[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

October 14




MALTA:

When the murder of a priest meted a cruel death penalty



Although priests in the past were among the most revered people in Malta, 2 
priests were murdered on the island in the 19th century. Dun Alwig Decelis, 
aged 75, lived in Triq tal-Ghaqba, the uphill road from Lija cemetery to 
Naxxar. In spite of his age the priest celebrated Mass at the village's parish 
church every morning.

On February 6, 1806, Decelis did not turn up at the church, and his nephew, 
another priest, became worried as the previous day his uncle had seemed in good 
health, so it was highly unlikely that he was confined to his bed. After Mass 
the nephew went straight home to tell his father, Pietru (Decelis's brother), 
about the matter and the 2 hurried to the house of the old priest. Repeated 
knocks on the door yielded no result so Pietru asked a boy to enter from the 
back yard and unlock the main door.

Naxxar parish church where Dun Alwig celebrated Mass every morning.Naxxar 
parish church where Dun Alwig celebrated Mass every morning.

Pietru entered his brother’s house and called him several times but no one 
answered the calls, and so he proceeded to the bedroom where, to his horror, he 
saw Decelis lying dead on the floor. The room where the corpse was found was in 
great disorder, suggesting a struggle had taken place. Pietru immediately sent 
word to the luogotenente (lieutenant) of Naxxar who was in charge of public 
order in that locality.

Meanwhile, the doctor who examined the deceased certified that the cause of 
death was apoplexy and, with no foul play suspected, it seemed a closed case. 
The doctor, however, remarked that he had noticed bruises on the neck of the 
deceased.

However, when Pietru searched his brother’s house he realised some valuable 
objects were missing and he insisted with the luogotenente that his brother's 
death was not due to natural causes and should be investigated further. Pietru 
said he was certain it was theft which had led to the murder. He also added 
that 3 weeks previously his brother had told him someone had broken into his 
house and locked him in the bedroom but nothing had been stolen on that 
occasion.

The luogotenente was duty bound to inform the commissioner of police about 
Decelis's death, and when the latter read the report he concluded that a murder 
had been committed. A few days later a government notice was issued offering a 
reward for information leading to the arrest of the murderer. Meanwhile, the 
lieutenant of Balzan received confidential information that led to the arrest 
of Guzeppi Camilleri, Salvu Grech, Ganni Magri, Giovanni Scerri and Ganni 
Sciberras.

The arrested men all denied the allegations made against them but still they 
were not released. While in police custody, Grech was informed that his father 
had died suddenly and, on hearing the news, he decided to talk. In his 
statement to the police Grech said that, about 3 weeks before the death of 
Decelis, he had been approached by Borg, Camilleri and Magri to join them in a 
burglary. Grech said that at first he had not been interested in the job, but 
then he accepted. According to Grech, they had broken into Decelis’s house one 
night but the burglary was aborted as Decelis had heard them entering his house 
and started crying for help. They had locked the priest in his bedroom.

The Floriana glasis where executions were held.The Floriana glasis where 
executions were held.

Grech added that on February 5, 1806, together with the other thieves he had 
robbed Decelis of 600 scudi and several valuables. He also said Scerri had 
grabbed the priest by the neck and choked him to death.

After this statement some doctors were asked to re-examine the cause of the 
priest's death but Decelis had been buried for some days and an autopsy had not 
been carried out. Although the exhumation was not carried out the doctors 
concluded the priest had been murdered. In their report the doctors said that 
the marks on the neck mentioned earlier were sufficient to prove strangulation.

Grech’s testimony was not proof enough to convict the others so the 
investigating police devised an ingenious plan to incriminate Scerri who had 
since been imprisoned for another crime.

Grech was permitted a contact visit with Scerri in the prison yard and the 2 
spoke about the priest's murder. During this conversation Scerri talked about 
how the priest died in his hands, which was sufficiently incriminating to 
convict him. 2 prison guards, hidden close to where the meeting took place, 
also heard Scerri implicate the others in the crime.

When the police went to arrest Magri they learnt that he had fled to Sicily and 
had paid 40 scudi to the captain of the small sailing coaster S.S. Crocifisso 
to smuggle him there. However, when later the captain was questioned by the 
police, he promised he would bring Magri back to Malta.

