[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Sept. 1




TAIWAN:

First execution under President Tsai Ing-wen a crushing setback to abolition 
hopes

Responding to the execution of a 39-year-old man in Taiwan today - the 
country's 1st execution since President Tsai Ing-wen came to office in 2016 - 
Amnesty International Taiwan's Acting Section Director, Annie Huang, said:

"It is deeply disappointing that Taiwan has decided to resume the 
implementation of a cruel punishment, especially after President Tsai Ing-wen 
had stated clearly that her government aims to abolish the death penalty.

"That pledge now rings hollow. Today's execution is a crushing setback to the 
abolitionist movement in Taiwan and an act that casts a shadow over Tsai's 
presidency.

"The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights and can never deliver 
justice or accountability. We once again call on the Taiwanese authorities to 
establish an official moratorium on executions as a 1st step towards abolishing 
the death penalty once and for all."

Lee Hung-chi, who was convicted of murder in 2014, was executed by firing squad 
on Friday afternoon.

He was initially sentenced to life in prison by the Kaohsiung District Court, 
but the Taiwan High Court later changed the punishment to a death sentence - a 
move approved by the country's Supreme Court in 2016.

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. 
Amnesty opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception - regardless 
of who is accused, the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt or innocence 
or method of execution.

(source: Amnesty International)


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


Human rights groups condemn political use of capital punishment

Human rights groups on Friday condemned the execution of a death row inmate, 
alleging it was timed to boost the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) 
chances in the nine-in-one local government elections on Nov. 24.

Lee Hung-chi, who was sentenced to death in 2016 for stabbing to death his 
ex-wife and later killing his daughter as part of a murder-suicide by burning 
charcoal in his car in April 2014, was put to death at 3:37 p.m. Friday, the 
Ministry of Justice (MOJ) confirmed.

Lee was the 1st death row inmate to be executed since the DPP assumed office on 
May 20, 2016, following the execution on May 10, 2016 of Cheng Chieh who killed 
4 people and injured 24 in a knife attack on a Taipei Metro train in May 2014.

Activists representing human rights groups scheduled a press conference at 
6p.m. in front of the MOJ in protest, holding placards that read "killing for 
votes."

"Why did the DPP government chose to enforce an execution now, 2 or 3 months 
away from the elections?" asked Chiu E-ling, secretary-general of Taiwan 
Association for Human Rights. "They were aiming at getting more votes."

The DPP flies in the face of covenants upheld by the United Nations and 
international human rights organizations that the issue of capital punishment 
should not be used for political purposes or electoral gain, Chiu said.

"How is the DPP different from the Kuomintang (KMT)," Chiu said. "Does the DPP 
truly believe in the universal value of abolishing the death penalty?"

During the previous KMT administration from 2008-2016, former President Ma 
Ying-jeou broke the moratorium Taiwan observed from 2006-2009, carrying out 33 
executions, several of which were criticized for being timed to gain political 
leverage.

The DPP has recently supported the abolition of the death penalty. Point 26 of 
the DPP Action Plan adopted in 1999 said the party would "respect life, prevent 
miscarriages of justice and search for ways to end the use of capital 
punishment."

However, in the previous DPP administration under former President Chen 
Shui-bian from 2000-2008, 32 death row inmates were executed before he 
introduced the moratorium in 2006.

President Tsai Ing-wen has avoided taking a position on the issue since she 
assumed office, except her remarks in July that the death penalty remains on 
the books and that the MOJ would decide under what circumstances an execution 
could be carried out.

During the presidential election campaign in 2015, Tsai said that abolition of 
the death penalty is contingent on whether the country has reached a consensus 
on the issue and alternative measures are in place.

Head of Covenants Watch Huang Song-lih told the press conference that the DPP 
administration "made an erroneous decision" to carry out the execution.

"President Tsai has repeatedly declared that human rights are the principle on 
which her governance is based," Huang said. "But the execution demonstrates 
that her administration has reneged on its promise to gradually move the 
country toward abolition."

In late July, soon after taking office, Justice Minister Tsai Ching-hsiang said 
that the government's policy to gradually move toward abolition of the death 
penalty remains unchanged.

(source: focustaiwan.com)

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

EU condemns Taiwan's use of death penalty after man’s execution for double 
murder----Bloc criticises island for 'cruel and inhumane punishment, which 
fails to act as a deterrent'

The European Union called on Taiwan to stop use of the death penalty after the 
self-ruled island executed an inmate who killed his ex-wife and 5-year-old 
daughter in 2014.

Lee Hung-chi was executed by firing squad on Friday despite calls from rights 
groups to abolish the death penalty.

In a statement released after the execution, the EU said it was "unequivocally 
opposed to the use of capital punishment".

"It is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent and 
represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity," the 
statement said.

It added that the EU "looks to the Taiwanese authorities to immediately 
reintroduce a moratorium on the death penalty".

Taiwan resumed capital punishment in 2010 after a five-year hiatus, with the 
death penalty reserved for the most serious crimes such as aggravated murder 
and kidnapping.

Lee stabbed his former spouse to death outside the kindergarten their 2 
daughters attended and then took 1 of the girls to his car, where he tried to 
kill both her and himself by carbon monoxide poisoning.

EDUCATED SINGAPOREANS MORE LIKELY TO SUPPORT DEATH PENALTY

He survived after they were rescued but the girl died 2 months later despite 
treatment.

"His actions were brutal and ruthless ... and inflicted irreparable harm to the 
victims' family," deputy justice minister Chen Ming-tang said.

Lee's execution is the 1st since a former college student was put to death in 
May 2016 for killing 4 people in a random stabbing spree on an underground 
train that shocked the generally peaceful island.

In 2012 the murder of a young boy in a playground reignited debate about the 
death penalty, after the suspect reportedly said he was anticipating free 
lodging in jail and would get a life sentence at most even if he were to kill 2 
or 3 people.

Amnesty International Taiwan's acting section director Annie Huang said it was 
disappointing that Taiwan had decided to resume capital punishment.

"The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights and can never deliver 
justice or accountability," she said.

"We once again call on the Taiwanese authorities to establish an official 
moratorium on executions as a 1st step towards abolishing the death penalty 
once and for all."

(source: South China Morning Post)




INDIA:
Judge writes heart-touching poem in judgement while awarding death penalty to 
child rapist

The woman judge of a local court in Jhunjhunu was so aghast over heinousness in 
a child rape case that he wrote a heart-moving poem in her judgement that 
awarded death penalty to the convict.

Judge Neerja Dadhich sentenced Vinod Banjara (23), who raped a 3-year old girl 
on August 2 near Malsisar village of Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan to death 
penalty. Judge Neerja Dadhich wrote the poem and warned of the increasing 
number of child rape cases in the country.

This is the 1st death penalty delivered in Jhunjhunu district under the 
Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. The judgement was 
delivered within 20 days of the police submitting the chargesheet against the 
accused. The court sentenced the 23-year-old man to death and imposed a penalty 
of Rs 5000.

According to police, a 3-year-old minor girl came to visit her grandparents in 
their house at Jhunjhunu. Vinod, who was a vendor, entered the house on the 
pretext of selling and spotted the minor. The girl's grandmother was out of the 
house to buy butter milk. By the time she returned home, Vinod had raped the 
girl and fled away. Her grandmother found the child bleeding profusely and 
crying.

The accused Vinod Banjara is a resident of Alipura of Lalsot tehsil of Dausa. 
Vinod was identified as an accused and arrested from his house in Chirawa at 
Dausa on August 3 within 24 hours.

(source: pinkcitypost.com)