[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

August 22



SRI LANKA:

EU repeats opposition to Sri Lanka resuming executions



The European Union has said it is opposed to Sri Lanka reviving executions of 
convicts and called on the government to maintain its moratorium on 
implementing the death penalty.

The EU’s position was conveyed during a meeting with a group of 
parliamentarians of the United National Party, the major partner in the 
coalition government.

“During the meeting, the Heads of Missions restated the strong and unequivocal 
opposition of the EU and its Member States to capital punishment in all 
circumstances and in all cases,” a statement said.

“The HoMs reiterated their call to Sri Lanka to maintain its moratorium on the 
death penalty with a view towards complete abolition.”

The EU delegation in the island issued the statement in agreement with the 
embassies of France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania and the UK High 
Commission.

The revival of the death penalty was mooted by President Maithripala Sirisena, 
who is from a different party, and says executions could be a deterrent against 
drug trafficking.

(source: economynext.com)

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

Death sentence imposed on drug trafficker



A man accused of being involved in the trafficking and possession of heroin, 
was today sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court.

The accused from Mattakkuliya had been arrested with 22.54 grams of heroin.

(source: Colombo Gazette)








MALAYSIA:

Man charged with murder over Bangi road rage incident



The 41-year-old man involved in a road rage incident near Bandar Baru Bangi 
earlier this month which led to the death of Syed Muhammad Danial Syed Syakir 
was charged with murder at the Kajang Magistrate’s Court here today.

The charge against IT consultant Yew Wei Liang was made under Section 302 of 
the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty. No bail was allowed.

Defence counsel S Selvam argued that his client should instead be charged under 
Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987, which deals with death during road 
accidents.

The defence also claimed that Yew was abused during remand and had to be taken 
to Kajang Hospital on Aug 13, adding that he had been forced into giving a 
confession.

Defence lawyer Varghese Onny also said the evidence could have been tampered 
with as calls were made from the phone of Yew’s wife, who was also remanded.

“The phone should be under police possession during the probe,” he said.

The court fixed Sept 27 for mention and to hear complaints by the defence 
lawyers.

Magistrate Nor Afidah Idris also ordered for Yew to be remanded at the Sungai 
Buloh prison.

In the incident on Aug 10, Syed Danial, 29, died following an altercation with 
the driver of another car over a minor accident just after the Sungai Besi toll 
plaza.

The 2 drivers got involved in a car chase and a scuffle ensued between them at 
the Bandar Baru Bangi interchange. Witnesses at the scene broke up the fight 
and the 2 drivers returned to their vehicles.

The younger man then got out of his vehicle with a baseball bat and smashed the 
other car’s bonnet. The older driver was believed to have suddenly lurched his 
vehicle forward, hitting the victim.

Syed Danial was pinned between the car and the road divider. He was rushed to 
the Nilai Medical Centre but died while receiving treatment

(source: freemalaysiatoday.com)








INDIA:

Tripura court sentences man to death for rape and murder of minor ----The case 
was registered at Kadamtala police station in North Tripura on September 27, 
2018 and a chargesheet was submitted to the court on March 24 this year. After 
5 months of trial, the accused has been found guilty



A Tripura court sentenced a 26-year old youth to death for the rape and murder 
of a minor in North Tripura district. Special Judge Goutam Sarkar convicted 
Sanju Tanti, alias Sanju, and sentenced him to death, in the first-ever case of 
capital punishment for crimes tried under POSCO Act in Tripura, Tripura POSCO 
Act, rape and murder of minor, tripura minor raped and murder, agartala city 
news.

The amended law now has provisions for strict punishment for other crimes 
committed against minors too.

A Tripura court sentenced a 26-year old youth to death for the rape and murder 
of a minor in North Tripura district. Special Judge Goutam Sarkar convicted 
Sanju Tanti, alias Sanju, and sentenced him to death, in the 1st-ever case of 
capital punishment for crimes tried under POSCO Act in Tripura since the 
central government approved amendments to strengthen it in July this year by 
including death penalty for aggravated sexual assaults on children. The amended 
law now has provisions for strict punishment for other crimes committed against 
minors too.

North Tripura Superintendent of Police Bhanupada Chakraborty, in a press 
statement, said: “On 21-08-2019, the Ld. Special Judge, North Tripura, 
Dharmanagar (Sri Goutam Sarkar) convicted one accused namely Sri Sanjoy Tanti @ 
Sanju (260 S/O Lt. Baikuntha Tanti of Maheshpur Bangaljum, Mandap Tilla, PS – 
Kadamtala U/S 376AB PC and sentenced to suffer R.I for his natural life with a 
pay of fine of Rs. 50,000/-, I.D to further suffer R.I. for 01 (one) year and 
U/S 302 IPC sentenced to suffer R.I. for death and also U/S 4 of POSCO Act, 
2012 sentenced fo suffer R.I. for life with a fine of Rs. 50,000/- I.D to 
further suffer R.I. for 01 (one) year. It is directed that the convict shall be 
hang by neck till his death..,” the statement reads.

The case, registered at Kadamtala police station in North Tripura on September 
27, 2018, was investigated by Sub-Inspector Ratan Debnath and Sub-Inspector Apu 
Das. A chargesheet in the case was submitted to the court on March 24 this 
year. After 5 months of trial, the accused has been found guilty.

