[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

June 18



JAPAN:

Prosecutors seek death penalty for alleged killer of Vietnamese girl in Chiba



Prosecutors on Monday demanded the death penalty for the former parents' 
association chief accused of murdering a 9-year-old Vietnamese girl in Chiba 
Prefecture last year.

Yasumasa Shibuya, 47, committed a "cold-blooded, heinous and cruel" crime in 
abducting, sexually assaulting and strangling Le Thi Nhat Linh, prosecutors 
said at the hearing at the Chiba District Court.

Shibuya, a neighbor of the girl, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the indictment, Shibuya bundled Linh into his car in Matsudo on 
the morning of March 24, 2017, before sexually assaulting and killing her in 
the vehicle and abandoning her body near a drainage ditch in nearby Abiko.

"The defendant shows no sign of remorse. The suffering of Linh, who was killed 
in a foreign country, is beyond imagination," prosecutors said.

The crime was committed out of "extreme selfishness" and Shibuya deserves 
particularly serious blame given his position at the time as head of the 
parents' group, they said.

Shibuya denies involvement in the girl's death and says the prosecutors' claims 
are fictitious and fabricated. At Monday's hearing, Shibuya repeated that 
position, saying, "I'm innocent and not guilty."

"I wish for a fair judgment for the sake of my 2 children, who are waiting for 
me and believe in me," he said.

The court is scheduled to hand down a ruling on the case on July 6.

The focal point of the case is DNA evidence. Prosecutors say blood and saliva 
matching the girl's DNA was found in Shibuya's vehicle and that Shibuya's DNA 
was found on her body.

But defense lawyers said the DNA samples may have been deliberately placed 
there by the investigators.

The prosecutors claimed the DNA results were credible because blood was 
detected in several places inside Shibuya's vehicle, indicating the blood was 
left during the crime.

Although Shibuya has said he was preparing to go fishing on the day when Linh 
disappeared, the prosecutors said his statement is not trustworthy because it 
was contradicted by other people.

Le Anh Hao, the girl's 35-year-old father, requested the death penalty for 
Shibuya at a court hearing last week.

Linh, who was in her 3rd year at the elementary school, was on her way to 
attend a ceremony marking the end of the school year when she was abducted.

(source: Japan Times)








SOUTH KOREA:

Gov't Seeks to Declare Moratorium on Death Penalty in Dec.



The National Human Rights Commission says it is seeking to have President Moon 
Jae-in declare the abolition of capital punishment on Human Rights Day on 
December 10th.

The head of the commission's department on policy education, Sim Sang-don, said 
in a news conference on Monday that the commission is working toward the 
president declaring the moratorium on the death penalty upon the 70th 
anniversary of Human Rights Day this year.

Sim cited that scrapping the death penalty was one of the key topics that 
surfaced when the commission gave a special briefing to the president last 
December for the 1st time in 6 years. Sim said that at the time, President Moon 
was positive about getting rid of capital punishment.

Sim said the commission is currently coordinating views with the Justice 
Ministry on the issue.

South Korea has not carried out a state execution since December 30th, 1997 but 
it has never officially declared a moratorium on the death penalty.

(source: kbs.co.kr)








PHILIPPINES:

House drops proposed restoration of death penalty for acts of terrorism



The proposed restoration of the death penalty for acts of terrorism has been 
dropped by the House of Representatives following doubts aired by the 
Department of Justice and the Department of National Defense on its 
constitutionality.

During a meeting of the technical working group tasked to study the proposed 
overhaul of the Human Security Act of 2007, it was revealed that the DOJ and 
DND are not supportive of reimposing the death penalty as proposed House Bill 
7141 filed by Pangasinan Rep. Amado T. Espino Jr.

Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon, vice chairman of the House committee on 
national defense, presided over the TWG meeting yesterday.

Espino, committee chairman, sought the reimposition of the death penalty for 
various acts contributing to terrorism, among other major amendments to the 
Human Security Act of 2007 which will be titled Prevention of Terrorism Act of 
2018 under HB 7141.

Under the bill, life imprisonment or death penalty will be applied for 
conspiracy to commit terrorism, proposing to commit terrorism, inciting to 
terrorism and recruitment to terrorist organization.

Providing material support to terrorists or terrorist organizations and 
involvement of foreign terrorist fighters will be penalized with death.

"The fixed penalty of 40 years of imprisonment has been changed to 'life 
imprisonment to death' to give leeway to the judge to impose appropriate 
penalty after considering the circumstances present," Espino explained.