The S.S. Crocifisso sailed regularly between Malta and Sicily, and when the 
captain was again in Sicily he sent word to Magri that he had an important 
message from someone in Malta. Magri lost no time in going on board the boat 
but, when he was in the captain's cabin, the boat sailed out of the Sicilian 
port. It was too late to go ashore when Magri realised the boat had left. Back 
in Malta, Magri was arrested and kept in custody with the others. Eventually 
they were all charged with theft and murder.

The trial (not with a jury) of Grech, Magri, Camilleri and Scerri began in 
November 1806 and dragged on for about 12 months. They were all found guilty 
and sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Sciberras was sentenced to 3 years' 
imprisonment in connection with the attempted theft from the house of the 
deceased.

After the convictions, Dr Filippo Torregiani, on behalf of the defence, 
submitted a petition to the civil commissioner of Malta for a retrial and with 
more judges since the 1st trial had been held before 2 judges, namely Dr 
Stefano Zammit and Dr Stefano Assenza. Civil Commissioner Sir Alexander Ball 
upheld the request and appointed Dr Vincenzo Caruana Zerafa, Dr Giuseppe Borg 
Olivier and Dr Salvatore Scifo to hear the case. In the 2nd trial the accused 
were found guilty and Scerri and Magri were sentenced to death. Grech and Magri 
received a life sentence, however, they were not told that their sentence had 
been changed.

In those days executions were held at Floriana and after the trial the 4 
condemned men were held in the Castellania prison in St John's Street, 
Valletta, from where they were taken to the gallows in a long procession led by 
the head of police.

On September 18, 1807, Scerri and Camilleri were executed in Floriana. It was 
after these two executions that Grech and Magri were told they had received a 
life sentence. Moreover, when Scerri's body was removed from the gibbet to be 
buried in a pit, his head was cut off and later placed in Triq il-Ghaqba, where 
the murder had been committed. The decapitation was part of the punishment. 
This was the only case of a beheading after an execution since 1800.

19 years later another murder was committed in Triq il-Ghaqba and the murderer 
received the same sentence. On May 11, 1825, Guzeppi Grech was found guilty of 
murdering his brother Salvatore. After the death penalty was pronounced, the 
Court ordered that after the hanging, Grech's right hand was to be cut off and 
placed where the corpse of his brother was found.

(source: The Times of Malta)








SOMALIA:

Somalia executes perpetrator on anniversary of deadliest attack



Somalia on Sunday executed by firing squad a man linked to one of the country's 
deadliest ever attacks, one year after the tragedy which left over 500 dead, a 
court statement and police sources said. Hundreds of Somalis gathered at a 
ceremony to mark the anniversary of the attack in which a truck packed with 
explosives blew up at a busy intersection, destroying some 20 buildings in an 
apocalyptic scene in a city used to regular explosions at the hands of Islamist 
group Al-Shabaab.

A year on, the Al-Qaeda linked group which still governs large swaths of 
territory, has never claimed responsibility, which observers attribute to the 
public outrage caused by the attack.

To coincide with the anniversary, a military court announced early Sunday 
morning that a member of the team involved in the attack, had been executed.

Hassan Adan Isak, was sentenced to death for "driving one of the vehicles used 
in the blast," read a statement from the court.

"Today, the 14th October 2018, the death penalty was carried out against him."

Isak was the driver of a vehicle which he parked near an airport checkpoint 
shortly after the truck went off, and was arrested for suspicious behaviour. 
The target of his attack was unclear and there were no casualties in the 2nd 
blast.

Police sources said he died by firing squad.

- 'Justice and protection' -

Business at the Zoope intersection has returned to normal, and some buildings 
have been reconstructed, now carrying billboards depicting harrowing pictures 
of the blast and its victims.

A memorial tower has been erected in the middle of the intersection.

"All we can do is pray for them, I have lost them, I don't think commemoration 
would bring them back to me, but I hope nothing like the October tragedy 
happens again," said Omar Haji Mohamed, a disabled father who lost two children 
in the blast.

"I still cry from the bottom of my heart where people cannot see and only God 
knows how much I go through every day of my life after that tragedy," he added.

