May 15
INDIA:
SC upholds death sentence to couple for killing 7 of girl's family
The Supreme Court Friday upheld the death sentence of a couple for
exterminating all the 7 members of the girl's family, holding that the "couple
indulged in such debased act of multiple murders driven by infatuation and
exhibited no remorse".
Upholding the death sentence of Shabnam and her paramour Salim, a bench of
Chief Justice H.L.Dattu, Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice Arun Mishra said: "The
accused persons' preparedness, active involvement, scheming execution and
subsequent conduct reeks of calculated and motivated murders."
Pronouncing the judgment, Chief Justice Dattu said: "The act of slaughtering a
10 month old child by strangulation in no chance reflects immature action but
evidence for the lack of remorse, kindness and humanity. The crime is committed
in the most cruel and inhuman manner which is extremely brutal, grotesque,
diabolical and revolting."
Therefore, the court said that the "instant case requires us to award a
punishment that is graduated and proportioned to the crime... we have reached
the inescapable conclusion that the extreme culpability of both the appellants
- accused (Shabnam and Salim) makes them the most deserving for death penalty".
On the intervening night of April 14/14, 2008, Shabnam had killed her mother,
father, her elder brother, his wife, their 10-month old child, another brother
and her minor niece.
Holding that the accused girl was from an educated family and herself a
teacher, the court said: "Such a deed would be sufficiently appalling were the
perpetrator and the victims are uneducated and backward, but it gains a ghastly
illumination from the descent, moral upbringing, and elegant respectful living
of the educated family where the father and daughter are both teachers."
Noting the disregard of the accused girl for the familial ties, the court said:
"Not only did she forget her love for and duty towards her family, but also
perpetrated the multiple homicide in her own house so as to fulfill her desire
to be with the co-accused Salim and grab the property leaving no heir but
herself."
Here is a case, the court said, "where the daughter, (Shabnam), who has been
brought up in an educated and independent environment by her family and was
respectfully employed as a Shikshamitra (teacher) at the school, influenced by
the love and lust of her paramour has committed this brutal parricide
exterminating 7 lives including that of an innocent child".
Both Shabnam and Salim hatched the conspiracy to liquidate all the family
members of girl - who was also pregnant outside of wedlock by Salim - as they
were opposed to their alliance. The accused girl first administered her family
members with sedatives mixed in tea prepared by her and thereafter, bled them
to death by "slitting the vital blood vessels in their throats".
A trial court convicted and sentenced them to death in July 2008 and the
decision was upheld by the Allahabad High Court on April 26, 2013.
(source: Daijiworld.com)
IRAN:
West is ignoring soaring executions in Iran
The West is sacrificing human rights abuses in Iran - which has executed 342
people so far this year - as it seeks to strike a nuclear deal with the regime,
Soona Samsami, the representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
in the United States warns.
Mrs. Samsami said the Iranian regime was now on target to execute 1,000 men,
women and minors in 2015, compared to 721 people in 2014.
She added: "The executions have also been coupled with renewed repression
against opponents of the regime, most notably targeting political activists and
ethnic minorities. In fact, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Ahmad
Shaheed, has noted that under the so-called 'moderate' Hassan Rouhani 'the
overall situation has worsened'.
"Many opposition activists have alleged that the regime uses its war on drugs
as a cover to crack down on dissent. The regime levies charges against
opponents under drug laws in an attempt to besmirch their credibility.
"Former UN rapporteurs on Iran have documented examples of dissidents being
executed as drug traffickers. Yet, the regime receives millions in funding from
the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with no strings attached, while it
carries out these barbaric executions.
"The political climate of repression and censorship in Iran, coupled with lack
of due process in the judiciary, create severe difficulties in finding the
truth behind Iran???s executions."
But the West was ignoring human rights violations in Iran as it strove to reach
agreement on an end to Tehran's nuclear program.
She wrote in online journal The Hill: "If the recent killings are any evidence
of what a 'post-nuclear deal' Iran looks like as far as human rights are
concerned, then it is safe to assume that, as morally unconscionable as it is,
human rights in Iran will continue to be sacrificed at the altar of
negotiations with Tehran.
"Congress has a role to play to hold the clerics accountable for their rights
violations. No sanctions relief is justified for a regime responsible for
120,000 political executions and imprisonment and torture of thousands more.
"On April 29, Maryam Rajavi, NCRI's President-elect testified before House
Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Terrorism, non-Proliferation, and Trade and
asked Congress to address Tehran's nuclear threat and human rights abuses
equally.
"'Acquiring a nuclear arsenal, abusing human rights, and exporting
fundamentalism and terrorism are indispensable features of the ruling
theocracy', Mrs. Rajavi said, adding, 'Upholding human rights in Iran and
forcing the regime to withdraw from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and
Afghanistan offer a real yardstick to ascertain whether or not the regime has
abandoned its nuclear weapons program. Anything short, however camouflaged or
presented, amounts to self-delusion and acquiesces to the catastrophe of a
nuclear-armed theocracy'.
(source: NCR-Iran)
INDONESIA:
Lindsay Sandiford's drugs appeal case 'strong', lawyer says
The lawyer for a British drugs smuggler on death row in Indonesia has said her
final appeal case will have "strong grounds" for her acquittal.
Lindsay Sandiford, 58, from Cheltenham, is facing death by firing squad but has
a six month window to file her appeal.
Craig Tuck told Victoria Derbyshire her defence would show she was a vulnerable
drugs mule trafficked into Bali.
He said Indonesian law also made allowances for trafficked persons in this
situation to be acquitted.
Sandiford has been in jail since 2012 after arriving in Bali from Thailand
carrying drugs with a street value of 1.6m pounds.
'Personal factors'
Mr Tuck said: "Lindsay is a vulnerable person, she's had mental health issues,
she's had all sorts of personal factors and features which are relevant to the
case that need to be put into the mix of what exploitation occurred - that is
going to take some months.
"That creates an international legal position and the black letter law in
Indonesia says if you are a trafficked person you must be acquitted.
"On that basis, that defence has never been run, and needed to be looked at and
we're making sure we get that position solid."
Last month, 8 people were executed by firing squad in Indonesia.
Sandiford's lawyer said she had escaped this fate as her appeal had not been
filed.
He said: "We have a 6 month window to file the appeal, now had she filed the
appeal earlier its likely she would have been executed in the previous round of
executions.
"There's been 2 rounds of executions - she may have been on that list."
'Refusing help'
Sandiford's campaigners have also made a fresh appeal calling for her case to
get a fair hearing.
They have also expressed concerns over the lack of funding support from the UK
government.
The government has said "it has been the policy of successive governments not
to fund legal assistance for British Nationals".
Campaigners also allude to the British Vice Consul to Bali, Alys Harahap who
was suspended over an alleged relationship with a drugs lord who Sandiford
alleges coerced her into smuggling drugs.
Julian Ponder is currently in prison in Indonesia over drugs charges.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has confirmed Harahap has been
dismissed from her post.
A FCO spokesman added: "Lindsay Sandiford is currently refusing consular
assistance but we stand ready to visit her in prison if she changes her mind.
"It is the long-standing policy of the UK to oppose the death penalty in all
circumstances.
"We have made representations to the Indonesian government on this matter
repeatedly and at the highest levels, and will continue to do so."
Mr Tuck said: "This appeal has one of the strongest grounds that I've seen in
decades.
"From start to finish the trial process and appeals process was a train wreck
to some extent, I think she will get a fair deal from the Indonesian Supreme
Court."
(source: BBC news)
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