Espino's bill is being co-authored by former military officers, Representatives 
Leopoldo Bataoil (NP, Pangasinan) and Gary Alejano (Magdalo Partylist).

The bill is expected to draw strong opposition from progressive lawmakers for 
providing for a 10 year prison sentence on persons found guilty of glorifying 
or promoting acts of terrorism through any medium.

Biazon said he is concerned about the "adherence of the eventual law to the 
principle of upholding human rights as provided in the Constitution."

"We want a law that meets the end of law enforcers against terrorism while at 
the same time ensures the protection of human rights and prevention of abuse," 
the senior administration lawmaker stressed.

The bill has been included in the list of legislative priorities of the Lower 
House, apparently the result of the Maute invasion of Marawi City last year.

Espino proposed the change of the title of the current law "to maintain 
uniformity with other foreign jurisdictions which uses the same title and to 
avoid confusion simply because the law deals mainly with terrorism."

He explained that the measure will address exigencies that could prevent 
terrorism activities and avert loss of innocent lives.

Under the bill the secretary of Justice will have the power to compel 
telecommunications providers to "preserve and produce all customer information 
and identificaiton records, as well as data record and other cellular or 
internet metadata in cases of actual or imminent terrorist attacks."

Aside from the Court of Appeals, the Regional Trial Court will now be clothed 
with power to issue judicial authorization to facilitate the recovery of 
documents.

"A provisions on the arrest of unwilling witnesses that causes delay in 
building the cse against the terrorists is included. The extension of detention 
without judicial warrant is likewise extended to 30 days," Espino said.

(source: Manila Bulletin)








NIGERIA:

15 Herdsmen Escape Death Sentence At Supreme Court



The Supreme Court has sentenced 15 herdsmen to various terms of imprisonment 
ranging from ten years to life imprisonment for their roles in the communal 
crisis, which erupted in January 2010 culminating in attacks and counter 
attacks around Kadunu village in Mangu local government area of Plateau State.

The herdsmen however escaped death sentence because as at the time of 
commission of the offence and sentencing, the Terrorism (Prevention) 
(Amendment) Act, 2013, which prescribes death penalty for anyone on conviction 
for commission of acts of terrorism was yet to be enacted by the National 
Assembly.

A 5-member panel of the highest court in the land headed by Justices Olabode 
Rhodes-Vivour affirmed the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Jos. Other members 
of the panel are Justices Mary Ukaegbo Peter-Odili, John Inyang Okoro, Amiru 
Sanusi and Sidi Dauda Bage. The appellate court in Jos had upheld the decision 
of the Federal High Court in Jos, which dismissed the appeal filed by one of 
the herdsmen, Isah Bello, saying it lacks merit.

The 15 Fulani herdsmen were charged, convicted and sentenced for acts of 
terrorism, conspiracy and extra-judicial possession of firearms.

They are Mohammed Auwal, Ibrhim Yusuf, Salihu Jibrin, Abdulkarim Mohammed, 
Suliman Jibrin, Muhammed Jibri, Suleiman Jibrin, Musa Abdulmumuni, Isah Bello, 
Abdulhamid Bello, Isa Dauda and Ibrahim Jibrin.

In January 2010, there was communal crisis that culminated in attacks and 
counter attacks around Kadunu village in Mangu local government area of Plateau 
State. During the crises, there were massive destruction of lives and 
properties in the area.

The special taskforce of the federal government meant to restore law and order 
went to the scene of the disturbances and seized various kinds of ammunitions 
that were used by the rioters, such as guns, arrows and bows. The taskforce 
arrested those found in the vicinity of the crises that later claimed they were 
victims of the disturbances but that they were in the process of escaping when 
they were arrested.

After investigation, the herdsmen were found culpable, and consequently 
arraigned and tried before the high court.

The herdsmen were arraigned before the Federal High Court for alleged 
commission of offence under Section 518 (5) of the Criminal Code Act, Sections 
5(1) and 27(1) of the Firearms Act and Section 15 (2) of the EFCC Act, 2004.

Justice A.L. Allagoa on December 16, 2010 found them guilty, convicted and 
sentenced them to various term of imprisonment allowed by the law under which 
they were charged to court. As at the time of commission of the offence and 
sentencing, the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013, which prescribes 
death penalty for anyone on conviction for commission of acts of terrorism was 
yet to be enacted by the National Assembly.

The law now insists that "any person or group of persons who directly or 
indirectly, willingly does, attempts or threatens any act of terrorism, amongst 
others, commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to 
maximum of death sentence".

