[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

February 1





SAUDI ARABIA:

Saudi Female Activist Spared Death Penalty Amid Outrage



Authorities in Saudi Arabia have confirmed that its public prosecutor is no 
longer recommending the death penalty for female activist Israa al-Ghomgham, 
who has been held since 2015 after participating in peaceful anti-government 
protests.

The Saudi Arabian embassy in London confirmed the shift in approach to Newsweek 
on Thursday in response to a request for information about al-Ghomgham’s case.

The 29-year-old was arrested in 2015 for her role in protests in the eastern 
region of Qatif. The area is predominantly Shiite, and al-Ghomgham became 
well-known for demanding an end to persecution of the country's Shiite minority 
by the autocratic government, which is controlled by the Sunni royal family.

She was 1 of 6 people, including her husband, arrested in connection with the 
demonstrations. Their alleged crimes included traveling abroad to attend 
courses on organizing rallies and protests, using social media to promote and 
document events, and using Facebook groups to disseminate videos.

Initially, the Saudi public prosecutor called for death sentences for 5 of the 
accused, including al-Ghomgham. This was seen by international observers as a 
striking recommendation given the nonviolent nature of their offenses.

Until Thursday, al-Ghomgham was believed to be the first woman facing beheading 
for nonviolent activism. As such, her case received significant international 
attention from media and human rights organizations.

But the Saudi Embassy in London told Newsweek that the public prosecutor is not 
seeking the death penalty for al-Ghomgham. Instead, authorities are calling for 
a prison term, fines and the confiscation of anything found to have been used 
in her alleged crimes.

The European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights, a human rights nonprofit 
group based in Germany, and Reprieve, a nonprofit group based in the U.K., 
confirmed to Newsweek they had received a new indictment that did not recommend 
the death penalty for al-Ghomgham.

There is no indication that the Saudi authorities have dropped the capital 
punishment recommendations for the other four detainees. This may suggest the 
Saudis have dropped their wish for her death to dodge the intensifying 
international scrutiny of al-Ghomgham’s case.

Though prosecutors will no longer pursue beheading, al-Ghomgham could still 
face a lengthy prison sentence and restrictions on her personal freedoms when 
she is freed. In the past, human rights activists have been handed long-term 
travel and internet bans even after spending many years in prison.

Maya Foa, director of Reprieve, told Newsweek, "This decision serves to 
underline just how arbitrary and unjust the use of the death penalty is in 
Saudi Arabia. The kingdom must cease imposing the death penalty on individuals 
whose only ‘crime’ is the exercise of freedom of expression and assembly."

Foa called on the international community to "hold Saudi Arabia to account and 
call for a review of the cases of all of those on Saudi Arabia’s death row and 
the commutation of death sentences handed down in violation of domestic and 
international laws."

All 6 of the accused are being tried in the opaque Specialized Criminal Court 
(SCC). Nominally an anti-terror body, the SCC is part of the Ministry of the 
Interior rather than the Ministry of Justice, placing it firmly within the 
national security sphere. It is used by the Saudi government to crush dissent 
from human rights and pro-democracy activists far from the prying eyes of the 
outside world.

Al-Ghomgham was scheduled to appear before the court again on January 13, but 
at the last moment the SCC canceled the session. This marked the 4th time the 
hearing had been postponed. The court cited departmental restructuring and 
reorganization for the delay.

Ali Adubisi, the director of ESOHR, explained there remain "serious concerns" 
over the Saudi government's conduct despite the removal of the death penalty 
recommendation. "Replacing the death penalty is a continued violation as she is 
charged with offences relating to the expression of peaceful opinion," he 
explained. "Therefore, the request for imprisonment instead of execution is a 
form of continuous pressure on peaceful activists."

Indeed, that death penalty recommendations remain against the other 
co-defendents raises "serious concerns about their fate," Adubisi added. He 
noted there are 58 detainees facing death sentences in Saudi Arabia, most of 
whom are not accused of serious charges.

(source: Newsweek)








BAHRAIN:

Bahrain Re-Sentences Terrorist Suspect to Death



A Bahraini court re-sentenced to death a defendant charged with killing a 
security officer after a Cassation Court had annulled the ruling.