Some frustrated residents said mourning would not solve the insecurity in the 
capital.

"I don't think mourning is the right and sufficient answer to wipe the tears 
from the eyes of those who have lost their loved ones, these people were 
massacred, so the perpetrators need to be chased and eliminated," said Ali 
Adan, a Mogadishu resident who lost 3 of his friends in the blast.


Abdisalan Mohamed, 23, who lost his brother, agreed: "I can still see the 
disaster right in front of me. We can mourn as much as we can, but it will not 
bring back our relatives, all we need is justice and protection."

(source: dailymail.co.uk)








IRAN:

2 corruption-related death penalty cases handed to Supreme Court



Tehran Province's chief justice says the cases of 2 individuals, who were 
sentenced to death for financial corruption, have been handed to the Supreme 
Court.

"Appeals have been filed with regard to the cases of Hamid Baqeri-Darmani and 
Vahid Mazloumin, and the cases have been referred to the Supreme Court," 
Qolamhossein Esmaili said, ISNA reported on Saturday.

Earlier this months, the Judiciary announced that Baqeri-Darmani, who was 
involved in a major corruption case, and Mazloumin, a mogul known as the lord 
of gold coins in Iran, had been sentenced to death.

(source: Tehran Times)

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

International Federation Condemns Death Penalty Threat Against Iran Truckers



The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has condemned a reported 
call by the Islamic Rebulic's judiciary, including the head of Qazvin Judicial 
Department, for issuing the death penalty against 17 activists involved in a 
widespread truckers' strike.

ITF has described the threats as "inhumane" and "unthinkable", calling for the 
International Labor Organization (ILO) to intervene.

The International Transport Workers' Federation is a global federation of 
transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2017 the ITF had 677 
member organizations in 149 countries.

In an ITF statement signed by its general secretary, Stephen Cotton, the 
Islamic Republic's authorities have been urged to listen to the truckers' 
demands.

"The death penalty for striking is the most serious of violations of workers' 
rights, it's inhumane and unthinkable", said ITF general secretary Stephen 
Cotton, adding, "From what we understand, Iran's truckers took action as a last 
resort in the struggle to feed their families. The threat of the death penalty 
is utterly disproportionate."

Prosecutors Threaten Truckers With Death Penalty As Strike Enters 2nd Week

In recent days, several judiciary officials, including the head of the judicial 
department of Qazvin, have threatened to sentence truckers to death after their 
new round of strike.

Announcing that 17 of the truckers on strike have been so far arrested in the 
province, the acting Qazvin Prosecutor-General, Mohsen Karami, said on 
Wednesday, October 10, "We will demand the death sentence for the detainees, 
and if they are proven guilty of 'fighting against God', heavy sentences, such 
as execution, would be waiting for them."

"Fighting against God" is a serious crime in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Other judicial authorities have also accused the strikers of "aggression" and 
threatened them with the punishment set for brigands, i.e. death.

To back up their claims, the judicial authorities have published a series of 
footages, trying to prove the truckers attacked and damaged public and private 
property.

Nevertheless, the strikers have dismissed the clips as "fake" and "staging" 
evidence to pave the way for suppressing truck drivers who are merely demanding 
their rights.

Based on the latest reports, nearly 200 truckers have been arrested.

The strike is still going on and images of it in different cities of Iran were 
published on social media, on Saturday, October 13.

Basing cargo fees on ton per kilometer is one of the main demands of the 
strikers who are either truck owners or hired truckers.

Meanwhile, a news agency affiliated with the Islamic revolution Guards Corp's 
Baseej (Basij) militia force, Fars reported on Saturday that the Supreme 
Council of Transport Coordination has approved the demand.

However, the approval had been repeatedly promised before, but never 
materialized.

Iran's truckers have seen their wages and standard of living decline steadily 
over the last two decades. Their job security has been under attack, thousands 
have had their pay delayed for months and all are suffering from extreme 
inflation, says ITF.

Since September 22, in an effort to raise awareness of their plight, almost 
half a million truck drivers have been participating in actions across 290 
cities in 31 states. The truckers have also been urging their government to 
address their grievances over poverty-level earnings - and to be allowed to 
have a voice in decisions affecting their livelihoods.