Dissatisfied with the conviction and sentence by Justice Allagoa, each of the 
herdsmen appealed to the Court of Appeal, which consequently upheld the 
judgement of the high court. Justice Sidi Dauda Bage of the Supreme Court who 
delivered the lead judgement held that the 2 lower courts were concurrent in 
their decisions and that the apex court does not have reasons to interfere in 
their findings of facts arrived at.

"The appeal lacks merit and it is dismissed, and I affirm the judgement of the 
Court below upholding the trial court's decision", he ruled.

(source: leadership.ng)



PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a protocol to abolish the death 
penalty, but the measure faces opposition in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas 
continues to support the sentence.



Palestine is joining 102 countries that have abolished the death penalty and 33 
others that have suspended it. On June 6, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas 
signed documents to accede to 7 international conventions and treaties, 
including one on abolition of the death penalty. Abbas instructed Foreign 
Minister Riad Malki to handle the procedures to implement these conventions.

Abbas signed the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on 
Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the UN in 1989, aimed at abolishing the 
death penalty and stipulating, "No one within the jurisdiction of a state party 
to the present protocol shall be executed," and "each state party shall take 
all necessary measures to abolish the death penalty within its jurisdiction."

Public Prosecutor Ahmed Barak told Al-Monitor that current Palestinian Basic 
Law allows for the death penalty but requires that it be implemented with the 
approval of the Palestinian Authority (PA) president.

The PA in the West Bank currently applies the Jordanian Penal Code No. 16 of 
1960, many articles of which stipulate the death penalty, while the Gaza Strip 
abides by the British Mandatory Penal Code No. 74 of 1936, which also provides 
for the death penalty. ?The new protocol will go into effect in three months. 
Barak added that authorities will take the necessary legal and legislative 
measures to amend Palestinian laws to align with the protocol.

Barak pointed out that countries around the world are divided into three 
schools: the 1st allows the death penalty, which is applied in certain states 
in the United States as well as most Arab countries; the 2nd provides for the 
death penalty but does not actually apply it; and the third does not condone 
the death penalty and imposes a life sentence instead.

In the Palestinian territories, between 1994 when the PA was founded and the 
end of 2017, 41 executions were carried out, 39 of them in the Gaza Strip and 2 
in the West Bank in 2001 that were approved by late Palestinian President 
Yasser Arafat. Among the executions carried out in the Gaza Strip, 28 were 
conducted after Hamas took over in 2007 without Abbas' approval.

Abbas allowed the death sentence to be carried out with his permission for the 
last time in 2005. The prisoners had been sentenced years before.

The proposed death penalty ban faces obstacles in the Palestinian territories 
where the PA lacks control, specifically in the Gaza Strip. Ahmed Abu Halabiya, 
who represents Hamas on the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in Gaza, has 
rejected the protocol because, he told Al-Monitor, it violates laws the PA had 
passed since it was founded.

Abu Halabiya said the proposal doesn't serve Palestinian society's best 
interest because the death penalty protects society. He said Abbas signed the 
protocol to win the approval of international bodies, which he did not name.

He noted that, regardless of Abbas' signature on the protocol to abolish it, 
Hamas will continue to support the death penalty, specifically against 
murderers, drug traffickers and those found guilty of colluding with Israel. He 
said Abbas' action is contrary to the Basic Law.

However, Rabah Muhanna, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of 
Palestine's (PFLP) political bureau, told Al-Monitor, "When the PLC is asked to 
amend the Basic Law and remove the article that provides for the death penalty, 
PFLP representatives at the PLC will certainly support abolishing the death 
penalty and replacing it with a sentence as severe as life imprisonment."

The protocol signing received broad acclaim among human rights institutions in 
the Palestinian territories, especially since these institutions have been 
calling on Palestinians for decades to abolish the death penalty, stating it is 
inhumane and ineffective as a deterrent to crime. Issam Younis, the director of 
Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that many countries 
in the world that use the death penalty still have high crime rates.

Abbas' signature on the protocol is a step in the right direction, he said, 
"yet all conventions the PA recently joined need to be compatible with all 
Palestinian legislation so they can be applied in real life, otherwise they 
would be worthless."

Yasser al-Amouri, a professor of international law at Birzeit University, 
called on Abbas to take the appropriate actions to suspend all provisions 
stipulating the death penalty in the Palestinian territories until the laws can 
be amended to create a legal system consistent with the international treaties 
and conventions the PA has joined.