In an unprecedented move on Thursday, the Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced 
in a re-trial the defendant to death for establishing and joining a terror 
group and killing an on-duty police officer and a civilian.

On October 22, the Cassation Court overturned the death sentences it had upheld 
in 2015 against 2 Bahraini defendants and returned their cases to the Appeals 
Court for trial.

The 2 suspects had been convicted on Dec. 24, 2014 for the murder of a 
policeman in a terrorist attack in Al-Dair District.

The policeman was killed while on duty southwest of the Bahraini capital 
Manama, in the village of Damistan.

Bahrain’s news agency quoted on Thursday the head of the anti-terror crime 
prosecution, Ahmad Al Hammadi, as saying that the defendant’s charges included 
carrying out an explosion, the possession of explosives and weapons for 
terrorist purposes, raising funds for a terror group, illegal rallying and 
rioting.

The court also ruled to revoke his citizenship, he said.

The case involving 23 defendants had been reviewed by a court that sentenced q 
of them to death and the others to life in jail.

The court also revoked their citizenship and ordered 2 defendants to pay up to 
BD200,000.

The ruling was approved at the next stage by the Court of Appeals.

In the death penalty ruling, and in accordance with Bahrain's laws, the case 
was referred to the Cassation Court and the judges decided to send it back to 
the High Criminal Court that issued its verdict.

(source: aawsat.com)

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

Death sentence upheld for cop killer



The Fourth High Criminal Court yesterday awarded a man death penalty and 
stripped him of his citizenship for establishing and joining a terror group, 
killing an on-duty police officer and a civilian. Terror Crime Prosecution 
Chief Advocate General Ahmed Al Hammadi confirmed that the accused was also 
found guilty of causing an explosion and possessing weapons and explosives to 
use in acts of terror, as well as raising funds for a terror group, illegal 
rallying and rioting.

The case involving 23 defendants had been reviewed by a court that sentenced 
one of them to death and the others to life imprisonment. The court also 
revoked their citizenship and ordered two defendants to pay up BD200,000. The 
ruling was approved at the next stage by the Court of Appeals.

With regards to death penalty ruling, Al Hammadi added that the case was 
referred to the Cassation Court, in accordance with Bahrain’s laws, and the 
judges decided to send it back to the High Criminal Court that issued its 
verdict. The incidents took place on 8 December 2014, when the defendants 
placed bombs in Damistan and Karzakkan villages in the Northern Governorate, 
causing the death of policeman Ali Mohammed Ali in Damistan and a 72-year-old 
citizen in Karzakkan, in addition to injuring other policemen and civilians.

(source: News of Bahrain)








ZIMBABWE:

Govt taking steps to abolish death sentence



The Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is working towards the 
abolition of the death penalty in Zimbabwe.

In its bid to safeguard life as espoused in the Universal Declaration of 
Rights, the Zimbabwe government has been avoiding executing inmates on the 
death row and for over a decade it has been exercising a moratorium on 
executions.

This was revealed by an Acting Director in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and 
Parliamentary Affairs Mr Charles Paul Manhire on behalf of Minister Ziyambi 
Ziyambi at the Zimbabwe Staff College in Harare today.

The question of the death sentence has been under serious debate for a while 
with some countries advocating for its total ban while others feel it has to 
continue to be applied in serious cases.

In the case of Zimbabwe the last executions were in 2005 as the country takes 
steps to end capital punishment.

Minister Ziyambi said the Justice Ministry has made further efforts to save 
those on the death row by requesting that authorities consider granting of 
clemency so that the death sentences imposed are commuted to life imprisonment.

Presently there are 81 prisoners on the death row and 127 prisoners serving 
life terms.

Last year 34 prisoners on death row had their sentences commuted to life 
imprisonment emphasizing Zimbabwe’s determination to move towards total 
abolition of the death penalty.

The 2013 Zimbabwean Constitution imposes a death penalty on a person convicted 
of murder committed in aggravating circumstances.

The sentence is, however, not imposed on women, male persons who are under the 
age of 20 and over 70 years.

