking about sexuality 
openly. We have been told since our teenage years that talking about sex is not 
polite and that we should not speak out...The mother won't talk to her 
daughter, and neither will the school. We were not taught in our teens about 
sexuality and reproductive health or how to deal with those feelings."

"Death to Rapists" campaigners may not end up securing the death penalty for 
rapists, but they are already succeeding in calling attention to society's 
unwillingness to impart life-saving knowledge about sex and sexuality to girls 
and, more importantly, to the perpetrators of sexual violence.

(source: coconuts.co)

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

Petition backs death penalty for rape and murder



Public signatures are being collected to support death sentence for rape and 
murder cases, especially child rapes and a petition with 300,000 signatures 
will be sent to parliament, according to "4 Women's Voice", a local group 
working for women's rights.

Some signatures were collected at the office of Moe Thazin real estate agency 
on Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road in Dagon Myothit (East) Township in Yangon on February 
19.

"Narcotic drugs also encourage rape cases," said Li Li Naing of the group. "I 
don't want to see rapists. We find it difficult to get about 10,000 signatures 
in a month. But you know, the number rape cases increases day by day.

"State leaders will know that. Women's lives are not secure any more. Here, we 
demand (death sentences for rapists)."

Signatures are now being collected across Myanmar and tens of thousands of 
signatures have been collected so far. More groups have been invited to help in 
the campaign.

Aye Aye Thwe, a resident from Ward-133 in Dagon Myothit (East) Township, said: 
"If there is death sentence, no one will dare to rape. There must be effective 
action. Moreover, corruption must be free in such cases. For example, when one 
is sentenced to 10 years in prison, he may be released later under a pardon. 
Some might have been released in exchange for bribe.

"Then he will not find it difficult to commit such a crime again. If there is 
death sentence, he knows he will die if he commit such a crime."

(source: elevenmyanmar.com)

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

88 Activist Says Awareness, Not Execution, is Key to Tackling Rape



The sexual abuse of women and children in Myanmar has been on the rise for the 
past few years. There were 1,405 reported rape cases across the country last 
year alone, 897 of them involving girls less than 16 years old, the highest 
number on record.

On Feb. 15, in response to the rising numbers, the Home Affairs Ministry asked 
the public to cooperate with police to combat rape, listing alcohol and drug 
abuse, ignorance and easy access to internet porn among the main drivers.

The ministry also urged parents, elders and media to encourage women and girls 
to dress modestly, a recommendation that quickly drew criticism for victim 
blaming.

There have also been mounting calls for capital punishment for rapists 
following the rape of multiple children since January, including an attack that 
resulted in the death of a 2-year-old girl.

Daw Nilar Thein, who oversees women's and children's affairs for the 88 
Generation Peace and Open Society, spoke recently with The Irrawaddy's Nyein 
Nyein about options for deterring and punishing rapists.

The number of child rape cases has increased significantly, and there have been 
calls for capital punishment for rapists. Do you think that's the right answer?

The most important thing in our country is to have the rule of law. Maximum 
punishment should be imposed in child rape cases. But the death penalty is not 
an answer. We need to consider the reasons behind the high number of rape 
cases.

We need to impose harsh penalties on rapists. The punishment must be an 
effective deterrent. Though the death penalty is applied in our country, there 
are many cases in which death sentences are commuted with amnesty.

When rapists return to society, they continue to commit crimes and harm 
society. So we need to think about how to make sure the punishment handed down 
is strictly administered. Second, there is a need for society to take good care 
of children. Even if the social welfare departments at different levels can't 
do that, civil society organizations and society need to take great care of 
children.

Because people today have fewer job opportunities and have to struggle for 
their livelihoods, they can't bother to pay attention to things happening 
around them. Much of society has an onlooker's attitude and society is largely 
deteriorating, so rape cases occur as a consequence.

Some blame the victims for being raped. They criticize the way women dress. How 
urgently does public perception about this need to change?

The lack of knowledge is a real problem in society. We can't blame attire as 
the main cause. The mind of a rapist is not normal. We need to think about it. 
But I don't want people to do victim blaming.