(source: indianexpress.com)








BANGLADESH:

Hearing on death references in Aug 21 grenade attack cases likely this year



The High Court (HC) may start hearing on the death references and appeals in 
August 21 grenade attack cases by this year as paper books of those will be 
prepared in 2-4 months, Law Minister Anisul Huq said today.

“The work for preparing the paper books of the cases has already started. We 
are trying so that the hearing on death references and appeals starts as soon 
as possible,” he said while talking to reporters at his secretariat office.

A paper book contains all the details of a case, trial proceedings, statements, 
evidence, verdicts and other documents. It is necessary for the HC to hear and 
dispose of a death reference and an appeal. Once the paper book is ready, an HC 
bench hears and disposes of its death reference and appeal.

According to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), if a lower court awards 
death penalty, the verdict is examined by the HC for confirmation of the 
punishment.

Today, the law minister said: “I can say that the relevant process for 
preparing the paper books have already started. The prosecution will see so 
that the paper books of the August 21 grenade attack cases are readied quickly. 
The paper books will be much big as those have total 225 witnesses.”

Replying to a question, Minister Anisul said the government is working to bring 
all the fugitive convicts of the cases including BNP acting chairman Tarique 
Rahman back to the country to execute the court verdict on them.

“There are some complexities in bringing the fugitives back to the country and 
the government is trying to resolving the problems in this regard,” he said. A 
special court in Dhaka delivered the verdict in the cases on October 10 last 
year.

Tarique Rahman, elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and 18 others were 
sentenced to life in prison while former state minister for home Lutfozzaman 
Babar, and 18 others were given death penalty on charges of murder through 
conspiracy.

All the 38 accused were also sentenced to life in prison for causing grievous 
injuries to the survivors.

On January 13, the HC accepted the appeals for hearing and also stayed part of 
the trial court verdict that fined the convicts of the cases.

The HC will hold the hearing on the death references and appeals after relevant 
procedures are completed.

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

Will seek death penalty for Tarique Rahman: Quader



Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said they will go to 
the High Court seeking capital punishment for acting BNP chairman Tarique 
Rahman, terming him the “mastermind of August 21 grenade attack”.

We’ll surely go to the High Court, as there’s a scope to carry out a legal 
fight for the maximum punishment of Tarique Rahman,” he said while talking to 
reporters after placing wreaths at a makeshift altar in front of the party’s 
central office at Bangabandhu Avenue, marking the 15th anniversary of the 
gruesome attack.

Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, further said, 
“Harkat-ul-Jihad leader Mufti Hannan in his confessional statement said they 
made the attack at the behest of Tarique Rahman. So, the mastermind of the 
killing must be awarded the highest punishment.”

The minister said the BNP-Jamaat alliance regime carried out the grenade attack 
on Awami League’s anti-terrorism rally on this day in 2004, and the 
then-opposition leader Sheikh Hasina was their prime target.

He said 2 incidents in history -- August 15 assassination of Bangabandhu and 
most of his family members, and the August 21 grenade attack -- are inseparable 
as those were carried out with the same motive.

Quader also said the working relationship that needs to remain between the 
government and the opposition party was finished forever through the bomb 
blasts. “It won’t be possible for us to forget the pain of the incident.”

Even after that, he said, Awami League tried to normalise relations with BNP as 
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited Khaleda Zia to Gono Bhaban before the 
January 5 national election in 2014.

“Our leader also went to Khaleda Zia’s office to console her following her 
son’s death. People know they misbehaved with the prime minister. On that day, 
BNP shut the door for dialogue in Bangladeshi politics, by closing the door on 
the face of the prime minister.”

At least 24 leaders and activists, including Awami League women affairs 
secretary and late President Zillur Rahman’s wife Ivy Rahman, were killed and 
300 others injured in the grenade attack on August 21, 2004.

(source for both: The Daily Star)








VIETNAM:

Vietnam police arrests local heroin trafficker



Police of Vietnam's northern Cao Bang city have detained a local man for 
trafficking over 3.2 kg of heroin in the locality, local media reported on 
Thursday.

The 30-year-old detainee from northern Dien Bien province was caught red-handed 
transporting 10 cakes of heroin in Cao Bang province's Cao Bang city, newspaper 
Dai Doan Ket (Great Unity) quoted the city's police as reporting.

According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of 
heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making 
or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces 
the death penalty.

(source: xinhuanet.com)








SOMALIA:

Puntland's top Court upholds death penalty for rapists



The High Court of Puntland state of Somalia reaffirmed its verdict upholding 
the death sentence to 3 convicts who gang-raped and murdered a 12-year-old 
girl, Garowe Online reports.

Abdishakur Mohamed, Abdifitah Abdirahman, and Abdisalan Abdirahman were found 
guilty of raping and killing Aisha Ilyes Aden, a teenager in the divided 
Galkayo city, in the central Somali region of Mudug on 25th February 2019.

Aden was abducted in a market in the town and her body was found the next 
morning, February 26th dumped on a street near her home. An autopsy revealed 
that she had been gang-raped and subsequently strangled to death.

Aisha's case sparked outrage, with demonstrations and protesters' calls for 
authorities to use the country's landmark 2016 Sexual Offenses Law, which 
criminalizes rape, sexual harassment, and online sexual offenses.

The ruling Thursday was not only a test for Puntland state's new sexual 
violence law, the Sexual Offenses Act but also a powerful signal of support for 
the rule of law in general in Somalia's most stable and oldest Federal Member 
State.

(source: garoweonline.com)