(source: zbc.co.zw)








RUSSIA:

State Duma offers to introduce death penalty for corrupt officials and make a 
separate cemetery for them



“Corrupt officials should have a separate cemetery, so that when relatives came 
to say goodbye to them, everyone knew and saw them,” the author of the 
initiative, Aleksandr Sherin (LDPR), said.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, LDPR deputy 
Aleksandr Sherin proposed to introduce the death penalty for terrorists and 
corrupt officials and make a separate cemetery for the latter, Moskva agency 
reports.

“Corrupt officials should have a separate cemetery, so that when relatives came 
to say goodbye to them, everyone knew and saw them,” Sherin said. According to 
him, corrupt officials are those who “rob the people” and take bribes.

As a positive example, Sherin cited China, which has “the second economy in the 
world.” The deputy recalled that there is a death penalty for corruption in 
China.

Sherin noted that prison sentences are not a strict enough punishment for 
corrupt officials. “Those who steal from the people for a long time will have 
no problem serving time in any prison and with any term. Moreover, they will 
get amnestied and be totally fine,” the deputy explained. He stressed that 
corruption cannot be eradicated by less violent methods than the death penalty.

“Let's change the punishment to a fine, but believe me, corrupt officials will 
steal even more so that they could share it and not be imprisoned. And if they 
get shot or just hanged, so as not to spare the cartridges because a rope is 
reusable, then they will think twice whether to take a bribe or not,” the 
deputy said.

(source: crimerussia.com)




GREAT BRITAIN:

Sisters of Fred and Rose West victim call for death penalty during interview on 
This Morning----It's their 1st TV interview since Juanita died



The sisters of Fred and Rose West victim Juanita Mott have spoken out about 
their sister's murder for the first time on This Morning, calling for the death 
penalty for killer Rose.

Ahead of new documentary Fred & Rose West: The Real Story with Trevor McDonald, 
Belinda Mott and Mary-Ann Mitchell spoke to Holly Willoughby and Phillip 
Schofield about the killing that devastated their family.

The Wests were accused of raping, torturing and murdering 12 women between 1967 
and 1987, one of them being their own daughter, Heather.

Fred confessed to the murders and was found hanged in his prison cell. It is 
rumoured Rose, who was convicted of 10 murders and sentenced to life in prison 
in 1995, is now hoping for release.

She has a fiancee in prison and wants to start a new life with her.

But Juanita's sisters are determined that will never happen.

When Holly revealed Rose was appealing her sentence and to this day denies any 
wrong-doing, Belinda said it made her angry and it was a waste of tax payers' 
money.

Mary-Ann added: "We go to work and pay our taxes to help keep this country 
funded - and keep her in the lap of luxury – she gets three square meals a day, 
a nice warm roof over her head, a comfy bed. There's people on the streets that 
deserve more money than she does.

"I’d like to see her rot in hell if I'm perfectly honest. And I hope when her 
girlfriend gets released from prison it rips Rose’s heart out because she’ll 
never get out. And if she did I’m sure there’d be a queue waiting."

Phil asked Belinda if she felt the same and she said: "Yes, that or a very slow 
electric chair."

Mary-Ann added: "This is where I feel the death penalty is needed, when there 
is no doubt. There is no doubt at all that she was involved."

The sisters also said they felt cheated when Fred took his own life: "We didn't 
get the justice, yes he would have ended up in prison, but still cheated. But 
then part of me is glad he's not on this earth breathing the same air that we 
are," Mary-Ann said.

Juanita had gone missing in 1975, but the sisters say it wasn't unusual for her 
to disappear for long periods of time and turn back up again.

It was 1978 when they started to worry about her whereabouts. They believe 
Juanita may have been lodging with the Wests.

In fact, Belinda visited the house, dubbed the house of horrors after the 
bodies of all their victims were discovered, to see a friend there.

She told how Rose was waiting on the street and said she was a "loose" woman 
and that Fred was "creepy".

Phil asked if they thought Fred and Rose were clever to have got away with it 
for so long, Mary-Ann replied: "They weren't clever, they’re not intelligent 
enough to be clever, it was pure luck."

Holly asked them about dealing with their grief all these years and picking up 
the pieces after it was confirmed Juanita was one of the Wests' victims.

Mary-Ann said: "It’s what we're used to now it’s part of our lives. The worst 
part is our children our grandchildren won't ever get to meet their aunty. Her 
memory is kept alive through photographs, but we’ve learnt not to live with it, 
but to just plod on."