In our society, there are many people who molest women, whether they are in 
Myanmar clothes [longyi] or long pants or short pants, or on board a public 
bus. They are people who ignore social ethics.

A lack of morals is a pressing issue we are facing. Many women today face being 
molested on buses, not to mention other places. The main reason is poor morals.

More women victims are now reporting their experiences on social media, so we 
know about them. But what are the dangers of social media?

In our country people now have mobile phones, and many tend to watch porn 
movies online rather than studying good things. It used to be difficult to rent 
porn movies. Not every movie rental shop rented porn movies, and harsh action 
was taken against movie rental shops that did rent porn movies.

But now, with access to the internet, [potential rapists] can watch [porn 
movies] easily on the internet, and the consequence is that [women] of any age 
living near them fall victim.

Now we have easy access to sexual information, where before there was hardly 
any sexual and reproductive health education. How long will it take our society 
to accept reproductive education in the school system?

It is not easy for everyone to accept sexual education. It is a taboo subject 
in our country. We have yet to get rid of the entrenched attitude that girls 
should not listen to sexual education. This attitude is deeply rooted in our 
country. I'm afraid it will be quite difficult to change in the next 10 years.

Speaking of child rape, people usually focus on prevention for girls. But 
aren't boys also vulnerable to rape? How worrying is it?

Speaking of child rape, it concerns both boys and girls. You can't neglect it 
because it is a male-on-male offense. And you shouldn't think that there won't 
be male-on-male rape cases. We need to make it clear that there are harsh 
punishments for offenders whether they abuse a boy or a girl. If parents keep 
silent about male-on-male sexual offenses because of shame or fear or because 
they think it doesn't matter, the situation will get worse, as with the rape of 
girls.

Though there have been calls to change existing laws, the civilian government 
has yet to change them. What do you want to say about that?

We understand that there are a lot of difficulties with chancing those laws. 
Mainly we have been calling for constitutional change. We can't just sit and do 
nothing, thinking that we can't change it because of that 25 % of seats [held 
by the military in Parliament]. We have to try to change the Constitution as 
best we can.

Another thing is that any existing law and amended law must take effect. Any 
change to the letter of the law doesn't matter. A major problem in our country 
is that laws are inactive. Therefore, there is no rule of law, and consequently 
it is easy to hit and kill people. It is very easy for people to commit crimes.

We have to make sure people are aware of the punishments and that they are 
afraid of those punishments. Laws must be active. Otherwise, not everyone is 
reluctant to hit and kill other people. This is the main reason for child rape 
cases.

Some organizations are conducting campaigns to broaden knowledge and awareness. 
What are the challenges to raising awareness on a wider scale?

Public interest is important in conducting awareness campaigns. As I have said, 
when people think the topic is not their concern, the campaign will not be 
successful no matter how keen the educators are. So we need to find ways to 
attract their attention. We have to work with great patience to make the entire 
society understand that they should know about this, that it is not a shameful 
subject and that it concerns them all.

For example, we need to start [awareness campaigns] at the ward and village 
levels, and then the township level and so on. Awareness in Yangon alone is not 
enough. I want the entire society to know about this issue. When everyone knows 
and understands it, they will join hands to prevent it. The bigger the 
prevention effort, the lower the number of offenders.

In Myanmar, people forget whatever was the talk of the town after 6 months or a 
year. What attitude do we need to get things done?

We should not focus on temporary issues that pop up. Our association mainly 
engages in human rights. People are very unhappy about going to court. Why? The 
rule of law in our country doesn't protect citizens. In many cases the 
aggrieved party gets discouraged. Those who have more money win lawsuits. It is 
quite sad. But there have been cases where justice was served.

To put it in a nutshell, we must always be aware of certain things such as 
human trafficking and the sexual abuse of children.

Some cases have gone unreported and ended in tragedy. But when a particular 
issue is highlighted, we need to have political awareness. It would be very 
good if the entire society were to join hands in good faith to address this 
issue.

But it is very important that [certain groups] not play with those issues in a 
political ploy. Now, most people can look at both sides of a story and make 
their judgements, and they are not easily swayed.

