[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

July 2



MALAYSIA:

Don't axe death penalty just for Sirul, says MP



Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh today questioned the government???s 
announcement that it was considering abolishing the death penalty, asking if 
this was merely for the purpose of extraditing Sirul Azhar Umar from Australia.

In a statement, he welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's 
confirmation yesterday that Putrajaya was contemplating removing the death 
penalty in Malaysia.

However, he added that it was unclear if Wan Azizah was advocating this in 
order to extradite Sirul, who was convicted of the 2006 murder of Mongolian 
national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

???It must be stated at once that the death penalty ought to be abolished as a 
matter of principle and not merely to facilitate the return of Sirul as it is 
an inhumane form of punishment and numerous studies have found it to be an 
ineffective deterrent," he said.

Ramkarpal, who has spoken out against the death penalty before, said the 
government must have the political will to completely abolish the punishment 
and impose a moratorium on pending death row cases in the meantime.

???There are currently various crimes that impose the death penalty, and each 
of them should be amended in the next Parliament sitting to expedite the 
process of the total abolishment of the death penalty in this country."

Wan Azizah had said that Putrajaya was considering doing away with the death 
penalty in legislation pertaining to criminal offences, which could leave 
Australia with no choice but to send back Sirul.

"That's why we are discussing whether it is necessary for us to change the 
sentence or replace it with any penalty," she said.

Ramkarpal said if the death penalty was abolished, Sirul would likely be 
extradited as Australia would no longer have any reason to hold him there.

"Indeed, if Australia continued to hold him despite the death penalty being 
abolished, it may be seen as harbouring a convicted murderer without 
justification which could strain bilateral ties between the 2 countries and 
tarnish the image of Australia in the eyes of the world," he added.

Sirul and his accomplice Azilah Hadri were sentenced to hang in 2009 for 
Altantuya's murder.

Their conviction was overturned in 2013 after questions were raised about how 
their trial was conducted. However, the Federal Court upheld their death 
sentences in 2015, by which point Sirul had already fled to Australia.

Australian law will not allow Sirul to be sent back to Malaysia as he faces the 
death sentence.

Azilah meanwhile remains on death row in Kajang prison.

(source: freemalaysiatoday.com)








THAILAND:

Justice flaws condemn death penalty



A latest claim by an eyewitness, that executed murder convict Teekrasak Longji 
was not a murderer, has mostly been buried in the death penalty debate where 
emotions ran high over the past 2 weeks.

True, the claim is yet to be proved. But Teerasak will remain dead even if the 
claim is eventually proved to be true.

The new jigsaw piece in the murder case, no matter how credible it is, stands 
as a reminder that the justice process here in Thailand and elsewhere is not 
flawless.

(source: Opinion; Surasak Glahan Deputy Op-ed Editor, Bangkok Post)








INDIA:

Punjab wants death penalty for drug peddlers and smugglers



The Punjab government has decided to recommend the death penalty for drug 
peddling or smuggling, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today.

Singh said the recommendation was being forwarded to the Narendra Modi 
government.

"Since drug peddling is destroying entire generations, it deserves exemplary 
punishment. I stand by my commitment for a drug free Punjab," he wrote in a 
tweet.

Deaths caused by drug overdoses have caused a political slugfest in Punjab.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), an opposition party, said the government had 
forgotten its pre-election promises, and wasn't serious about combating the 
smuggling, peddling and consumption of drugs.

Last month, a government spokesperson said a Special Task Force had 
successfully blocked trans-border and interstate-border drugs supply -- with 
16,305 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 
Act, and 18,800 people arrested since March 16, 2017.

(source: indiatoday.com)








BANGLADESH:

2 get death for killing child in Narayanganj



A Narayanganj court today gave death penalty to 2 people for killing an 
11-year-old child after abduction in Kadamtali Navana City area near 
Siddhirganj in 2012.

Judge Mohammad Robiul Awal came up with the verdict today against Mohiuddin 
Hasanat, 30, the brother in-law of Ashikur and his assistant Saiful Islam, 30, 
after they were proven guilty.

During the verdict, Mohiuddin was present while Saiful is still a fugitive, 
reports our Narayanganj correspondent quoting Fazlur Rahman, public prosecutor 
(PP) of Narayanganj District Court.

In 2012, centering a family dispute, Mohiuddin abducted Ashikur Rahman Talukdar 
Rifat from his home in Mirpur of Dhaka while he was playing on the playground, 
he added.

Later, police recovered Ashikur's slit throat body inside a garden in Kadamtali 
Navana City area under Siddhirganj Police Station in Narayanganj.

Mohiuddin admitted to killing Ashikur with the help of Saiful.

On August 12, the victim???s father Toffazol Hossain filed a murder case on 
August 12 with Mirpur Police Station.

On August 13, Learning from TV news about recovery of the body of an 
unidentified minor boy, Ashikur's parents rushed to Siddhirganj Police Station 
and identified the body.

(source: thedailystar.net)








PAKISTAN:

4 awarded death, life terms



A court sentenced 2 murder convicts to death and gave the life term to as many 
others in a triple murder case in Shahpur City. The judgment was announced by 
Additional Sessions Judge Javed Iqbal Ranjha.

The prosecution told the court that accused Khawar, Qaiser, Saeed and Mubashir 
had gunned Riaz, Wajid and Hayat over an enmity in 2015.

The local police registered a case against the accused and presented the 
challan before the court. After hearing the arguments, the judge handed down 
the death sentence to Khawar and Qaiser. The judge also awarded life terms to 
Saeed and Mubashir.

A fine of Rs0.6 million was imposed on the convicts.

Earlier, a court awarded the death penalty to a convict for his involvement in 
a murder case in Faisalabad. Additional Sessions Judge Asadullah Siraj 
announced the verdict.

Convict Fakhar Imam had killed his wife Hina and son Hasnain Ali over a 
property dispute in 2015.

The local police registered a case against the convict and presented the 
challan before the court. After hearing the arguments, the judge handed down 
the death sentence on two counts to Fakhar along with a fine of Rs0.5 million.

(source: The Express Tribune)