Amouri said the PA's accession to this protocol is an advanced step in 
defending the right to life. He called on Palestinian legislative authorities 
to find alternatives to laws that have become outdated and are incompatible 
with civilizational development.

(source: Ahmad Abu Amer is a Palestinian writer and journalist who has worked 
for a number of local and international media outlets. He is co-author of a 
book on the Gaza blockade for the Turkish Anadolu Agency. He holds a master's 
degree from the Islamic University of Gaza----al-monitor.com)








IRAN----executtions

6 Executions in One Day



Reports suggest that after the execution of Mohammad Salas, 5 other prisoners 
who were sentenced to death on murder charges were also hanged at Rajai Shahr 
Prison today. One of the prisoners was charged with the murder of an 
8-month-old baby named Benita.

According to a close source, on the morning of Monday, June 18, 6 prisoners, 
including Mohammad Salas, were executed at Rajai Shahr Prison.

According to the official news agency of the Judiciary, Mizan, 1 of the 
prisoners who were executed today was charged with the murder of an 8-month-old 
baby named Benita Qal'enoiy during a car theft.

The state-run news agency, Javan, reported, "The defendant, Mohammad Vafaiy, 
stole a car that belonged to Benita Qal'enoiy's father while the 8-month-old 
baby was in the back seat. Ultimately, he leaves the car in the street which 
leads to the baby's death due to high temperature and lack of oxygen."

The defendant said that he went to the police reported the incident a few hours 
later "but they didn't pay any attention."

Although the statements of the defendant were denied by the police spokesman, 
Tehran's prosecutor confirmed that the location of the stolen car carrying 
Benita, was informed to the police and they "should have" found the car 
"earlier".

A close source told IHR that the executions of Mohammad Vafaei and 4 other 
prisoners who were charged with murder were carried out an hour after Mohammad 
Salas??? execution. The 4 other prisoners have not been identified so far and 
the state-run media have not announced their execution.

According to Iran Human Rights annual report on the death penalty, 240 of the 
517 execution sentences in 2017 were implemented due to murder charges. There 
is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran which results in 
issuing a death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intensity and 
intent.

(source: iran Human Rights)

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

Sufi bus driver executed at dawn after grossly unfair trial



Mohamed Salas was executed by the Iranian authorities at dawn on 18 June 2018.

In response to the execution of Mohammad Salas, a 51-year-old man from Iran's 
largest Sufi order, the Gonabadi Dervish religious minority, Amnesty 
International said:

"Amnesty International condemns, in the strongest terms, today's execution of 
Mohammad Salas, which was carried out despite serious unfair trial concerns.

"The Iranian authorities have a deplorable track record when it comes to the 
use of the death penalty. This execution is a travesty of justice that is 
abhorrent and unconscionable. It flies in the face of the huge public outcry in 
the country and is vengeance, not justice.

"Mohammad Salas' trial was grossly unfair. He said he was forced under torture 
to make a 'confession' against himself. This 'confession', taken from his 
hospital bed, was broadcast on state television weeks before his trial and used 
as the only piece of evidence to convict him. He was not allowed access to his 
chosen lawyer at any point before or during his trial, and his independent 
lawyer's repeated demands to the authorities to allow critical evidence 
indicating his innocence were dismissed outright."

Following Mohammad Salas' execution at Raja'i Shahr prison at dawn this 
morning, the authorities took his body away for burial to Borujerd, Lorestan 
Province, hundreds of kilometres from where his children and mother live, and 
despite their protestations to bury him in Tehran. The authorities buried his 
remains in Borujerd without his family present and with security forces 
standing guard. They also denied the family's request that Mohammad Salas' body 
be examined by a coroner to determine the injuries he incurred because of the 
torture to which he said he was subjected.

Below is the initial response from Amnesty International to Mohammad Salas' 
imminent execution

Iranian authorities must urgently stop the imminent execution of Mohammad 
Salas, a 51-year-old man from one of Iran's largest Sufi orders, the Nemattolah 
Gonabadi order, and to immediately quash his death sentence, Amnesty 
International said today.

"Amnesty International has received information that indicates a huge 
miscarriage of justice may be carried out if the Iranian authorities go through 
with this execution. We call on the authorities to immediately quash the death 
sentence of Mohammad Salas and to order a retrial that meets international fair 
trial standards without recourse to the death penalty," said Philip Luther, 
Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty 
International.

Background

Mohammad Salas was arrested around 2.30pm on 19 February outside a police 
station where thousands of Gonabadi dervish protesters had gathered to 
peacefully protest the persecution of the Gonabadi dervish community in Iran.

