[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

July 20



MALAYSIA:

Human rights advocate applauds govt effort to end mandatory death sentences



The cabinet has drawn praise from a human rights advocate for its move to 
handle the proposed abolition of the death penalty early by affirming in March 
that it plans to do away with mandatory capital punishment.

National Human Rights Society (Hakam) treasurer Ngeow Chow Ying singled out the 
move to do away with mandatory death sentence as one of the earliest promises 
of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) election manifesto to be addressed.

She said that Hakam was caught a bit by surprise by the swiftness of the 
promise made by the cabinet.

“But we know that such a decision would need time to materialize as there are 
many areas which need attention and public awareness.”

She said that first stage would be to impose a moratorium where no death 
sentences would be carried out. And the reduction in capital punishments should 
be done in stages.

Ngeow said that Hakam and the Bar Council would do their part to provide 
alternatives to mandatory capital punishment.

She said that the premise to totally abolish the death sentence remains the aim 
for certain quarters, and hoped that the government can engage the various 
stakeholders on this matter.

This includes the police, who have a huge interest due to their need to enforce 
the laws and regulations, as well as crime prevention.

“We stand ready to hold dialogues with the police and any party who may 
continue to harbor reservations about abolishing the death penalty.”

The death sentence is widely practiced within the Asean region, except in 
Cambodia and the Philippines, the latter of which is now mulling bringing it 
back.

She said this after attending a talk with the title “Dealth Penalty Deserves A 
Quick Death.”

The privately organised event had four legal specialists including Ngeow 
address concerns from an audience of mostly young lawyers.

Also present was Batu Kawan MP Kasthuriraani Patto.

Besides Ngeow, the other speakers were Louis Liew Vern Xien, Farhana Abdul 
Halim and Vince Tan Hoo Seh.

It was announced that the mandatory death penalty for 11 criminal offences will 
be repealed, but ultimately the court will have the discretionary powers to 
decide if a death sentence is merited based on the severity of the crime.

Among the offences where mandatory death sentences are dropped are committing 
acts of terrorism, murder and hostage-taking.

(source: thesundaily.my)








SINGAPORE:

Singapore High Court dismisses procedural application by Pannir Selvam who got 
last-minute stay of execution



The High Court yesterday dismissed a procedural application by convicted 
Malaysian drug mule Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, who was granted an 11th-hour stay 
of execution 2 months ago.

His lawyers had applied for discovery and leave to serve interrogatories, in a 
hearing behind closed doors on Friday morning before Justice See Kee Oon.

Discovery refers to a legal procedure where parties reveal to each other 
documentary evidence that has a bearing upon issues in the case.

They can do so through interrogatories, which are a formal set of written 
questions served on the other party to clarify matters of fact. The questions 
can also help to determine in advance what facts will be presented, should a 
trial be held over the matter.

But Pannir failed in this application. The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) 
said in a press release that Pannir’s other application, for leave to commence 
a judicial review against the Government on various matters, was adjourned to a 
later date.

He has 1 week to file an application if he wishes to seek leave to appeal 
Friday’s decision, the AGC added.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Francis Ng appeared on behalf of the AGC on Friday. 
Pannir is represented by Mr Too Xing Ji and Mr Lee Ji En from BMS Law LLC.

The case

The 31-year-old Malaysian was convicted in 2017 of trafficking 51.84g of 
diamorphine, also known as heroin, into Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint 
in September 2014.

He was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty after the public prosecutor did 
not issue him a certificate of substantial assistance.

On May 23 this year, a day before he was due to hang, the Court of Appeal 
granted Pannir’s appear for a stay of his execution.

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who heard the case with Judges of Appeal Judith 
Prakash and Steven Chong, noted that Pannir was told of his date of execution 
and President Halimah Yacob’s rejection of his clemency petition only a week in 
advance. This left him with little time to get legal advice on his options, and 
he should be given the chance to do so, the judges said.

His lawyers said then that they intend to challenge the rejection of the 
clemency petition, by way of judicial review.

(source: malaymail.com)








JAPAN:

Death penalty finalized for man over 1998 murder of Aichi couple



Japan's top court rejected Friday an appeal by a 44-year-old man convicted of 
killing a married couple during a robbery in Aichi Prefecture in 1998, 
initiating the process for the finalization of his death sentence.

In conspiracy with 2 men, Yoshitomo Hori murdered company executive Ichio 
Magoori, 45, and his wife Satomi, 36, and stole about 60,000 yen ($560) after 
breaking into their home in the city of Hekinan in central Japan in June 1998, 
according to the ruling handed down by the Supreme Court's No. 2 Petty Bench.

Presiding Judge Tsuneyuki Yamamoto said Hori's contempt for human life was 
"conspicuous" and the outcome was "extremely serious," recognizing that he 
"planned and led" the crime and played a role in the killing.

"Their attack was based on a strong intention to kill and it's natural that the 
victims' son and others have demanded a harsh penalty after the two blameless 
people were deprived of their lives," Yamamoto said.