Iranian truckers' strike has been supported by Italy's main trade unions, "No, 
to austerity measures" Front, as well as General Confederation of labor and the 
Union of Workers of Tehran and the Suburbs Bus Company (UWTSBC)

Furthermore, Iranian truck drivers who have gained international attention have 
also received support from the largest transportation workers' union in North 
America.

"The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing 1.4 million 
transportation and supply chain workers in the United States and Canada, stands 
in solidarity with our Iranian brothers and sisters," James P. Hoffa, the head 
of Teamsters union wrote in a letter to Abolfazl Mehrabadi, deputy director of 
the Iranian interest section at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C. on 
October 2.

"We urge the government of Iran to listen to the grievances of striking Iranian 
truck drivers, address their just demands and recognize their internationally 
recognized rights to assembly, speech, freedom of association and collective 
bargaining," Hoffa added.

(source: Radio Farda)








BANGLADESH:

EU wants Bangladesh to abolish capital punishment

The EU and its member states reiterated their absolute opposition to capital 
punishment in all circumstances and restated their commitment to the worldwide 
abolition of the death penalty

The European Union (EU) has called on Bangladesh to introduce a moratorium on 
executions as step towards abolishing capital punishment.

"The death penalty doesn't act as a deterrent to crime, and any error of 
judgment is impossible to correct," heads of Mission of the EU Member States 
and the European Union Delegation said in a statement, reports UNB.

On October 10, 19 death sentences were given out, the same day celebrated as 
the World Day against the Death Penalty, read a statement shared by the EU 
Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday.

The EU and its member states reiterated their absolute opposition to capital 
punishment in all circumstances and restated their commitment to the worldwide 
abolition of the death penalty.

They said the death penalty violates the inalienable right to life enshrined in 
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is a cruel, inhuman, and 
degrading punishment.

The signatories to the statement are: Ambassador, Delegation of the European 
Union Rensje Teerink, Italian Ambassador Mario Palma, Spanish Ambassador D 
Alvaro de Salas Gimenez de Azcarate, Swedish Ambassador Charlotta Schlyter, 
France Ambassador Marie-Annick Bourdin, Charge d'Affaires at German Embassy 
Michael Schultheiss, Charge d'Affaires at Royal Danish Embassy Refika Hayta, 
Charge d'Affaires at Dutch Embassy Jeroen Steeghs and acting British High 
Commissioner Kanbar Hossein-Bor.

(source: Dhaka Tribune)








PAKISTAN:



Several thousand protesters hit the streets of Pakistan calling for the 
Christian woman accused of insulting Islam be put to death. Asia Bibi would 
become the 1st person executed for blasphemy if her appeal fails.

The Pakistani city of Lahore was the center of Friday’s protests, which were 
organized by the anti-blasphemy party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP). 
Demonstrations also took place in a number of other cities across the country, 
including Karachi and Rawalpindi.

The rallies came after Pakistan's Supreme Court heard the final appeal of Bibi, 
a Christian laborer accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed in 2009 
by Muslim women she was working with in a field.

According to Bibi's autobiography 'Blasphemy: A Memoir: Sentenced to Death Over 
a Cup of Water' the incident began when she went to retrieve a cup of water 
from a well during a hot day of fruit picking.

When a Muslim woman nearby saw her doing so she shouted, "Don't drink that 
water, it's haram (forbidden)!" She then turned to the other women in the 
field, telling them that Bibi had dirtied the water in the well by drinking 
from their cup.

"Now the water is unclear and we can't drink it! Because of her!" the woman 
said. Several women called Bibi a "filthy Christian" and told her to convert to 
Islam.

"I'm not going to convert. I believe in my religion and in Jesus Christ, who 
died on the cross for the sins of mankind. What did your Prophet Mohammed ever 
do to save mankind? And why should it be me that converts instead of you?" Bibi 
said.

At that point, one woman spat on her while another shoved her. Days later, she 
was accused of blasphemy.

Friday's protests came despite the court saying it had reached a judgment at a 
hearing on Monday, but that it would not be released immediately for "reasons 
to be recorded later." It also said that it had ruled on a petition that would 
put Bibi on the no-fly list if released, but did not publish that judgment 
either.

