[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 10



ABKHASIA:

Abkhazia reintroduces death penalty for drug dealing----A moratorium was placed 
on the death penalty back in 1993

Abkhazia has passed a law reintroducing the death penalty for drug dealing.

The law also provides for life-imprisonment, and will come into force on 1 
January 2020.

Abkhazia imposed a moratorium on the death penalty back in 1993. Currently, 
there are only 3 convicts serving life sentences in Abkhazia.

The public has responded ambiguously to the news, with roughly half the public 
supportive of the idea and half against it.

Comments from social media:

“I would be surprised at this decision had our legislators not banned abortions 
several years ago. After the ban, they are staying the course for Saudi 
Arabia.”

“Our children are killed every day, and they earn on their lives. Maybe if at 
least 2 drug dealers are deprived of their own, someone will come to their 
senses and be frightened?”

In the post-Soviet space, the death penalty is only allowed by law in Belarus. 
In other places, it has either been abolished or a moratorium imposed on it.

(source: jam-news.net)








MALAYSIA:

Malaysia continues to grapple with death penalty abolition



The number of global executions fell by 1/3 last year, making it the lowest 
number of executions in at least a decade, according to a report released on 
Wednesday by human rights group Amnesty International.

The report comes as the Malaysian government continues to grapple with whether 
or not to abolish the death penalty, a move fiercely opposed by conservative 
and opposition groups.

The Pakatan Harapan government, led by prime minister Mahathir Mohamed, had 
initially outlined plans to fully abolish the death penalty as part of its 
election manifesto in March 2018 – a move that would have granted reprieve to 
more than 1,200 people on death row. But since taking power in May, the 
coalition government has backpedalled on the initial promise. It has instead 
debated whether to remove the mandatory death penalty on certain crimes and 
leave it to the courts' discretion to enforce the death penalty – much to the 
dismay of human rights groups and pro-abolitionists.

"The reversal of the earlier decision is shocking, unprincipled and 
embarrassing," N. Surendran, advisor to human rights group Lawyers for Liberty, 
said last month.

The government has however placed a moratorium on the death penalty, which 
means any death sentence handed down in the meantime cannot be carried out 
until the moratorium is lifted, or a final decision is reached on abolition.

"We believe the Malaysian government knows exactly what is the right thing to 
do," said Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu, executive director of Amnesty 
International Malaysia, during the official launch of the organisation's report 
in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Parliamentarian Kasthuri Patto, a pro-abolition politician who was also at the 
launch, said the minister for law Liew Vui Keong is "very much on board with 
abolishing the death penalty."

However, she added "the challenge is for him to convince the Cabinet to speak 
in that same language." Opposition parties Parti Se-Islam Malaysia (PAS), an 
Islamist party that controls the eastern states of Kelantan and Terengganu, 
along with the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), have expressed their 
reluctance in doing away completely with the death penalty.

MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong said the government should not abolish 
capital punishment for the sake of fulfilling its election manifesto, in 
comments reported by The Star, while PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang recommended 
that a detailed study first be undertaken on the issue.

Meanwhile, parliamentary sittings are due to end on Thursday, making it 
unlikely that a landmark abolition decision will be reached within the next 24 
hours. The next parliamentary sitting is scheduled to occur in July.

Till then, the decision will remain in the balance.

(source: qantara.de)








PAKISTAN:

New bill proposes death for acid attacks



Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is introducing “The Acid and Burn Crime 
Bill 2019” to criminalise acid and burn related violence proposing death 
penalty or rigorous imprisonment for life on those who intentionally carry out 
acid and burn attacks.

According to a press release issued Tuesday, the PML-N MPA Hina Pervez Butt has 
prepared the Bill that will be submitted in Punjab Assembly in coming few days. 
The PA session is commencing from tomorrow (Thursday).

Under this Bill, if such an act has resulted into the death of any person the 
attacker shall be punished to death or imprisonment for life and whosoever 
intentionally commits acid and burn attack shall be punished with death row or 
rigorous imprisonment for life.

It has been proposed in the Bill that the investigations will be carried out 
not below the rank of inspector/SHO within 14 days of being informed or 
registration of FIR. However, the court will allow time but not exceeding 14 
days, provided reasonable grounds exist for such extension. Total time for 
investigation into acid or burn attacks shall not exceed 60 days, where it does 
such failure may be used in performance assessment of the presiding judge of 
the officer in charge of investigation as the case may be.

Section 10 of the Bill says those who will attempt to commit the offence of 
acid attack or burn attack shall be punished with imprisonment of either 
description which may extended to 7 years but shall not be less than 3 years 
and also with fine not exceeding Rs100,000.

Hina Pervez Butt said that women caucus was concerned about the acid throwing 
and burn crimes which were increasing year by year. Hundreds of women and 
children and few men fall victim to this crime.

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

Asia Bibi will leave Pakistan within weeks, says PM Imran



Prime Minister Imran Khan, in an interview with BBC News, revealed that 
Chiristian woman Asia Bibi will soon leave Pakistan. BBC News World Affairs 
editor, John Simpson, asked the premier about the current status of the 
Christian lady who was acquitted by the Supreme Court in blasphemy case.

Replying to the question, the PM said she will leave the country soon.

'Are we talking about days or weeks?'

To this, PM Imran Khan said 'within weeks' adding that there are some 
complications in this regard that could not be discussed in media.

But I assure you that she is safe, Imran told Simpson.