Hori was also convicted of assaulting a woman in her 70s and robbing 25,000 yen 
at her apartment in Nagoya in July 2006.

Hori was already sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and murdering Rie 
Isogai, 31, in Nagoya in 2007, with 2 other men he met through a "darknet" 
website for finding "crime mates." The sentence was finalized but will be 
suspended following the formal finalization of the death sentence.

(source: The Mainichi)








IRAN:

2 Political Prisoners Sentenced to 3.7 More Years in Jail for Protesting Death 
Penalty



Political prisoners Atena Daemi and Golrokh Iraee Ebrahimi have been told they 
must serve an additional 3.7 years in prison for the charges of “insulting the 
supreme leader” and “propaganda against the state,” Daemi’s mother informed the 
Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) on July 15, 2019.

Masoumeh Nemati said the 2 women are being punished for writing open letters 
condemning the September 2018 execution of political prisoners, including Ramin 
Hossein Panahi, Zanyar Moradi and Loghman Moradi, and for singing aloud the 
revolutionary anthem, “Oh Martyr,” to honor the executed prisoners—an act the 
court deemed an insult to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“Neither of them accepted the charges and said they had no intention of 
insulting anyone by singing that anthem,” Nemati told CHRI.

“We were expecting Atena to go free,” she added. “She was supposed to be 
released from prison on July 4, 2020, but now she has to stay behind bars for 
several more years. This really isn’t fair. The new charges were made by the 
prison’s director only out of spite, based on false evidence and bogus 
witnesses.”

Judge Iman Afshari of Branch 26 of the revolutionary court in Tehran also 
banned the 2 from engaging in any civil rights-related activities for 2 years. 
It is not known when the ruling, first reported by Persian media outlets on 
July 14, 2019, was issued. Both women plan to appeal.

Held in Evin Prison since November 2016, Daemi has been serving a 7-year prison 
sentence for meeting the families of political prisoners, criticizing the 
Islamic Republic of Iran on Facebook, and condemning Iran’s 1988 mass 
executions of political prisoners. She qualifies for parole in 2020.

Iraee had been serving a 6-year prison sentence since October 2016 when she was 
unexpectedly released on bail for unknown reasons in April 2019. It is not 
clear if or when she will return to the prison.

“Atena’s lawyer said that if the verdict stays the same on appeal, at the very 
least she would qualify for her sentences to be combined, which would reduce 
her time in prison to one year,” said Nemati.

Nemati also told CHRI that she hasn’t been allowed to visit her daughter since 
March 2019, which is a violation of Iranian law:

“We have not been allowed to visit her in prison since the [Iranian] New Year. 
We have complained about this to the prosecutor and the prison’s director on 
numerous occasions and mentioned it in the new trial. Atena even wrote a letter 
to the head of the State Prisons Organization but they still haven’t allowed 
face-to-face visitation.”

According to Iran’s State Prisons Procedures, weekly visits with family members 
are a right to which all prisoners are entitled, not a privilege. Yet CHRI has 
documented numerous instances in which these rules have been frequently 
flouted—including between inmates who are mothers and their young children.

Daemi has also been straggling to access medical treatment, according to 
Nemati:

“We have gotten several doctor’s appointments for Atena to check on a 
suspicious lump in her breast. The doctor said she needs to get a mammogram and 
a sonograph every few months. But it has been months since she was last 
transferred out of prison for a check-up. We even cover all the expenses 
ourselves. The authorities have refused to answer any questions about their 
lack of attention to her medical needs and the right to prison visitation but 
instead have been very quick to put her on trial and punish her to the fullest 
extent. Their actions are unjust and unlawful.”

Political prisoners in Iran, including elderly inmates, are singled out for 
harsh treatment, which often includes denial of medical care. The threat of 
withheld medical care has also been used as an intimidation tool against 
prisoners who have challenged the authorities or filed complaints.

(source: Iran Human Rights)








PAKISTAN:

Death penalty for paedophiles proposed



The provincial assembly on Friday proposed devising legislation to curb child 
abuse and suggested incorporating the death penalty for child abusers. 
Meanwhile, another bill regarding drug traffickers was introduced in the 
assembly which proposed similar punishment for convicts.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly resumed on Friday morning with Babar 
Saleem Swati filling in for Speaker Mushtaq Ghani.

During the proceedings, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Dr Sumera Shams, on 
a point of order urged the acting speaker that special legislation should be 
formed to address the issue of child abuse and domestic violence in the 
province. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nighat Orakzai suggested that a 
special committee should be formed which deliberates over the issue and forms 
legislation.

Responding to Shams’ query, K-P Law Minister Sultan Muhammad Khan said that 
they have already introduced a domestic violence bill in the assembly and a 
special committee will be soon formed for introducing amendments to it. On the 
issue of child abuse, Sultan noted that it was a heinous crime and a pressing 
issue and it should be addressed as such. He echoed the PTI lawmaker’s demands 
for devising legislation on the matter. He went on to suggest that child 
abusers should be dealt with swiftly and sternly, proposing the death penalty.

(source: Express Tribune)