Salas, a bus driver by profession, has said that he was repeatedly beaten in 
the police station where he was held for several hours. He has said that he 
heard one police officer order the others to "beat him until he dies". He was 
eventually taken, unconscious, to a hospital to treat his injuries, which 
included cuts to the head requiring stitches, broken teeth, broken ribs, a 
broken nose, and a partial loss of vision.

Scared, disoriented and drowsy after being reportedly tortured, Salas awoke to 
find a police investigator by his bed, who forced him to sign a pre-written 
statement "confessing" to the murders. Salas was unable to read the statement 
because he has limited literacy and also cannot read without his glasses. The 
interrogation was conducted without a lawyer present.

Another man who was also in the room then put a camera and microphone in front 
of Salas and asked him why he had killed the 3 policemen. This video of his 
"confession" was broadcast on Iran's state news agency, the Islamic Republic of 
Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), on 20 February, the day after his arrest.

He was subsequently transferred to Shapour detention centre in Tehran, run by 
the Investigation Unit of Iran's police (Agahi), which is notorious for 
extracting "confessions" through torture, where he was held in solitary 
confinement without access to his family or lawyer.

On 1 March 2018, weeks before Salas' trial had begun, Tehran's Police Chief and 
Revolutionary Guards General Hossein Rahimi said in an interview with IRIB that 
Mohammad Salas would be executed for the murder of the policemen, thus 
violating the right to presumption of innocence.

Salas has said he was beaten in the Agahi detention centre and made to 
"confess" in court that he had killed the policemen. He has said that his 
beatings were so severe that one of his fingers was broken.

During the trial, state news agencies broadcast selected clips from the 
courtroom, attempted to smear Mohammad Salas??? character by using details 
about his personal life, and featured interviews with family members of the 
deceased policemen stating they want the punishment of qesas (retribution in 
kind) through his execution.

At the final trial session on 18 March 2018, he retracted his "confession" and 
said that he only "confessed" because he had been tortured and threatened. He 
denied murdering the policemen, and said he was already under arrest and in 
detention, with several witnesses present, when they were killed.

According to information received by Amnesty International, there are several 
witnesses, some of whom were also arrested at the protest, who were ready to 
give eye witness testimonies to support Mohammad Salas' statement. According to 
his lawyer, new witnesses have also claimed that the person behind the wheel of 
the bus that ran over the policemen was a young man.

At no point was Mohammad Salas allowed a lawyer of his choosing, even though 
his family had retained a lawyer to represent him. At trial, the judge did not 
order any investigations into his allegations of torture, nor did he allow any 
of the witnesses who could testify on behalf of Salas to do so.

Instead, on 19 March, using only the "confession" Mohammad Salas had made on 
his hospital bed, Branch 9 of the Criminal Court of Tehran convicted Salas of 
murder and sentenced him to death. The conviction and sentence were upheld by 
the Supreme Court, which later rejected an application for a judicial review of 
his case. His lawyer will submit a 2nd application for a judicial review to 
Branch 35 of the Supreme Court on 17 June 2018.

Gonabadi Dervishes in Iran consider themselves to be Shi'a Muslims. They are 
Sufis who describe Sufism as neither a religion nor a sect, but rather a way of 
life by which people - from any religion - may find God. However, Iran's 
Supreme Leader and influential figures deem their beliefs to be "false 
mysticism". Consequently, Gonabadi Dervishes have faced discrimination, 
harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention, imprisonment and flogging 
sentences, and attacks on their sacred or important sites.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception 
regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or 
other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to 
carry out the execution. The organization campaigns for the total abolition of 
the death penalty.

(source: Amnesty International)

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

IHR STRONGLY CONDEMNS EXECUTION OF THE GONABADI DERVISH MOHAMMAD SALAS



Iran Human Rights (IHR) strongly condemns the execution of Mohammad Salas and 
calls on the European Union and the countries that have diplomatic relations 
with the Islamic Republic of Iran to play a more active role in preventing 
human rights abuses in Iran.