As Belinda said the family were "destroyed" by it, Mary-Ann added: "Mum refused 
to believe that it was her [Juanita] to the day she died."

(source: entertainmentdaily.co.uk)








PAKISTAN:

Pak government: Aasia Bibi free to leave country----Pakistan’s top court 
rejected an appeal against Bibi’s acquittal on Tuesday, paving the way for her 
potential departure from the country



The government of Pakistan on Thursday said that Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman 
who has been cleared of all blasphemy charges after spending eight years on 
death row, was free to leave the country.

Pakistan's top court rejected an appeal against Bibi's acquittal on Tuesday, 
paving the way for her potential departure from the country.

"There is a Supreme Court verdict which everyone has. It is not something 
secret. The verdict of the Supreme Court will be implemented", Pakistan Foreign 
Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal told reporters in Islamabad.

"To the best of my knowledge, Aasia Bibi is still in Pakistan. It's up to her 
if she wants to live in Pakistan and if (she) want(s) to go abroad," Faisal 
said, adding that Bibi was "a free Pakistani citizen" and that there were no 
restrictions on her movement.

Ahead of the court ruling on Tuesday, Bibi's lawyer Saiful Malook told Efe news 
that she might join 2 of her daughters in Canada, but it was as yet unclear 
whether she would choose to leave her homeland.

Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which date from the period of British colonial rule, 
carry a potential death sentence for anyone who insults Islam and its figures.

Critics allege that the laws have been used to persecute minorities in the 
country of 200 million people - 95 to 98 % of whom are Muslims.

Bibi, a mother of 5, was accused by 2 other women in 2009 of making offensive 
comments against the Prophet Muhammad, the most revered figure in Islam.

A court sentenced her to death in 2010 and she lost an appeal before the Lahore 
High Court 4 years later.

In October last year, the Supreme Court overturned her death sentence, 
triggering massive protests by far-right Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik 
Pakistan that paralyzed the country for 3 days.

Bibi was released from prison on November 7 but was kept in a safe house and 
barred from leaving the country while the Supreme Court reviewed the appeal 
against her acquittal.

The government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, reached an agreement with the 
Islamist group in November to end the protests, promising to allow them to 
request the judiciary to ban Bibi from moving abroad until the top court had 
issued its ruling.

At the end of November, the government arrested TLP leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi 
along with 3,000 of his followers for inciting the protests.

(source: nationalheraldindia.com)

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

Murder convicts get death penalty, life term



A murder suspect was sentenced to death while another was given a life term in 
Bahawalnagar on Thursday. The judgment was announced by Additional Sessions 
Judge Chaudhry Khalid Mehmood.

The prosecution told the court that Sajida Bibi, in connivance with her friend 
Imran, murdered her husband Maqbool a few months back.

The police registered a case against the culprits and presented the challan 
before the court.

After hearing the arguments, the judge handed down a death sentence to Imran. 
The judge also imposed a fine of Rs0.25 million. The court also awarded life 
sentence to Sajida Bibi.

Earlier, a court awarded a death sentence to an accused for his involvement in 
a murder case in Faisalabad. The judgment was announced by Additional Sessions 
Judge Asadullah Siraj.

Accused Fakhar Imam had killed his wife Hina and son Hasnain Ali over a 
property dispute in 2015.

The local police registered a case and presented the challan before the court. 
After hearing the arguments, the judge handed down a death sentence on two 
counts to Fakhar, along with a fine of Rs0.5 million.

(source: The Express Tribune)

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

Impact of Death Penalty on reduction of Terrorism in Pakistan



Pakistan is the country which suffered the worst impact of terrorism. We 
suffered more than all the other countries of the world combined. Especially 
during the period of 2007- 2013, there were almost 730 terrorist attacks, 
causing thousands of death causalities and so many more injured. Only in the 
year 2012, the country witnessed 217 acts of terrorism.