(source for both: Express News)








BANGLADESH:

Man receive death penalty for wife’s murder



A man was sentenced to death and fined Tk1 lakh by Women and Children 
Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge, Md Hafizur Rahman on Tuesday, for 
murdering his wife.

Md Nuruzzaman strangled his wife Nadira Akhter following row over dowry

Nuruzzaman’s mother and brother were also sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment 
by the court.

According to the case statement, Nadira was married to Nuruzzaman from 
Patharghata upazila of Barguna in 2008. Since the marriage, Nadira was tortured 
by her in laws' family for dowry.

On August 19, 2010, Nuruzzaman demanded a dowry of Tk2 lakh from Nadira. He 
strangled Nadira to death when she refused to meet his demand.

To cover up this murder and pass it as a suicide, Nuruzzaman, with the help of 
his mother and brother, hung the dead body of Nadira from the ceiling-fan.

Nadira’s father, Md Rustam Ali filed a case against Nuruzzaman, his mother, and 
his brother, with the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal on 
August 25, 2010.

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

War crimes: SC sets June 18 for Azhar, Qaiser’s appeal hearings----The 
International Crimes Tribunal sentenced both of the war criminals to death and 
life imprisonment



The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has set June 18 for the appeal 
hearings of convicted war criminals, Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam, and 
former Jatiya Party state minister, Syed Md Qaiser.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed 
Mahmud Hossain, gave the order, Wednesday morning.

The appeals were filed challenging the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 
verdict that sentenced both Azhar and Qaiser to death.

Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain represented Azhar, while SM Shahjahan 
represented Qaiser.

On December 23, 2014, The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) 2 sentenced 
former state minister for Jatiya Party, Syed Md Qaiser, to death, after 14 
charges out of the total 16 framed against him were proven beyond any doubt.

He was given the death penalty on 7 charges; life imprisonment on 4 charges; 
jail terms of 10, 7 and 5 years on 3 charges; and was acquitted of the 2 
remaining ones. His jail terms will be merged with the death sentences.

Qaiser filed an appeal against his conviction on January 19, 2015.

ICT 1, on December 30, 2014, sentenced Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary 
General ATM Azharul Islam to death, for his war crimes committed in Rangpur. He 
was found guilty on 5 charges out of 6.

He was given 25 years of rigorous imprisonment on 1 charge and 5 years on 
another, and acquitted of the other remaining charges. Azhar filed his appeal 
on January 28, 2015.

The tribunal, in its observation, also asked the state to initiate a 
compensation scheme for rape victims of 1971 and "war babies" – children of 
women raped by the Pakistan army or anti-liberation forces.

(source for both: Dhaka Tribune)








CAMBODIA:

Foreign drug traffickers don’t fear Cambodian laws: Sar Kheng



Interior Minister Sar Kheng on Monday said that Cambodians are becoming 
increasingly exposed to drugs because foreign syndicates are taking advantage 
of the fact that the Kingdom does not have a death penalty for trafficking.

Speaking at a meeting with Battambang provincial officials, Mr Kheng said the 
country remains vulnerable to cross-border drug trafficking, noting that the 
spread of illegal drugs is causing many social issues in Cambodia.

He said that some Asean countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and 
Singapore have the death penalty for trafficking, prompting international drug 
syndicates to operate out of Cambodia.

“During the leadership of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin, about 2,800 
people involved in drugs were executed while in the Philippines authorities 
have gunned down more than 10,000 people who committed drugs crimes,” Mr Kheng 
said. “So the drug traffickers come to operate their business in Cambodia.”

He cited a report from the National Authority for Combating Drugs that said 
police have confiscated more than 700 kilograms of illegal drugs in the Kingdom 
since 2017.

Mr Kheng also said that a large number of inmates are drug dealers and users, 
causing overcrowding and associated problems in prisons, noting that this has 
led to criticism of government ministries over prison overcrowding.

“Currently, there are 30,000 inmates in prisons, one-third of whom have tested 
positive for drug use,” he said. “People are continuing to be affected by drug 
trafficking and drug use, especially those who live near the Cambodia-Laos 
border.”

Mr Kheng urged authorities to work harder to crack down on drug crimes at the 
Cambodia-Laos border and prevent drugs from entering the Kingdom.

He noted that drug rings operating in Laos also smuggle drugs to China, 
Thailand, and Vietnam.

Mr Kheng urged officials to strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries 
to stop the flow of drugs and arrest drug traffickers, noting that drug 
trafficking is more prevalent at tourist sites such as in Siem Reap and Preah 
Sihanouk provinces.

According to a police report last year, foreigners involved in drug offences 
came from 24 different countries including Vietnam, China, France, Australia, 
Colombia, Nigeria, Russia, the US, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, 
Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan and England.

Justice ministry spokesman Chin Malin yesterday said the death penalty, which 
is applied in some Asean countries, has played an important part in reducing 
the drug menace, but noted that it has not completely stopped people from using 
drugs.

“The country’s constitution forbids the death penalty and we cannot move 
backwards to amend it,” he said. “I believe it’s important to strictly enforce 
the laws and strengthen the capacity of our officials in combating and 
preventing drug use and trafficking.”

Am Sam Ath, deputy director of monitoring and protection at rights group 
Licadho, yesterday said judicial reforms are needed to address the drug issue.

“Having a death penalty will not eliminate drug trafficking and I believe the 
best way is to reform the way public officials tackle the problem,” he said.

“Police must not be afraid to arrest powerful people behind the drugs 
business.”

(source: Khmer Times)