[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Jan. 31



BELARUS:

5 death sentences given in Belarus in 2017



Belarusian courts handed down 5 death sentences and 3 life sentences in 2017, 
Belarusian Supreme Court First Deputy Chairman Valery Kalinkovich said.

"5 [people] received death sentences and 3 people received life sentences [in 
2017]," Kalinkovich said at a press conference in Minsk on Jan. 31 in response 
to a question from journalists.

It should be taken into account that a life sentence is an alternative to the 
death penalty, he said. "We have 2 measures of extraordinary punishment: life 
in prison and the death penalty," he said.

(source: Kyiv Post)








BAHRAIN:

Urgent Action Update: Court of Cassation Upholds Death Sentence (Bahrain: 
252.14)



On 29 January, Bahrain's Court of Cassation upheld the death sentence imposed 
against Maher Abbas Ahmad following a trial which relied on "confessions" 
extracted under torture. If the King ratifies his sentences, he will be at 
imminent risk of execution.

TAKE ACTION----Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:

Urging the King of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa, to quash the 
death sentence imposed on Maher Abbas Ahmad, order a full retrial without 
recourse to the death penalty and where no evidence obtained under torture is 
used and investigate his allegations of torture;

Urging the Bahraini government to acknowledge their responsibility to protect 
the public and bring to justice those who commit crimes, but insisting that 
this should always be done in accordance with international law and Bahrain's 
international human rights obligations;

Urging them to commute all death sentences and declare an official moratorium 
on executions.

Contact these 2 officials by 13 March, 2018:

King

Shaikh Hamad bin 'Issa Al Khalifa

Office of His Majesty the King

P.O. Box 555

Rifa'a Palace, al-Manama, Bahrain

Fax: +973 1766 4587

Salutation: Your Majesty

H.E. Ambassador Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa

Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain

3502 International Drive NW

Washington DC 20008

Phone: 1 202 342 1111 I Fax: 1 202 362 2192

Email: ambsecretary at bahrainembassy.org

Twitter: @BahrainEmbDC

Salutation: Dear Ambassador

(source: Amnesty International)








IRAN----execution

Authorities execute man in exceptionally cruel circumstances



Amnesty International is outraged by reports that the Iranian authorities have 
executed a young man convicted of murder who was only 15 years old at the time 
of the crime.

The organization learned that 22-year-old Ali Kazemi was hung earlier today in 
prison in Busher province. His execution was scheduled and carried out without 
any notice given to Ali Kazemi's lawyer as required by Iranian law.

"By carrying out this unlawful execution, Iran is effectively declaring that it 
wishes to maintain the country's shameful status as one of the world's leading 
executers of those who were children at the time of their crime," said 
Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Deputy 
Director.

"This is nothing short of an all-out assault on children's rights, as enshrined 
in international law, which absolutely bans the use of the death penalty 
against someone who was under 18 years of age at the time of the crime."

"It is long overdue for the head of Iran's judiciary to intervene and establish 
an official moratorium on executions of juvenile offenders

Ali Kazemi was convicted of murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 
man during a fight in March 2011. He was only 15 years old at the time the 
crime was committed.

Amnesty International understands that prison officials and prosecution 
authorities in Busher tormented Ali Kazemi's family by making contradictory 
statements as to whether and when the execution would be carried out.

On 29 January, his family was told Ali Kazemi's execution had been scheduled 
for the next day and that they should go to Busher prison in the evening for a 
last visit.

By carrying out this unlawful execution, Iran is effectively declaring that it 
wishes to maintain the country's shameful status as one of the world's leading 
executers of those who were children at the time--Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty 
International's Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director.

However, that same evening the family was told Kazemi's execution had been 
halted. On the morning of 30 January, the authorities called to reassure the 
family that the execution had not taken place. However, at midday today, Ali 
Kazemi's family was suddenly told the execution had just been carried out.

Ali Kazemi's execution comes less than a month after Iran executed another man 
who was under the age of 18 at the time of the crime, Amirhossein Pourjafar, on 
4 January.

Between 2005 and 2018, Amnesty International recorded the execution of 87 
people convicted by the courts in Iran for crimes that occurred when they were 
under the age of 18. This includes 4 in 2017 and 2 so far in 2018. Amnesty 
International has identified at least 80 individuals who are on death row in 
Iran for crimes that took place when they were under 18 years of age.

Background

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is unequivocal in its absolute 
prohibition on the use of the death penalty for crimes committed by people 
below 18 years of age.

It is also well-established in the principles of juvenile justice that 
individuals under 18 years of age should be treated as less mature and 
culpable, and should never face the same penalties as adults.

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. Amnesty International has 
consistently called on all countries that still use the death penalty to 
establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the 
punishment.

(source: Amnesty International)








INDIA:

DCW chief announces 30 days 'Satyagrah'; demands capital punishment for child 
rapists within 6 months



Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Wednesday announced 30 
days 'Satyagrah Aandolan' after the rape of an 8-month old infant and demanded 
a system that gives capital punishment to the child rapists within 6 months.

"My 30-day Satyagrah starts today. I will not go home for 30 days. I will work 
in the office throughout the day and at night I will inspect different places 
of Delhi. I will do double work. I will sleep in the office only. I give 30 
days' time to accept my demands. Make such a system that gives punishment to 
the child rapists within six months," Ms Maliwal said in a tweet.

Ms Maliwal demanded a strong law to ensure that each and every case of rape of 
children is dealt with swiftly and strictly. Necessary amendments should be 
made in the IPC and POCSO Act for imparting death penalty within 6 months of 
the crime being commited.

(source: uniindia.com)








PAKISTAN:

Public execution



The government is aiming to seek approval to the bill that asks for public 
execution of criminals charged with kidnapping an individual below the age of 
14, from the Council of Islamic ideology. Regardless of how effective the 
proposed law might turn out to be in controlling such cases, the bill is likely 
to receive a backlash from the international community in the back drop of the 
widespread demand that seeks abolition of death penalty the world over.

Nida Alvi

(source: Letter to the Editor, The Express Tribune)