[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Sept. 25




PHILIPPINES:

CHR: Not all crime victims seek revenge via death penalty



Not all victims of heinous or drug-related crimes are out for revenge by 
seeking the death penalty for those who have wronged them, the Commission on 
Human Rights (CHR) said.

CHR Commissioner Karen Dumpit made the position during the first hearing on 
bills restoring the death penalty before the House Committee on Justice.

Dumpit cited the case of actress Cherry Pie Picache, who was able to forgive 
the person who murdered her mother, as well as Clara Sarmenta, who prefers that 
former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez—the one who, along with six cohorts, raped 
and killed her daughter Eileen—pays for his crime by languishing in prison.

“Not all victims want revenge, and not all of them are for death penalty,” 
Dumpit said.

Likewise, Dumpit also cited the results of a March 2018 poll by the Social 
Weather Stations that surveyed 2,000 respondents aged 15 and above. It showed 
that only 3 out of every 10 Filipinos are in favor of imposing the death 
penalty for drug-related crimes such as:

• importation of illegal drugs,

• maintenance of drug dens,

• manufacture of illegal drugs,

• murder under the influence of drugs,

• rape under the influence of drugs,

• sale of illegal drugs, and

• working in drug dens.

“Our legislators and government can curb crimes and hold the perpetrators 
accountable without the death penalty. If we are going to use the assertion of 
revenge as motivation, we will only perpetuate a culture of violence,” Dumpit 
added.

The CHR, however, stands alone among government agencies opposed to the death 
penalty.

The Philippine National Police, the Department of Justice and the Public 
Attorney’s Office are all in favor of death penalty, although they have yet to 
submit a written position paper before the House Committee on Justice.

The House of Representatives approved the reimposition of the death penalty for 
drug-related crimes during the last 17th Congress.

The death penalty measure, however, was not acted upon by the Senate despite 
President Rodrigo Duterte’s support of the measure.

Under the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the 
death penalty provided by the United Nations Human Rights office, the 
imposition of death penalty must be “carried out so as to inflict the minimum 
possible suffering."

(source: gmanetwork.com)

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

House panel tackles death penalty bills



The House Committee on Justice on Tuesday launched its deliberation on bills 
seeking to reinstate death penalty on heinous crimes in the country.

At least 11 House bills are pending under the justice panel, all seeking to 
repeal Republic Act 9346 or the law prohibiting the imposition of death penalty 
and to impose higher penalties to designate death by legal injection among 
other penal laws.

Among these measures are House Bill (HB) 1380 filed by Capiz Second District 
Rep. Fredenil Castro, which seeks to highlight the imposition of death penalty 
on drug-related crimes, with the execution ranging from hanging, through a 
firing squad or through lethal injection under the authority of the Bureau of 
Corrections director.

HB 1588, filed by Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante Jr., a pastor and a 
self-proclaimed “life” advocate, seeks the same methods of execution of death 
sentence, but prefers carrying them out in a public place except for lethal 
injection.

Witnesses may include the media and children 9 years old and above who are 
accompanied by their parents or guardians.

Abante justified the imposition of death penalty by citing Bible verses in his 
explanatory note.

“If God did not see death penalty as a deterrent, if He did not consider death 
penalty as right for the good of men and society, He would not have instituted 
it. If God saw it right, who is man to consider it otherwise?” a portion of 
Abante’s explanatory note read.

“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the 
heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil,” the lawmaker said, 
citing Ecclesiastes 8:9.

Sarangani Rep. Rogelio Pacquiao, the brother of evangelical Sen. Emmanuel 
Pacquiao who is a known death penalty advocate himself, also filed House bills 
imposing the death penalty, focusing on the heinous crime of kidnapping and 
illegal detention, drug use and rape under HBs 1800, 1806 and 1807, 
respectively.

Meanwhile, Muntinlupa City Rep. Rozzano Biazon zeroed in on the imposition of 
capital punishment on illegal drug traffickers and their cohorts.

