April 13
BANGLADESH:
EU condemns execution of Bangladeshi Islamic leader
The European Union has condemned the recent execution of a senior Bangladeshi
politician.
When asked about the execution of Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, Jamaat-e-Islami
party's senior leader, European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told
reporters in Brussels Monday: "(EU) continues to call all the countries that
still use the death penalty to follow first the moratorium of full abolition of
this punishment. In this respect we are, of course, condemning the use of this
practice."
Kamaruzzaman, the Assistant General Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, was executed
Saturday after choosing not to seek a presidential pardon.
His execution sparked criticism from the international community, including
Amnesty International and the United Nations.
Amnesty International's Bangladesh expert Abbas Faiz said: "We are concerned
that Bangladesh continues to use the death penalty, including for those found
guilty of war crimes in Bangladesh.
"We believe that it undermines human dignity and there is no evidence that it
works as a deterrent, which is why we are calling for a global abolition."
Kamaruzzaman was the 2nd person executed for war crimes after another leading
Jamaat-e-Islami figure, Abdul Quader Molla, was hanged in December 2013.
The party's leader Motiur Rahman Nizami was also sentenced to death in
November, as was another leading senior official, Mir Quasem Ali.
"The European Union calls on Bangladeshi authorities to commute all death
sentences and to introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards
definitive abolition of capital punishment," the 28-nation bloc had said in a
statement on April 9.
(source: World Bulletin)
MALAYSIA:
Sirul's death sentence not right if just following orders, says Dr M
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today reiterated that he had not accused Datuk Seri
Najib Razak of murdering Altantuya Shaariibuu but only wanted to know who had
ordered her killing.
The former prime minister said in any normal circumstances, a soldier or a
policeman would not shoot to kill anyone unless threatened, or ordered to so.
"This is about a person's life. If Sirul is in the wrong, then kill him. But if
he was only following orders, it is not fair that he is sent to the gallows,"
said Dr Mahathir in reference to former police commando Corporal Sirul Azhar
Umar, who was sentenced to death with Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, for
Altantuya's murder.
Dr Mahathir said many people have come to see him, and further questioned if it
was wrong for Sirul's family to come and see him as well.
"If Sirul's family wants to see me, I will see them.
"This is not about what happened 8 years ago. This is about sending someone's
son to the gallows today," he said.
Sirul is being held at the Villawood immigration centre in Sydney after his
arrest in Queensland on January 20, following a red alert issued by Interpol.
His mother, Piah Samat, had visited him at the detention centre with the help
of PAS information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar. Last week, she also met Dr
Mahathir.
It was reported that Piah will likely file for pardon on behalf of her son.
Mahfuz had said he would guide Piah on applying for clemency on behalf of her
son to the Sultan of Selangor.
In an earlier interview, Dr Mahathir had said that the general perception that
he was exploiting convicted murderer Sirul's case for political gain was wrong
as he only wanted to help his former bodyguard.
The former prime minister defended himself from accusations that he was
politicising the murder case, when he said the authorities must find out who
had ordered Sirul to kill the woman.
"I did not talk about this for a long time but those 2 (Sirul and Azilah) are
facing the death penalty. You have to help them and save them.
"Sirul was once my bodyguard and now he is facing the noose... when I talk of
this, they say I am with the opposition. But this is a man's life.
"Supposing you are sentenced to be hanged for something you didn't do and
nobody helps you. 'Mampiuh pi la' (to hell with it)... you want me to be like
that?" he had said in the interview.
Sirul and Azilah were charged with the murder of Altantuya in 2006 and
convicted in 2009.
They were freed after the appellate court acquitted them in 2013, but the
Federal Court reversed the acquittal in January this year and sent them back to
hang.
Sirul was already in Australia when the verdict was delivered.
(source: The Malaysian Insider)
PAKISTAN:
Pakistan governor killer appeals against death sentence
The killer of a Pakistani politician who sought reform of the country's
controversial blasphemy law has appealed to the Supreme Court against his death
sentence, lawyers said on Monday.
The High Court in Islamabad last month upheld the death sentence on Mumtaz
Qadri, a former police bodyguard who shot dead Punjab governor Salman Taseer in
Islamabad in 2011.
Rao Abdul Rahim, a member of the legal team defending Qadri, said they have
appealed to the Supreme Court to have the sentence commuted.
"We have appealed that it was not an intentional murder and was a sudden act
after provocation, so the Supreme Court should acquit him," Rahim told AFP.
Another defence layer, Muhammad Latif Khawaja, confirmed the appeal.
"He killed Taseer in sudden provocation and there are precedents in which the
courts have reduced punishments or acquitted the accused because of this
element," he said.
Qadri shot Taseer 28 times and admitted the killing, saying he objected to the
politician's calls to reform Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws, which can carry
the death penalty.
In high court hearings, Qadri's lawyers drew on Islamic texts to argue that he
was justified in killing Taseer, saying that by criticising the blasphemy law
the politician was himself guilty of blasphemy.
The court rejected their case, saying that "from whatever angles it is
considered, neither the Islamic law nor the law of the land gives any
justification to the act of the accused".
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim Pakistan and Qadri has been
hailed as a hero by many conservatives eager to drown out calls to soften the
legislation.
At his original trial, Qadri was showered with rose petals by some lawyers. His
legal team has included 2 judges, including the former chief justice of Lahore
High Court.
(source: Zee News)
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