Terrorism in Pakistan originated with the Afghan War in the 1980s when the US 
and its allies gathered “mujahideen” i.e. holy warriors, from all over the 
world. They trained them, armed them and funded them to be used in a proxy war 
against USSR. Extremism, Intolerance, Terrorism, and hate was promoted in 
Pakistani society. Traditionally, Pakistan was a peaceful and tolerant society. 
In the 1960s and 1970s, Pakistan was a paradise for western tourists. It was 
among one of the safest countries with an abundance of natural beauty and 
pleasant climate. Affordable cost of living had attracted many western tourists 
at that period of time. All religious factions were enjoying very cordial 
relations. Pakistan was a multi-ethnic society and was living in perfect 
harmony since ages. The Afghan War turned everything and the society faced 
increasing divide and intolerance.

In fact, after the withdrawal of USSR’s troops from Afghanistan, and lack of US 
interest from Afghanistan left the fighting forces directionless. Such fighters 
who were deemed heroes in the US and the western world were left jobless. They 
were not educated, trained for any skill, except for war and fighting. Their 
funding was also suspended. Under such scenario, they were left with no other 
option, except indulging in terrorism on behest of foreign agendas for easy 
earning of their livelihood.

After the 9/11 incident in 2011, these heroes trained and armed by US and 
Allies were labeled terrorists and war on terror was waged against them. 
Pakistan sided with the US and NATO during its war on terror and became the 
victim of terrorism.

On 17 December 2014, a major incident of terrorism happened in APS School, in 
Peshawar, northwest of Pakistan. It was a major act of terrorism where school 
children and teachers were martyred. The incident jolted the Government of 
Pakistan and the whole nation was united to fight against the menace of 
terrorism.

On 24 December the Prime Minister (PM) in a televised address to the nation 
announced the ‘National Action Plan’ (NAP) to deal with terrorism. According to 
the Interior Minister, the plan was prepared in the light of the decisions 
taken by All Parties Conference. For this purpose, the PM established the 
National Action Committee consisting of the members from all the political 
parties and decision were taken in the light of the recommendations of this 
committee. Prime Minister of Pakistan reached consensus over the issue of 
“National Action Plan” to fight against terrorism on war footings. Sufficient 
resources were allocated to fight against terrorism. Adequate legislation were 
formulated and relevant amendments were introduced to the judiciary, law 
enforcement organizations. Among many decisions, one of them was “setting up 
military courts” for tackling terrorism cases in the country, along with a 
wider plan to tackle terrorism. The death penalty was also approved for 
terrorists. Previously, the death penalty was banned in Pakistan and criminals 
were very confident that they can come out of jails after some time and again 
get involved in similar activities on a much larger scale. Slow access to 
justice has made it impossible to eradicate terrorism. Additional amendments 
were unavoidable.

Implementation of “National Action Plan” has shown great achievement and 
terrorism has been reduced to a huge extent. Death penalty to terrorists proved 
to be a key to success in eradication of terrorism in Pakistan. There is a 
comprehensive consensus among all political parties and the general public over 
the death penalty for terrorists.

Prime Minister of Pakistan has announced, “Continuation of Death Penalty” 
recently representing the voice of 220 million people of Pakistan. Being an 
elected Prime Minister, he has to represent the people of Pakistan. Pakistan is 
a free country and constitution of Pakistan ensures the freedom of expression 
to its citizens. We enjoy the highest degree of press freedom, however, only a 
few misuse it and work on the agenda of enemies of Pakistan.

I believe, Pakistan is very mature and civilized. We understand our situation 
and needs. We hope to decide our own destiny and make our policies indigenously 
to suit our needs. It is possible, after some time, when we have rooted out 
terrorism completely, we may ban the death penalty forever. I request the 
international community to strengthen Pakistan’s drive against terrorism, which 
are the enemies of humanity. Please extend your full cooperation and all 
possible support to make Pakistan successful against terrorism. I trust that 
our friends and civilized nations will come forward to support Pakistan. 
However, we are committed to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan absolutely.

(source: moderndiplomacy.eu)








CHINA:

China sentences to death driver who killed passenger of ride-hailing firm Didi



A court in China handed the death sentence on Friday to a man who raped and 
killed a passenger of ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing last year, while he was 
employed as a driver.

The court in the eastern coastal city of Wenzhou, where the driver, Zhong Yuan, 
28, committed the crime in August, said in a post on its Twitter-like Weibo 
account it had ordered the death penalty.