In spite of all civil society protests and despite the repeated warnings of 
human rights groups, the death sentence of Mohammad Salas was carried out early 
the morning of June 18. Noting that the death penalty in its entirety is 
inhumane, IHR insists that the principles of due process have not been 
implemented in the trial of this Gonabadi dervish.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR, said: "The Islamic Republic 
of Iran's judiciary not only failed to investigate the reports of torture under 
the interrogations and confessions, but also ignored the claims by Mr. Salas' 
lawyer and family on the existence of new evidence proving his innocence 
demanding for new investigations. Mohammad Salas was executed innocently since 
he was not provided a fair trial and he insisted on his innocence. The 
responsibility for this execution lies with the authorities of the Islamic 
Republic, especially its leader Ali Khamenei, and they must be held accountable 
for this crime."

IHR also calls on the European governments, especially the EU and Norway, to 
play a more active role in dealing with human rights abuses in Iran.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam emphasized: "Perhaps more international pressure could 
have saved Mohammad Thallath from execution. The international community, 
especially the European countries, should recognize their role and 
responsibility and must work harder to stop executions and other human rights 
abuses in Iran."

(source: Iran Human Rights)

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

Iran Executes Sufi Man Convicted Of Killing Police In Clashes



Iranian authorities have executed a man convicted of killing 3 police officers 
during clashes involving members of a Sufi order, despite calls to stop his 
execution.

The official website of Iran's judiciary said Mohammad Reza Salas was hanged 
early on June 18.

"We are shocked and saddened to announce that Mohammad Salas was executed this 
morning," Amnesty International said on Twitter.

The 51-year-old was convicted and sentenced to death in March following what 
the London-based rights watchdog described as a "grossly unfair trial."

"In their haste to do justice, the authorities have trampled all over this 
man's rights," Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle 
East and North Africa at ?Amnesty, said in a June 17 statement.

Luther cited Mohammad Reza Salas's denial of access to a lawyer before and 
during his trial and the dismissal of "key defense witnesses who can testify 
that he was already in detention when the three policemen were killed."

During the court hearings, Salas testified that he did not kill the police 
officers intentionally, according to local media.

3 officers were left dead after they were run over by a bus during battles 
between security forces and followers of one of Iran's largest Sufi orders in 
Tehran in February.

Followers of the Nemattolah Gonabadi order, known as dervishes, were protesting 
the arrest of members of the sect, as well as rumors that their 90-year-old 
leader would soon be detained by police, despite assurances by the authorities 
that they had no such intention.

2 members of the paramilitary Basij force were also killed in the skirmishes, 
authorities said. Some 300 dervishes were reportedly arrested following the 
violence.

Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, is not illegal in Iran but rights groups 
accuse the Iranian government of harassment and discrimination against their 
followers, including the Gonabadis, one of the largest Sufi sects.

Rights groups have repeatedly called on Iran, one of the world's leading 
executioners, to abolish the death penalty.

Amnesty International said in a report published in April that 507 people were 
executed in the country last year -- a 10 % decline compared to the previous 
year.

(source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)








BAHRAIN:

3 Shia Bahraini clerics sentenced to death, 8 others to life imprisonment



Bahraini regime officials have handed down death sentences to 3 Shia clergymen 
and condemned 8 others to life imprisonment as the ruling Al Khalifah regime 
continues with its repressive measures and heavy-handed crackdown on members of 
the religious community.

Bahrain's dissolved main opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic 
Society, announced in a statement that Shia religious figures are being 
systematically subjected to arbitrary arrests, torture, trials, revocation of 
citizenship as well as forced deportation.

The statement added that al-Wefaq has recorded more than 347 cases of arrests, 
summons and various security prosecutions of Shia clerics in Bahrain.

It added that Bahraini security authorities have summoned more than 156 Shia 
clergymen over their speeches, ideological tendencies or political views. They 
have also arrested 99 religious scholars arbitrarily.

Al-Wefaq further noted that "harsh and unfair verdicts" have targeted more than 
50 clerics, ranging from hefty fines and abolition nationality to life 
imprisonment and death penalty.

The statement went on to say that 3 Shia scholars have been sentenced to death, 
8 to life imprisonment and a number of others been stripped of their 
citizenship. Among those whose nationality has been revoked are prominent 
Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim and Sheikh Hussein Najati.

Al-Wefaq then dismissed the Al Khalifah regime's policy of persecution and 
discrimination, stressing that authorities have no meaningful reform 
initiatives at the level of human rights, especially concerning freedom of 
religion and belief.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an 
almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in 
mid-February 2011.

They are demanding that the Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and allow a 
just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 
14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed 
to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained 
injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regime's crackdown.

On March 5, 2017, Bahrain's parliament approved the trial of civilians at 
military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being 
tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

Bahraini monarch King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah ratified the constitutional 
amendment on April 3 last year.

(source: presstv.com)