“There have been instances where the convicted trafficker continues to deal in 
the illegal drug trade even behind bars. They continue to profit from the 
misery of others, to the detriment of society, under a very secure base of 
operations — our prisons,” Biazon said.

His stand was opposed by representatives from different government agencies, 
who sat as resource persons in the panel.

Domingo Cayosa, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, noted that 
the death penalty is not a “reformatory approach” to penology, citing the 
failure of the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.

“There are certain deaths, instantaneous deaths that have happened, but [these 
have] not completely eradicated the drug problem. [The] death penalty may not 
be the best deterrent to the drug problem and other heinous crimes,” Cayosa 
said.

“But there are better deterrents to criminality than death penalty and that is 
swift justice,” he added.

Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Commissioner Karen Gomez Dumpit, on the other 
hand, also noted that not all victims of those who committed heinous crimes are 
for the death penalty.

“Yearning to stop [the use of illegal] drugs is understandable, but to fight 
with revenge as motivation will only perpetuate the culture of violence,” she 
said.

The House-approved measure seeking the revival of capital punishment has failed 
to hurdle 17th Congress as senators were quick to reject the imposition of 
death penalty at the time.

President Rodrigo Duterte took office and carried out the drug war in 2016, 
leading to at least 5,300 deaths of drug suspects, who allegedly fought back 
during anti-narcotic operations.

But reports of rights groups including the CHR show that the death toll had 
risen to at least 27,000 as of this year.

The House panel has suspended its deliberation and will continue to tackle the 
death penalty in a later date.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said at the start of the 18th Congress that they 
would ensure a “very healthy” deliberation on the bill after Duterte tagged it 
as one of his priority measures in his remaining years in office.

(source: The Manila Times)








THAILAND:

Thai MP sentenced to death for masterminding murder



A member of Thailand's parliament was on Tuesday convicted guilty of 
masterminding a murder and sentenced to a death penalty.

The provincial court of Khon Kaen province convicted Pheu Thai Party MP Nawat 
Tohcharoensuk guilty as charged for masterminding the murder of a permanent 
secretary of Khon Kaen provincial administrative organization in 2013.

The court denied a requested release of the convicted politician under bail, 
sending him to jail in the northeastern province.

Nawat, who is expected to file an appeal to the Appeals Court to have his death 
penalty reconsidered, is charged of having ordered a gunman to kill Suchart 
Khotthum, the then-permanent secretary of the provincial administrative 
organization, as the victim was leaving home in downtown area 6 years ago.

An arrest warrant was issued for the Pheu Thai MP, who denied charges and 
managed to have himself released under bail last year.

The gunman and 3 other accomplices, including two former policemen, were 
arrested and sentenced either to death or life sentences.

(source: xinhuanet.com)








BANGLADESH:

4 get death penalty for killing girl after rape



A Manikganj court on Tuesday awarded death penalty to four people for raping 
and killing a 4th grader girl in Waijnagar village under Singair upazila of 
Manikganj.

District and sessions judge Ali Hossain, also the judge of Manikganj Women and 
Children Repression Prevention Tribunal, handed down the verdict at around 
2:00pm.

The convicts are Enamul, Ramzan, Hakim and Faizul, residents of Waijnagar 
village under Chandahar Union. Their ages are between 30 and 32. Hakim was 
present on the dock while delivering the conviction.

Three other accused have been cleared of the charge as their involvement in the 
crime was not proved, said AKM Nurul Huda Rubel, special public prosecutor of 
the tribunal.

According to the case, the victim, Romana Akhter, daughter of Chan Mia, was a 
Class IV student of a local BRAC School. She left the house for her school at 
7:30am on July 7, but was not present in the classes. Later, Romana’s family 
found her body in a jute field, about 200 yards away from the school.

Romana’s uncle Kadam Ali filed a case with the Singair police station on the 
day as her father Chan Mia was abroad.

After investigation, police submitted charge sheet to the court against 7 
persons.

After examining 15 witnesses, the judge awarded death penalty to 4 of the 7 
accused, the PP said.