(source: irrawaddy.com)








BANGLADESH:

Court sentences 5 to death for 2008 murder in Chandpur



A court in Chandpur has awarded the death penalty to 5 people in a decade-old 
murder.

On Oct 5, 2008, Masud Rana was murdered at the district's Matlab Upazila.

On Tuesday, the additional district and sessions judge's court convicted 5 
people in the killing.

The convicts are Yamin Bepari, Abdul Khaleque Molla, Faruq alias Nabi, Ali 
Munshi and Selim Majhi.

Faruq and Munshi were in the dock on Tuesday while the rest are at large.

The court has acquitted 3 suspects: Kamal Hawlader, Keramat Ali Molla and 
Cherag Ali Molla, said Sayedul Islam, additional public prosecutor in Chandpur.

Rana was whisked away from his home on Oct 5, 2008 and later strangled. His 
body was recovered from a ditch 10 days later, he said.

Rana's father Rabiul Matlab started the case against eight people at the local 
police station.

Police filed the charges in May 2009. The court heard 15 witnesses in the case.

(source: bdnews24.com)








PAKISTAN:

2 men sentenced to death for killing MQM-workers: report



An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday sentenced 2 men to death in a case 
concerning the killing of a worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and his 
brother, reported a leading English daily.

The court found Ibrahim alias Qari and Nasir Butt guilty of killing senior MQM 
activist, Mansoor Mukhtar and his brother Masood Mukhtar in their house in PIB 
Colony on March 27, 2012, while also injuring Masood's wife.

The trial was conducted at the judicial complex inside the central prison, 
where the ATC-VI judge read out the conviction order after recording evidence 
of witnesses and conclusion of arguments from both sides. The court also handed 
down 10-year imprisonment to both accused for making an attempt on the life of 
Uzma Masood during the attack.

Fines were imposed as well upon the convicts but the capital punishment is 
subject to the confirmation from a high court. The prosecution examined around 
10 witnesses in the case including the eyewitness Uzma Masood who had 
identified the accused persons before a judicial magistrate as well as the 
trial court. A district and sessions judge had also conducted a judicial 
inquiry into the double murder case.

Ahmed Ali, Fahim Gujjar, Shah Baloch and Fida Hussain, said to be associated 
with one of the several criminal gangs operating in Lyari, have been declared 
proclaimed offenders in the case.

(source: Pakistan Today)

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

Pak serial killer appeals to HC against death sentence



A serial killer in Pakistan, who was sentenced to death for the brutal rape and 
murder of a 7-year-old girl, today challenged his conviction in the Lahore High 
Court alleging that his trial was conducted in "haste" without fulfilling legal 
requirements.

In the 1st ever trial in the countrys history that concluded in shortest period 
of 4 days, an anti-terrorism court on Saturday sentenced to death 23-year-old 
Imran Ali on 4 grounds -- murdering a child, kidnapping a child, rape of a 
minor, and committing an unnatural act with a minor.

In his appeal, he declared that he is "not guilty".

He said the trial was conducted in "haste and legal requirements were not 
fulfilled" during the trial. He appealed to the high court to overturn the ATCs 
verdict.

Besides death penalty, Imran was also sentenced to 7 years in jail with a fine 
of Rs 1 million for desecrating the body of a minor.

He was arrested in January, 1 weeks after he raped and killed the 7-year-old 
girl and threw her body into a garbage dump in Kasur city, some 50 kilometres 
from Lahore.

The brutal rape and murder of the child had sparked outrage and protests across 
the country. Her case was the 12th such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre 
radius in Kasur city over a 12-month period.

The arrest brought to light 7 more such crimes and many Pakistanis have 
demanded he be publicly executed.

He is facing further charges in the cases of 7 other children he attacked, 5 of 
whom were murdered. The prosecution lawyer had earlier claimed that Imran had 
been given ample chance to defend himself, but he chose to confess his crimes. 
A total 56 witnesses were presented against him in addition to forensic 
evidence, DNA and polygraph tests.

The girls father Muhammad Amin expressed satisfaction over the verdict, saying: 
"We are satisfied on the verdict but we wanted him to be hanged publicly."

