[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide----IRAN, TRIN., GERM./TUNIS., PAKIS., BANG.

Wed May 9 08:24:38 CDT 2018

May 9

IRAN:

Iranian Dervish Protester in Imminent Danger of Execution

A close source told Iran Human Rights that Yavar Mohammad Salas, who is 
sentenced to imprisonment and execution on murder charges and whose sentence 
has been approved by the Supreme Court, is in imminent danger of execution.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson for IHR, said, "Iranian authorities 
must stop promoting violence by their policy of arbitrary executions. Mohammad 
Salas's death sentence must be removed, and Iranian authorities must instead 
provide him a fair trial. We call on the international community to use their 
channels to stop Mohammad Salas's execution."

According to a close source, Yavar Mohammad Salas was arrested after the 
protests of Gonabadi dervishes on February 19, 2018. He is charged with 
murdering three police officers by running over them by a bus; however, in his 
trial, he claimed that it was unintentional.

A close source who wanted to remain anonymous told Iran Human Rights, "Mohammad 
Salas is in a very critical situation. He is about to be executed, and these 
are probably the last days of his life." The source also added, "Mohammad Salas 
is allowed to meet his lawyer and his family."

He continued, "Mohammad Salas's case has not been investigated adequately. His 
lawyer, Mr. Sae'ed Ashrafzadeh, asked many questions in the court which weren't 
answered. And most importantly, car accidents are mainly considered 
unintentional and accidental both in Iran and other countries. In rare cases 
when they are intentional, they need to be investigated carefully regarding 
intention and criminal action. But none of Mr. Sae'ed Ashrafzadeh's questions 
were answered."

It should be noted that Yavar Mohammad Salas openly announced in the court that 
he was tortured in the police station. In one of the public trial sessions he 
said, "After I got out of my car in Golestan Haftom Ave., I got into the bus 
and drove it toward the police station. I was driving slowly; I already said 
that I didn't hit the officers on purpose, but they beat me and broke my arm. I 
didn't mean to kill the officers. I honked the horn and flashed my headlights 
to make them go away."

The 3rd and last hearing session of Mohammad Salas was held on Sunday, March 
18. He rejected all the accusations and stated that his action was 
unintentional and he was just escaping out of fear of being beaten by the 
police again. He couldn't see well and lost control because his arm was 
broken." Eventually, Mohammad Salas was sentenced to imprisonment and death by 
retribution on the charge of "murdering 3 police officers and disturbing public 
order."

On February 19, the clashes broke out while a group of Gonabadi dervishes was 
protesting in front of a police station. Hundreds of them were arrested and 1 
of them, named Mohammad Raji, died due to the injuries he received during his 
detention or interrogation.

(source: Iran Human Rights)

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO:

Death penalty not the answer, T&T told by EU

The European Union Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago does not believe the death 
penalty is an effective deterrent to crime.

The EU today expressed concerns about this country's high crime rate, gang and 
drug activity and the significant number of guns on the nation's streets.

But it posited that the death penalty was not "the right answer".

Ahead of Europe Day, which will be recognised tomorrow, EU Ambassadors from 
France, Spain, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Germany and the UK held a press 
conference at its office, Sagicor Financial Centre, Queen's Park West, Port of 
Spain.

They shared their views on a number of issues, including human rights, trade 
with T&T, climate change, culture and its role in the world.

Addressing the death penalty, UK Ambassador to T&T Tim Stew noted that T&T was 
the only remaining Commonwealth Caribbean country to still have a mandatory 
death penalty.

"We don't think that's the right answer. That's not for us to tell you what to 
do. It's your country and you can run it as you wish. And we can well 
understand the public pressures there may be, the political pressures there may 
be, people calling in, in the face of crime, for the death penalty to be 
carried out," he said.

"But we don't think it is effective. There is too much evidence to show that a 
mandatory death penalty is not an effective deterrent to crime," he added.

Stew went on: "In fact, we think it's worse than that. There is evidence which 
shows that when a jury knows that they are facing somebody and have to decide 
if they are not guilty on a murder case, when they know that the only penalty 
available to a judge is the death penalty, they are less inclined to find that 
person guilty and more inclined to let that person walk out of that court, even 
though they may have done what they are alleged to have done."

"Whereas, if juries know there are range of options available to a judge, from 
heavy sentencing to lighter sentencing, depending on the terms and 
circumstances, then they are more inclined to see that justice is done."

(source: Trinidad & Tobago Express)

GERMANY/TUNISIA:

German court OKs deportations to Tunisia despite death penalty----The ruling is 
a win for the CSU's Horst Seehofer, who sought the swift deportation of asylum 
seekers classified as terrorist threats.

Germany's constitutional court on Monday denied an appeal from a suspected 
Islamic State member who was trying to avoid deportation to Tunisia, saying the 
threat of the death penalty was not likely to be realized.

Haikel S.'s lawyer filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights, but 
judges in Strasbourg declined to intervene Monday. The ruling paves the way for 
more deportations of people considered "terrorist threats." German law prevents 
deportation if the suspect would face the death penalty or life without parole 
in the destination country, but Tunisia has not executed anyone since 1991.

Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the ruling. "It is a judgment that gives us 
clarity and makes the enforcement of rights possible," she said. It could bring 
a conclusion to the case of Sami A., a former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden who 
has so far avoided deportation to Tunisia.

The decision is definitely a win for Horst Seehofer, Germany's interior 
minister and leader of Bavaria's Christian Social Union, who is thinking about 
the state's election in October. He has been trying to speed up deportations 
since he came into office in March and is currently creating a plan for "anchor 
centers" to process asylum seekers more efficiently.

The project is part of the coalition pact that the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed upon 
in March. Mr. Seehofer says the anchor centers would swiftly take in and 
process refugees, and direct them out of Germany if necessary. Critics call 
anchor centers a euphemism for concentration camps and point to the recent 
uprising in Ellwangen, where asylum seekers prevented police from taking a man 
slated to be deported last week.

Authorities in Germany and Tunisia believe Haikel S. was involved in the 2015 
Bardo Museum attack, where Islamic State supporters killed 22 people and 
injured dozens more. He initially came to Germany in 2003 as a student, and 
after being deported returned in 2015, claiming to be a refugee from Syria. He 
was captured in an anti-terror raid in 2017 and is currently in a Frankfurt 
jail awaiting deportation.

Ms. Merkel's cabinet is expected to wrap up another sticking point this week 
and cap the number of family members allowed to follow immigrants to Germany at 
1,000 per month.

(source: Heike Anger is a correspondent in the parliamentary editorial office 
of Handelsblatt in Berlin. Moritz Koch is a senior Handelsblatt correspondent 
in Berlin. Grace Dobush is an editor with Handelsblatt Global in 
Berlin----handelsblatt.com)

PAKISTAN:

NA passes bill seeking capital punishment for acid attackers

The National Assembly, on its last private members' day on Tuesday, passed 11 
important bills including "The Acid and Burn Crime Bill, 2017", seeking capital 
punishment for acid attackers/perpetrators.

The last private members' day disposed of a heavy agenda by passing 11 bills 
including 2 treasury members' bills.

'The Acid and Burn Crime Bill, 2017', moved by Federal Minister Marvi Memon, 
seeks to help and protect the citizens against the acid attacks.

The provisions related to women, children and dependants in the bill, passed 
with some amendments, say: "If acid burn victim is a child, the federal 
government or the board would provide free accommodation for two-year where 
required at a suitable place."

It says: "The federal government or the board would undertake responsibility 
for providing free shelter, sustenance and basic needs till such time that the 
victim is financially independent."

The chapter 2 of the bill related to the offence of acid attack or burn attack 
says: "If such act has resulted in the death of any person, (the culprit) be 
punished with capital punishment." "Whoever intentionally causes hurt by acid 
and burn attack shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for not less than 
7 years," says the bill.

(source: nation.com.pk)

***********

Death Penalty Awarded In Murder Case

Additional Sessions Judge Chaudhry Imaan Elahi awarded death penalty to a man 
in a murder case, registered by Thikriwala police station.

According to the prosecution, one Muhammad Shams alias Shamma of Chak No 74-JB, 
along with his brother Muhammad Hasan, had shot dead Muhammad Waqas of the same 
locality over a minor dispute in 2013.

The judge awarded capital punishment to Muhammad Shams under Section 302-B of 
pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The convict was also directed to pay Rs5 lakh as 
compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased.

In case of non-payment of the fine amount, the convict would have to undergo an 
additional imprisonment of six months. However, the court acquitted the 
co-accused Muhammad Hasan by giving him benefit of doubt.

(source: urdupoint.com)

BANGLADESH:

2 JMB militants get death penalty for killing Bangladesh professor

A court in Bangladesh on Tuesday handed out death sentence to 2 militants of 
the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and life imprisonment to 
another 3 for the murder of a university professor in 2016.

Judge Shirin Kabita Akhter, of a special judicial body in the northern city of 
Rajshahi, handed the death penalty to 2 JMB men for participating directly in 
the murder of Professor Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, bdnews24.com reported.

"3 other accused, who were aware of the plan but did not participate in the 
killing, were handed life-term jail sentence," said Public Prosecutor Entajul 
Haque.

Professor Siddiquee was hacked to death on April 23, 2016 while he was waiting 
for a university bus. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State terror group, 
which accused him of "promoting atheism".

Bangladesh authorities and law enforcers, however, deny the presence of the 
Islamic State in the country.

The prosecutor said that four of the accused were present in the room when the 
verdict was delivered while Shariful Islam, believed to be the mastermind of 
the attack and a student of Professor Siddiquee, was sentenced in absentia as 
his whereabouts are unknown.

In November 2016, the Bangladeshi police charged 8 JMB members with the murder, 
3 of whom were killed in a shootout with the police.

More than 70 bloggers, intellectuals, people from religious minority groups and 
foreigners have been killed in extremist violence in Bangladesh between 2013 
and 2016, giving rise to alarm in the South Asian country that has been 
religiously-moderate.

(source: Business-Standard)