Bibi's case has prompted international calls for her release, with Pope 
Benedict XVI joining in the calls in 2010. Pope Francis met with Bibi's 
daughter in 2015.

Although Pakistan's law takes the accusation of blasphemy very seriously and 
people have been sentenced to death, no one has ever actually been executed.

(source: rt.com)

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

The hangman's noose



The PTI mandate hinges largely on eradicating corruption and ensuring justice 
for all. That much is understood. What is less clear is why the new set-up has 
thus far shied away from revisiting the debate on outlawing the death penalty.

Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari took to Twitter to effectively rule this 
out on the grounds that it is "complicated". Yet if Pakistan is to transition 
into a modern democratic state it cannot afford to shy away from sensitive 
issues. Especially when confronted with substantial data analysis compiled by 
Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) that paints a grim picture of the criminal 
justice system.

In short, 3 years after the 7-year-long PPP moratorium on capital punishment 
was lifted the country currently 'enjoys' a global ranking as one of the worst 
offenders when it comes to tightening the hangman's noose. From 2015-2017, some 
3,659 prisoners worldwide were sent to the gallows. Pakistan accounted for 13 % 
of this total; executing 479.

The death penalty made a comeback here following the Army Public School (APS) 
massacre. The state needed to be seen to act following the callous terrorist 
attack against the softest of targets: schoolchildren. But there can never be 
any shortcut for intelligence gathering and comprehensive investigation 
procedures. For even before cases reach the courts, law enforcement agents tend 
to rely on confessions. Sadly, police torture is a reality. Thus, as JPP 
director Sarah Belal points out: unless and until this is tackled head-on - the 
question of water-tight convictions will remain meaningless. The Supreme Court 
(SC) has, since 2014, overturned 85 % of death sentences during the appeals 
process due to problems with collection of evidence, among others.

All of which ought to be of grave concern to the Imran Khan government. 
Particularly given that it is the under-privileged class that typically suffers 
most when criminal justice is flawed. But if this is insufficient to persuade 
the Centre, it should perhaps consider the potential impact on foreign 
investors or overseas Pakistanis. For not everyone is comfortable with the idea 
of splashing the cash in nations that support the death penalty. Indeed, social 
media, to a large extent, has been something of a game-changer in this regard. 
The end result being that consumers the world over are increasingly linking 
human rights to purchasing power; in a bid to try and bridle global capitalism.

Whichever way this is looked at, one thing is clear. The time to talk about 
ending capital punishment is now.

(source: Editorial, Daily Times)

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

8,000 inmates await executions----Zainab's killer Imran Ali to be hanged in 
central jail on Wednesday



After 1-year-long lull, a condemned prisoner and notorious criminal Imran Ali 
will be executed in Lahore's central jail on Wednesday.

The prison staff has finalised arrangements to execute the serial 
rapist-cum-killer in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail on October 17. But, Zainab's 
father Amin Ansari has once again approached the Lahore High Court and demanded 
public hanging of the merciless killer.

An official said the murder convict would be given an opportunity to have a 
final meeting with his family inside the jail before his hanging. A team of 
doctors will also examine the prisoner before sending him to the gallows.

Imran Ali had raped and killed 7-year-old Zainab in Kasur district early this 
year. He has been accused of being involved in at least 9 cases of child rape 
and murder which he had confessed during the investigation of Zainab murder 
case. He was booked by police in 7 cases and the court announced its verdict in 
5 such cases.

Imran Ali is one of the 8,000 prisoners who currently await execution across 
the country. His death warrants were issued after President Arif Alvi rejected 
his mercy petition in the Zainab murder case, officials said.

Most of those put on the death row were convicted in murder cases and hundreds 
among them have exhausted their appeals and their clemency appeals have also 
been rejected. Some 4,000 inmates are on the death row only in Punjab where 
more than 2,700 people were murdered during the first 8 months of this year.

Imran will be the 1st person to be hanged this year in Punjab. In November 
2017, 2 inmates were hanged in Jhang and Sahiwal jails. Prisoner Nasir Abbas 
was hanged in the Central Jail Jhang. He had killed a man named Hafiz-ur-Rehman 
in 2001 over a minor dispute. Another convict Tahir was executed in Sahiwal 
district jail. Tahir had shot dead his wife over a family dispute in 2007.