The high-profile case triggered fierce public and government criticism of Didi, 
which suspended its carpool service Hitch after the incident and pledged a 
business overhaul to put a greater emphasis on safety.

Didi said it has no comment on the court sentence.

(source: kfgo.com)








SRI LANKA:

18 in line for the death penalty--Minister Thalatha Athukoral



Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms Thalatha Athukorale says that the 
responsibility of preparing the list of convicts who have received death 
penalties lies with the Attorney General’s Department.

Commenting on the documents regarding the drug smugglers, the Minister noted 
that of the 48 death row inmates that they had received from the Prisons 
Department, 38 had already appealed their sentences. She continued to say that 
details of the other 18 prisoners will be looked into and according to the 
decision made by the court that they will consider whether or not the death 
penalty should be passed on them.

The Minister added that everything depends on the reports submitted and added 
that the cases have already been opened.

(source: newsfirst.lk)

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

Citing drug crime, Sri Lanka plans 1st executions since 1976



Sri Lanka's president pledged to end the country's 43-year moratorium on 
capital punishment and execute condemned drug traffickers amid alarm over 
drug-related crimes.

The statement on the government's website said President Maithripala Sirisena 
would order the executions soon but did not say how the prisoners would be 
executed. Sri Lanka last executed a prisoner in 1976. At the time, prisoners 
were hanged.

Sirisena's announcement came after he visited the Philippines in January and 
praised President Rodrigo Duterte's drug crackdown as "an example to the 
world." Thousands of suspects have been killed in the crackdown that he 
launched after taking office in 2016, and rights groups have denounced the 
killings as extrajudicial executions.

The government said Sirisena believes reinstating executions is justified 
because he says other countries execute prisoners for drug crimes. It said he 
announced his decision Wednesday in a southern part of the island nation where 
large amounts of illegal drugs have been discovered.

Sri Lanka has 1,299 prisoners facing death sentences and 48 of them were 
convicted of drug offenses. 18 of those condemned drug convicts are on death 
row, while the remaining 30 still have appeals of their sentences to be heard.

Sri Lankan police in recent months have intensified their efforts to crack down 
on drugs, seizing 90 kilograms (198 pounds) of heroin from a luxury apartment 
in the capital, Colombo. 2 Americans, 2 Sri Lankans and an Afghan were 
arrested.

Rising crime — including gang-related killings and narcotics and sex crimes — 
have generated public calls to restart executions.

Giada Girelli, a human rights analyst with the Harm Reduction International 
drug policy research group, said there is no evidence that carrying out 
executions in Sri Lanka would serve "as an effective deterrent to drug use or 
trafficking."

"It will buck the global trend away from use of the death penalty and only 
serve to harm the health and human rights of Sri Lanka's citizens."

(source: Associated Press)

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

Hang them not, or hang them?----War against illicit drugs



While President Maithripala Sirisena reiterated very sternly that he would 
carry out the death penalty for major convicted drug offences who continue the 
illicit drug trade while in the death cell. He declared that he had entrusted 
the Armed Forces, Police and the Civil Defence Force with the task of 
eradicating the narcotics menace the way they had destroyed the LTTE.

While the President’s decision to carry out the fight against drugs on a war 
footing did not face any adverse response, some human rights activists 
expressed alarm about his references to the strong arm tactics adopted 
successfully by President Duterte of the Philippines.

Furthermore, the Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) came 
out with a most surprising statement that they would take legal action if there 
was a move to arbitrarily execute persons convicted of drug related offences, 
who are found repeating such offences during imprisonment. However, CPRP 
Chairman Senaka Perera’s argument against execution falls flat by his own logic 
that the prisoners should be given a chance to correct their criminal ways. 
"rehabilitation where the wrongdoers are afforded an opportunity to rectify 
themselves is the solution. This shows respect for human rights,” Perera 
asserted.

Drug offenders

The CPRP seems to have forgotten the fact that President Sirisena’s proposal is 
to carry out execution for the drug offenders who continue their criminal drug 
trading while in prison. If these criminals carry out drug smuggling while in 
prison, it is very clear that these criminals do not have any desire to rectify 
their errant ways and become good citizens.

“Students are the main target of narcotic dealers and therefore we conduct 
awareness programmes in schools,” President Sirisena said adding that when the 
National drug Eradication Week was announced a student had questioned whether 
the drug menace could be eradicated within 1 week.”