(source: newagebd.net)








IRAN:

Family Informed 45 Days After Prisoner’s Execution



A prisoner was executed on August 4 in Maragheh prison. His family was informed 
45 days after the execution.

According to IHR sources, on the morning of August 4, 2019, a prisoner was 
hanged at the central prison of the Iranian city of Maragheh. His identity was 
revealed by sources as Jafar (Kazem) Seyedhosseini, from Marand city.

“Jafar Seyedhosseini was a plumber. He killed a man during a fight over 
financial matters 4 years ago… 45 days after his execution, Jafar’s family was 
informed,” a well-informed source told IHR. However, the execution is neither 
reported by Iranian media nor announced by respected authorities.

In the first half of 2018, 98 executions were registered and reported by IHR. 
Out of the 98 people who were executed in the first half of 2018, 83 were 
sentenced to qisas (retribution in-kind) for murder. At least 4 of them were 
juvenile-offenders.

There is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran which results 
in issuing a death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intensity and 
intent.

(source: Iran Human Rights)








NIGERIA:

Sowore's Alleged Offence Attracts Capital Punishment - Govt



The Nigerian government has told the Federal High Court that the charges 
against the detained publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, attract 
"capital punishment", in an argument against his release from custody.

A government lawyer said the court should decide "in the interest of national 
security" whether Mr Sowore should be given bail.

Mr Sowore's lawyer, Femi Falana, accused the lawyer of trying to mislead the 
court.

The prosecution lawyer, G. A Agbadua, made the request on Tuesday after 
withdrawing an initial application for Mr Sowore's further detention for 20 
days.

Mr Sowore, who was arrested by the SSS more than 50 days, was billed for 
arraignment on Tuesday. The government accuses him of treason, money laundering 
and insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.

At the opening of session, Mr Agbadua informed the court that he had an 
ex-parte application for further detention of Mr Sowore.

He, however, noted that information from the prosecution was already before the 
court suggesting that investigations had already been concluded in Mr Sowore's 
case.

In light of the information, Mr Agbadua said his current application had been 
overtaken by events. He then demanded the withdrawal of the application.

Reacting to the decision by the prosecution to withdraw the application, Mr 
Sowore's lawyer, Femi Falana, asked the court to consider the provisions of the 
law which requires that an order of court be made before a person can be 
detained.

Mr Falana said the application extending the detention of Sowore for 45 days 
which was given on August 8 has expired and that the prosecution has no legal 
reason to continue keeping his client.

"Since the order has expired and there is no request for renewal of the order, 
we are humbly applying for the release of the respondent in line with section 
35 of the constitution," he said.

The government's lawyer, Mr Agbadua said the allegations against Mr Sowore 
attracted "capital punishment" and that bail is restricted in such 
circumstances.

He added that the information filed before the court suggesting an end to the 
investigations implies that the prosecution had fulfilled its roles with 
regards to validly bringing Mr Sowore before the court.

"Our response is simple. Interestingly, the learned silk said the respondent 
has been charged to court for treason and treasonable felony. My lord the 
offence is a capital offence and by the provision of the ACJA section 161, an 
offence that is punishable by death, a defendant is only granted bail under 
exceptional circumstances.

"For the singular fact that the information has been filed, the prosecution has 
fulfilled the constitutional requirement of bringing anybody accused before the 
court.

"My lord, the whole essence is to ensure probity, it is the court that will 
determine if a person's right to movement is guaranteed or not, the moment 
information is filed. Such a person will not be held to be illegally detained," 
Mr Agbadua said.

He consequently applied that, "for the interest of justice and national 
security" the court should determine the "bail or otherwise" of Mr Sowore.

Mr Falana said Mr Agbadua was trying to mislead the court.

He cited the details contained in the charge sheet, saying the allegation 
against Mr Sowore was treasonable felony which does not attract capital 
punishment.

He cited a previous case involving the late politician, Moshood Abiola, who was 
also accused of the same offence.

Mr Falana said Mr Abiola was granted bail on self recognizance when he appeared 
before the court for trial.

The court has adjourned and will rule on the matter later.

(source: allafrica.com)