Pakistan had lifted 7-year unofficial moratorium on the death penalty in 
December 2014 in response to the deadly attack on Army Public School in 
Peshawar. The executions picked up momentum in 2015 with 332 convicts sent to 
gallows. However, the executions dropped drastically in 2016 and 2017. At least 
87 convicts were hanged across the country in 2016 while 44 convicts were 
executed in 2017.

According to Justice Project Pakistan, at least 496 convicts have been hanged 
in the country since the moratorium was lifted.

It is not clear yet why the executions of the murder convicts are halted this 
year again. But key international players have been calling for an immediate 
halt to executions since the country had suspended the ban on the death penalty 
for all convicts.

Many among those hanged to death in recent years were terrorists in addition to 
murderers.

In 2016, several inmates were hanged to death in murder cases reported by 
police almost 20 years ago. They remained in the prison for 15 to 20 years 
before they were executed. Among them were double-murder convicts Mansha Munees 
and Salman Munees who were hanged in the Lahore's Central Prison on February 4, 
2017. The police had reported the offense in 1996.

While rights activists call for reforms in the criminal justice system stating 
that the death penalty does not deter crimes, the police officers think 
otherwise. Police investigators and jail officers say executions help control 
crime particularly murders in this society where thousands of people are killed 
each year.

A police official said that if the convicts would not be hanged for many years 
the impact of the punishment would vanish. He said that thousands of people are 
murdered due to one or another reason each year in this province. “The suspects 
are arrested by police, sent to jails, and convicted in the courts. But they 
are rarely executed. They must be punished under the laws," he suggested.

A former Inspector General of Prisons says that 95 % of those put on the death 
row were sentenced to death in murder cases. A few drug convicts are also on 
the death row in Punjab, he said. Farooq Nazir, who served in Punjab for many 
years to lead the Prisons Department, defends the capital punishment stating 
that it works as deterrence. "Hundreds of people are murdered (in Punjab) every 
month. But only a few convicts are hanged," he said. "The convicts are given 
fair trials. Even they can compromise with the heirs of the deceased under the 
laws."

He went on to say that the ratio of homicides is zero in the countries where 
murder convicts are executed on fast-track like Singapore, Iran, and Saudi 
Arabia. He said only a few murder convicts are hanged in Pakistan after years 
long legal wrangling. "The impact of the punishment disappears if the convicts 
are sentenced after 20 years," he said.

On the other hand, rights activists say the country's criminal justice system 
is too complicated and mired in corruption. They say the poor can't hire strong 
defence lawyers. "None of the millionaires is put on the death row. The lawyers 
of poor convicts don't appear in the courts even after accepting fees," 
activists say.

(source: The Nation)








INDONESIA:

Indonesia should follow Malaysia on death penalty: Amnesty International



Indonesia should follow in Malaysia's footsteps in abolishing the death 
penalty, a human rights group has said.

Amnesty International Indonesia director Usman Hamid said an initiative to 
abolish the death penalty could come from the House of Representatives.

"In Malaysia, the initiative comes from the government. In Indonesia, it could 
come from the House, as the initiator of the abolition of the death penalty for 
all crimes," he said, adding that such a move would be supported by the global 
community.

Usman said he appreciated a statement made by Charles Honoris, a member of the 
House's foreign affairs and defense commission who suggested that Indonesia 
learn from Malaysia.

"We recommend that the House communicate with the Malaysian parliament as soon 
as possible to process the proposal of a death sentence abolition" Usman said.

Previously, Malaysia's cabinet agreed to abolish the death penalty, with more 
than 1,200 people on death row set to win a reprieve following a groundswell of 
opposition to capital punishment, AFP reported.

Capital punishment in Malaysia is currently mandatory for murder, kidnapping, 
possession of firearms and drug trafficking, among other crimes, and is carried 
out by hanging - a legacy of British colonial rule.

Malaysia's communications and multimedia minister Gobind Singh Deo confirmed 
that the cabinet had resolved to end the death penalty.

"I hope the law will be amended soon," he said as quoted by AFP.

(source: Jakarta Post)