Schoolchildren are the main target of drug traffickers and the Presidential 
Task Force carried out dangerous drug awareness campaigns in 51 schools in 
Matara district this week. The President, who attended an awareness programme 
at the Ruhuna University, presented certificates of appreciation to the best 
contributors to the drug eradication campaign. The University of Ruhuna 
received a cash award for establishing a research unit for eradicating 
narcotics.

CPRP Secretary blamed Parliamentarians and drug barons for importing drugs into 
the country and charged that, “President Sirisena, despite being the first 
citizen of a democracy, which has human rights obligations as per international 
conventions, entered into a war in favour of the inhumane hangman’s noose”.

The CPRP cannot be ignorant that those who continue drug trade behind prison 
walls are drug barons who were caught with hundreds of kilos of narcotic drugs 
worth millions of rupees. President Sirisena said very clearly that his 
intention is to execute few large scale drug dealers who continue drug 
smuggling from their death cells. In other words one or two drug barons will 
face hangman’s noose and not minor offenders. If any Parliamentarians are 
involved in drug smuggling – there very well could be few judging by the 
anti-social tendencies display by few MPs – it is for the police to investigate 
and bring the offenders to book. The learned CPRP office-bearers should 
understand that President Sirisena cannot be expected to hang MPs without a 
conviction by the court.

President Sirisena referred to those who ridicule the national programmes for 
drug eradication. Without mincing words he said that whatever said and done, he 
strongly believe that those who are trying to deplore these activities have 
some connection with drug trafficking. Whatever the guise they use, it is clear 
that the people who try to ridicule the drug eradication programmes are under 
the control of narcotics drug dealers. The drug barons have unlimited funds to 
buy people and they are even powerful enough to topple governments.

New programmes

The President said while continuing the programmes that are being implemented 
to control and eradicate illicit drugs, new set of programmes will also be 
launched within the next few months aiming at the schoolchildren and public 
servants to further strengthen the fight against drugs.

He added that the fight against drugs will be carried out on a war footing, 
similar to the war to defeat LTTE terrorism.

The President said that he is determined to carry out capital punishment for 
repeated drug offenders. Pointing out that certain forces with an agenda carry 
out campaigns against the Theravada Buddhist Philosophy, the President said 
that the illicit drugs are also a part of a major coup of certain organised 
groups to destroy the country. Under these circumstances, it is essential to 
take stern decisions and it is the duty of everybody to join hands in the 
campaign to eradicate drugs, the President emphasized.

This 13th programme in Matara is the district meetings of the “Mathin Nidahas 
Ratak” conducted under the instructions of President Maithripala Sirisena and 
operated under the Presidential Task Force Drugs Prevention. A broad set of 
programmes were held centering Matara district in the late October. Under that, 
all the districts were covered and 650 rural programmes were held at Grama 
Sevaka division level and the officers and the public were made aware of the 
programme. An awareness programme was conducted covering 51 schools of five 
regions in collaboration of the Navy and Air Force.

(source: dailynews.lk)








BELGIUM:

Death penalty abolition on conference agenda



The 7th world congress against the death penalty will be held in Brussels from 
26 February to 1 March.

The biennial conference gathers together abolitionist activists and will be 
chaired by French lawyer and abolitionist campaigner Robert Badinter.

The 1,500 participants will include many lawyers speaking across five Brussels 
locations, but mainly at the Egmont Palace, near the Palais de Justice.

Strategies

Among this year’s themes are abolitionist strategies and how to prevent the 
resurgence of the death penalty.

Also for discussion are ‘the private sector and the death penalty’, ‘women and 
the death penalty’, ‘LGBT and the death penalty’, and ‘bar associations in the 
fight against the death penalty’.

For the past 20 years, the use of the death penalty has been gradually 
declining. Yet 20,000 people are still on death row in the 55 countries that 
apply the death penalty (on average, 364 people per country).

There are 106 abolitionist countries, 6 that apply the death penalty only in 
exceptional circumstances, such as war or revolution – and 31 de facto 
abolitionists, that have not carried out executions for at least 10 years.

Registration to the congress is free, but mandatory.

(source: lawsociety.ie)