Some lawyers and activists had shown concerns about the fairness of the trial 
inside jail. Advocate Asad Jamal said the trial could not be held in a free and 
fair manner unless the suspect was given an ample opportunity to defend himself 
through a counsel of his choice.

He said the trial had been conducted in camera without access to independent 
observers, members of the bar and independent legal counsel for the accused.

He said the prosecution could not propose or nominate a lawyer to defend Imran 
because there had always been a clear conflict of interest.

(source: India Today)



GAMBIA:

Barrow declares moratorium on use of death penalty



President Adama Barrow Sunday finally declared a moratorium on the use of death 
penalty in The Gambia, saying it is a 1st step towards abolition.

He made this remarks during the 53rd Independence Anniversary of The Gambia. On 
Justice and Judicial reforms, he said, a Constitutional Review Commission, 
Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission and the Human Rights Commission 
have been enacted. The executive secretary of the TRRC has also been 
appointment, he added.

"Similarly the Security Sector Reform assessment has been completed and it will 
guide the programme design and implementation," he said.

(source: thepoint.gm)








EGYPT:

Egypt sentences 4 to death for 2015 'acts of violence'----EU parliament voices 
'serious concern' over number of death sentences handed down by Egyptian courts



An Egyptian court on Monday sentenced four people to death for "acts of 
violence" that took place in Cairo in 2015, according to a local judicial 
source.

"In a preliminary sentence, the Giza Criminal Court ruled to execute 4 
individuals -- 2 of whom were tried in absentia -- after they were convicted of 
trying to assassinate a judge and running a terrorist cell," an unnamed 
judicial source was quoted as saying by local media.

The court sentenced another 12 people, all of whom were tried in absentia, to 
life in prison in the same case, while 14 others were slapped with 15 years 
each.

The 30 defendants in the case were all convicted of belonging to a "terrorist 
cell", attempting to assassinate Judge Fathi al-Bayoumi, attacking public and 
private property and possessing illegal weapons.

Prosecution authorities first referred the defendants to the criminal court in 
late 2015.

Monday's sentences, however, are merely preliminary and remain subject to 
appeal before the Court of Cassation, the highest judicial body in Egypt's 
court system.

EU 'concerned'

Earlier this month, the European Parliament condemned Egypt???s frequent use of 
the death penalty, calling on the Egyptian authorities to "halt any imminent 
executions".

It went on to voice its "serious concern" over mass trials being conducted in 
Egypt and what it described as the "large number" of death sentences they were 
handing down.

Egypt has been roiled by turmoil since the military ousted and imprisoned 
Mohamed Morsi, the country's first freely elected president, in a bloody 2013 
military coup.

In the almost 5 years since, hundreds of people have been sentenced to death on 
charges of "inciting violence" under the post-coup regime of President 
Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

(source: aa.com.tr)








IRAQ:

Iraqi court sentences Turkish woman to death over joining IS group



An Iraqi court Monday sentenced a Turkish female citizen to death and ten 
foreign women to life imprisonment for joining Islamic State (IS) militants 
group, a judicial spokesman said.

"The Central Criminal Court issued a death penalty by hanging for a female 
Turkish citizen and issued ten verdicts of life sentences for other females 
from different nationalities," Abdul Sattar al-Biraqdar, spokesman for Iraq's 
Supreme Judicial Council said in a brief statement.

Biraqdar said that the all the sentences are preliminary and subject to review 
by the Court of Cassation.

In January, the court sentenced a female German citizen to death for joining 
the extremist group and providing logistical support to the terrorist 
organization that helped them to commit their criminal acts. She was also 
convicted of complicity in attacking the Iraqi security forces.

Thousands of IS fighters and supporters from various nationalities had joined 
the extremist IS group when it took control of large swathes in Iraq and 
neighboring Syria, but after the Iraqi forces defeated the group in Iraq, 
hundreds of IS loyalists were killed or captured, while many others were still 
at large either in hideouts in Iraq or abroad.

