[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

July 21



IRAN----executions

4 Prisoners Hanged in One Day at 1 Prison



4 prisoners were hanged in 1 day at the Iranian city of Karaj’s Rajai-Shahr 
prison.

According to IHR sources, on the morning of Wednesday, July 17, 4 prisoners 
were executed at Rajai-Shahr prison.

One of them, Ali (Known as Ali Lavashak) was sentenced to death for rape 
charges. 3 others who were sentenced to death for murder charges are identified 
as Yousef Gholizadeh, Hadi Asef and Akbar Sabbaghzadeh.

>From July 14 to July 17, in 3 days, at least 10 prisoners were hanged in 
different Iranian prisons or in Public.

At least 110 people were executed in Iran in the 1st half of 2019; Only 37 of 
the executions have been announced by authorities or Iranian media. Iran Human 
Rights (IHR) could confirm 73 more through its sources. IHR only reports the 
unannounced executions if it could confirm those with 2 separate credible 
sources. Therefore, the actual number of executions may be even higher than 
reported.

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

3 Men Hanged at Minab Prison



3 men were hanged for murder charges at the southern Iranian city of Minab last 
Sunday.

According to IHR sources, on Sunday, June 14, three men were hanged at Minab 
prison for murder charges. IHR could identify them as Ali Karimi, Mohammad 
Parvaei and Amirali Shadabi.

“Amirali Shadabi killed a person during a gang fight. 2 others committed murder 
during fights for financial reasons,” a well-informed source told IHR.

None of the aforementioned executions was announced by the Iranian authorities 
so far.

(source for both: Iran Human Rights)








THAILAND:

Thai murderer is sentenced to death for killing a German backpacker after 
raping her



A Thai man who raped and murdered a German backpacker has been sentenced to 
death.

Ronnakorn Romruen, 24, attacked Miriam Beelte, 26, as she visited a historic 
stone monument on the island of Koh Si Chang, eastern Thailand, on April 7.

He then raped her before battering her head with a rock to kill her and stop 
her reporting the attack.

Ronnakorn then concealed her body below leaves on a secluded hillside.

Locals found her body that same day.

Later that evening police arrested the local beach cleaner and he subsequently 
admitted to raping and killing the woman from Hildesheim, Germany.

Ronnakorn has been in custody since the murder took place 3 months ago.

He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to death on Wednesday 
because the ‘crime was so severe a reduced sentence was not possible’.

The judgment released from Chonburi Provincial Court read: ‘Ronnakorn Romruen 
was guilty of raping (14 years in jail), murdering to conceal the crime (death 
penalty), drug taking and driving (eight months in jail), concealing the death 
of a person (1 year in jail).

It said because he confessed during the arrest, the court would mitigate the 
penalty by half for the charges related to rape, taking of methamphetamine, 
drunk driving and concealing the death of a person.

‘But the overall crime is so severe that the defendant deserves to die and the 
punishment of the death penalty will stay in place for the charge of murdering 
to conceal a crime for which there is no mitigation.’

CCTV showed how Ronnakorn had followed Ms Beelte up the hill of the ancient 
stone monument while pestering her to sleep with him.

When she rejected his advances, the drug-crazed killer pinned her to the ground 
and raped her.

He later told police that after she struggled free, he chased after her and 
battered her face with a rock until she was dead because he didn’t want her to 
report the attack.

Ronnakorn then hid her body behind rocks and covered it with leaves.

Officers said that Ronnakorn confessed to murder after 4 hours of interrogation 
and he was taken back to his shabby wooden home in the early hours of the 
morning to re-enact parts of the crime.

After killing the single holidaymaker, he calmly watched TV while smoking 
cigarettes and drinking beer.

Ronnakorn’s mother, Nongluck Phosang, 43, had previously called on prosecutors 
to hand down the death penalty to her son.

She said: ‘My son and I didn’t live together, so I didn’t know much about what 
he usually did in the day. I only knew that he worked on a boat and collected 
rubbish from the beaches.

‘He is a quiet guy who doesn’t talk much. He likes to stay alone at home 
watching TV and listening to music, just like most of the guys.

‘I deeply apologise to the girl’s family on behalf of my son. I never thought 
that he could do anything like this.

‘He deserves the full lawful punishment and I am willing to accept the judge’s 
decision.’

Ronnakorn has one month in which to appeal the sentence before he is put on 
death row.

(source: brinkwire.com)








INDIA:

Family members of Sonbhadra victims demand money, land and death sentence for 
perpetrators of massacre



Ahead of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit to Sonbhadra, family members of 
the victims massacred have demanded money and land as compensation, along with 
a death penalty for the perpetrators.

Chhote Lal, who was injured and is undergoing treatment at a hospital, told 
news agency ANI that they will demand Rs 10 lakh and 10 bigha land for the kin 
of those who died in the firing and Rs 7 lakh and 6 bigha land for the people 
who were injured.

He further said that the village head who was elected to serve them opened fire 
leading to the deaths of 10 people.

I will demand that the people who opened fire should be hanged, he added.

These demands come ahead of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's scheduled visit to 
family members of the deceased including those injured in the incident.

The land dispute at Ubbha village in Sonbhadra district turned violent when 
people armed with guns and sharp weapons and sticks attacked a village, killing 
10 people including women, and injured 20.

The headman had gone to take possession of his land purchased two years ago 
along with his men and when the villagers objected and his associates fired 
indiscriminately at the mob.

According to a report, one villager said that the cops knew that something was 
about to happen but did nothing to stop the village head or his men.

(source: timesnownews.com)








PHILIPPINES:

An Empowered Duterte Sets His Sights on Drug War, Death Penalty



Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte will likely avoid a lame-duck phase in the 
2nd half of his 6-year term, leveraging high approval ratings and a 
super-majority in Congress to seal his policy agenda.

Bills to overhaul the Philippine constitution, strengthen the drug war, and 
make the economy more competitive are expected to be the President’s priorities 
when he speaks to lawmakers at the annual State of the Nation Address on 
Monday.

“The President will be more gung-ho after securing a new mandate in the 
midterms,” University of the Philippines assistant professor in political 
science Jean Encinas-Franco said. “He will want to tick off all the items in 
his platform before 2022.”

Popularity Contest

Duterte's net satisfaction ratings are still on the up midway through his term

Death penalty

Duterte wants to revive the death penalty, which the Philippines suspended in 
2006, for drug trafficking and other heinous crimes, saying it will instill 
fear among would-be perpetrators. He also endorsed lowering the minimum age of 
criminal responsibility from 15 to as young as nine years old to target 
syndicates using children to distribute drugs.

The administration could find it easier to pass the bills now with more 
supporters in the Senate, which previously blocked the measures. However, 
Franco said legislators will have to weigh the president’s wishes against a 
lack of support from the church, civil society groups and the wider public.

(source: bloomberg.com)