(source: xinhuanet.com)



BOTSWANA----execution

Botswana hangs man who murdered girlfriend and son in 2010



Botswana has hanged a man for murdering his girlfriend and her son, the 1st 
execution in 2 years by the only southern African nation not to have abolished 
the death penalty.

Joseph Poni Tselayarona, 28, was executed on Saturday after the 2010 murder of 
his girlfriend and her 3-year-old son, the Botswana Prison Service said.

As Botswana was executing the convict, over in West Africa, The Gambia was also 
taking steps towards abolition of the measure. President Adama Barrow during 
the country's 53rd Independence anniversary placed a moratorium on the death 
penalty.

"I will use this opportunity to declare a moratorium on the use of the death 
penalty in The Gambia, as a 1st step towards abolition," Barrow said in his 
Independence Day speech.

The last time the country used the measure was in 2012 when exiled leader Yahya 
Jammeh executed 9 prisoners by firing squad. Jammeh fled Gambia in 2017 after a 
shock electoral defeat in December 2016.

An opposition coalition led by Barrow defeated him in a process he described as 
free and fair only to backtrack and dispute the results citing irregularities. 
An ECOWAS force had threatened to oust him after failed mediation by the 
regional bloc.

(source: africanews.com)

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

EU slams Botswana over execution of death row inmate



Botswana's continued practice of death penalty came under international 
scrutiny on Tuesday, with the European Union calling on the southern African 
country to stop the practice.Spokesperson of the EU Delegation to Botswana and 
the Southern African Development Community, Bester Gabotlale, said the heads of 
European missions in Gaborone were not happy with the Botswana government's 
continued use of death penalty.

Death row inmate deplore Joseph Tselayarona was executed on 17 February in a 
development widely criticised by rights activists.

Gabotlale said death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment.

He said the EU's position is that the use of capital punishment can never be 
justified.

"There is no evidence that it has a better deterrent effect than imprisonment, 
and judicial and other errors in its application are irrevocable and 
irreversible, which is why most of the countries in the world have stopped 
applying it," Gabotlale said.

He added: "We call on Botswana to initiate a public debate on its use of the 
death penalty, as the government of Botswana has already agreed in the 
Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council," he said.

(source: journalducameroun.com)







INDIA:

HCBA seeks death sentence for rapist SPO after speedy trial



In occupied Kashmir, the High Court Bar Association has strongly condemned the 
march by the alliance of Hindu extremist organizations, Hindu Ekta Manch, in 
Kathua in support of a criminal Special Police Officer, Deepak Khujoria.

As per the Crime Branch, which is investigating the rape and murder of an 
8-year-old girl Asifa Bano of Hira Nagar, Kathua, SPO Deepak Khujoria is 
involved in abduction and subsequent rape and murder of the minor girl.

The Bar Association citing the Crime Branch's investigation in a statement 
issued in Srinagar said, Deepak Khujoria had kidnapped and raped the girl and 
after keeping her captive for seven days, had murdered her in a brutal and 
barbaric manner.

The Bar Association maintains that anyone, who is involved in kidnapping a 
minor and thereafter raping and murdering her, should be treated as a terrorist 
and awarded a death penalty, as has been done by an anti-terror court in 
Pakistan, which completed the trial of a rape and murder case within 4 days and 
sentenced a serial killer to death, who had raped and murdered a 7-year-old 
girl.

The Bar Association further said that instead of taking out a procession in 
support of the criminal, the people, who were part of the protest march, led by 
Hindu Ekta Manch, should have demanded that the investigation of the case be 
completed within a shortest possible time and the challan against the culprit 
be filed before a fast track court and the proceedings of the case should be 
conducted on day to day basis.

"However, instead of doing so, the Hindu Ekta Manch, has taken out a rally in 
support of the criminal (Deepak Khujoria), in which a BJP as well as a Congress 
Leader participated shamelessly," the statement said.

The Bar Association while terming the act of rape and murder of the teenager by 
a police officer, as inhuman and barbaric demanded that the investigation of 
the case should be brought to its logical end forthwith and the culprit be 
tried in a fast track court and awarded the death sentence.

(source: Kashmir Media Service)