June 17
PHILIPPINES/MALAYSIA:
Philippines to appeal Malaysia death sentence on 9 Filipinos----The 9 Filipinos
face Malaysia's death row over the Sabah standoff that killed at least 70
people in 2013
The Philippines will appeal the death sentence imposed by the Malaysian Court
of Appeal on 9 Filipinos over the Sabah standoff that killed at least 70 people
in 2013.
"What's gonna happen there is, of course, we're going to appeal," Philippine
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in an interview with reporters
Friday, June 16.
Cayetano said the Office of Public Diplomacy of the Philippine Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) will later give reporters the details.
The Sabah standoff refers to the bloody incursion by some 200 armed Moro rebels
from the southern Philippines. Their move was inspired by a self-proclaimed
Filipino sultanate's claims of historical dominion over Sabah, which is claimed
by the Philippine government.
The assault, the most serious security crisis faced by Malaysia in years, led
to a siege between the Moro rebels and Malaysian armed forces sent to root them
out.
The Kota Kinabalu High Court in 2016 imposed life imprisonment on 9 Filipinos
over the Sabah standoff, but the Malaysian Court of Appeal reversed this
decision on June 8 of this year.
Bernama, the national news agency of Malaysia, said the following Filipinos
face the death sentence in Malaysia over the Sabah standoff: "Datu Amirbahar
Hushin Kiram, 54, the son of the late self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu Jamalul
Kiram; Julham Rashid, 70; Virgilio Nemar Patulada @ Mohamad Alam Patulada, 53;
Salib Akhmad Emali, 64; Tani Lahad Dahi, 64; Basad H. Manuel, 42; Atik Hussin
Abu Bakar, 46; Al-Wazir Osman, 62; and Ismail Yasin, 77."
On other Filipinos on death row around the world, Cayetano said Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the DFA to adopt a "pro-active" approach,
which will ensure "100% effort" in assisting them.
To achieve this goal, he said the DFA "is also studying to have more retainer
agreements with law offices around the world" to help overseas Filipino workers
on death row.
(sources: Agence France-Presse & rappler.com)
*******************
Trial of Vietnamese suspect in N Korean's murder set to open
2 suspects, one of whom is a Vietnamese national, will appear before the Shah
Alam high court in Selangor state on July 28 in the case of the murder of
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) citizen Kim Chol .
The decision was made during the 4th court hearing on the case at the Kajang
female prison in Selangor yesterday.
The 2 suspects are Vietnamese national Doan The Huong and Indonesian national
Siti Aisyah.
During the 30-minute hearing, the prosecutor handed over 44 documents to
lawyers. Some documents, including the CCTV footage relating to the death will
be handed over in 1 month.
The Embassy of Vit Nam in Malaysia will continue co-ordinating closely with
Vietnamese relevant authorities and Huong's lawyers in Malaysia to ensure the
fair trial and to protect the legitimate rights of the Vietnamese national.
Kim Chol, as named in his passport, died at Kuala Lumpur International Airport
on February 13. Malaysia said he was poisoned, but the DPRK insisted that he
died of a heart attack, plus high blood pressure and diabetes.
At the court hearing on March 1, the 2 women were charged with murder but they
denied and said that they were cheated to take part in an innocuous prank.
According to the Malaysian law, they will face the death penalty if found
guilty.
(source: vietnamnews.vn)
**************************
Maid arrested over alleged murder of employer
Police have arrested a maid who is suspected of killing her employer by holding
a pillow over her face.
Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Othman Nayan said police received information about a
65-year-old woman who was lying unconscious in bed with a pillow covering her
face early last month.
"We found the woman in the master bedroom and neighbours claimed to not have
heard any noise. The deceased's sister also said that the front door was locked
from the inside," ACP Othman said.
He said the woman, a retiree, lived in the house with her 25-year-old
Indonesian maid. Her husband had passed away 15 years ago.
"The couple were childless and the woman had a congenital heart condition," he
said, adding that she made frequent trips to the hospital because of it.
ACP Othman said the maid is believed to have run away after her employer's
death.
A post-mortem on the victim revealed that she had died of asphyxiation and
there were bite marks on her right nipple.
Following investigations, police arrested the suspect on Thursday afternoon
near Negri Sembilan.
They also arrested a 29-year-old Indonesian man in connection to the crime.
Both suspects have been remanded until June 21 and the case is being
investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the
death penalty upon conviction.
(source: thestar.com.my)
IRAN:
Abusive behavior of authorities after Tehran attack / Fears of mass executions
Following the attack last week in Tehran there have been multiple reports of a
fresh round of suppressive measures against Sunnis in Iran. Iran Human Rights
is especially concerned about the group of Sunni prisoners in Zabol Central
Prison who are in imminent danger of execution.
Iran Human Rights condemns the terrorist operation in Tehran last week, which,
according to official Iranian sources, resulted in the deaths of 17 people. IHR
warns against any unlawful acts - including torture, forced confessions, and
executions - and calls for the persons accused of terrorism to be afforded fair
and public trials.
Iran Human Rights warns that arbitrary executions and the unlawful and
suppressive actions of security forces in the ethnic regions of Iran can result
in an increase of violence and extremism. Most of the prisoners in Iran who are
charged with Moharebeh (enmity against God) and Corruption on Earth are from
the ethnic regions in Iran. Last summer, 25 Sunni Kurdish prisoners were mass
executed at Rajai Shahr Prison after trials that lasted only a few minutes.
Following the attack on Wednesday June 7, there have been multiple reports
about the systematic and arbitrary actions againt the Sunni communities across
Iran.
On Friday, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence issued an announcement on their
official website regarding the arrest of 42 individuals in the provinces of
Kermanshah, Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan and Tehran who they claim belong to
elements of the Wahabbi groups affiliated with ISIL and who were identified and
arrested before they were allegedly able to carry out any type of operation.
In a separate report, Mizan News, the Iranian Judiciary's official news site,
claimed 16 people were arrested in relation to Wednesday's attack: a
non-Iranian individual was arrested in Bandar-e Mahshahr (Khuzestan province)
on June 7, 7 people were arrested in Larestan (Fars province) on June 8, a
person was arrested on June 9 in the Kianmehr district (Alborz province), and 7
people were arrested on June 10 in another city in the Alborz province.
Unofficial sources have reported that 80 arrests were made in Irans' ethnic
regions for suspected links to ISIL.
The human rights news agency HRANA reports on the mistreatment of religious
minority prisoners by prison authorities at Sanandaj Central Prison. These
authorities have reportedly abused the prisoners, regardless of the nature of
their charges. HRANA cites the example of numerous prisoners, whose cases are
related to murder charges and are non-political, who were beaten up, punished
and faced unreasonable restrictions by prison authorities.
In the Sistan and Baluchestan province, there have been worrying reports about
the mistreatment of citizens by IRGC forces. Habibollah Sarbazi, a Baluch civil
rights defender, tells Iran Human Rights: "After the attack in Tehran, the IRGC
closed the borders without explanation and harassed passersby. This happened,
even though ISIL does not have any base among the Baluch people and, except for
some rare cases, were unable to gain influence in Baluchestan."
On the day of the attack in Tehran, Iranian state-run news sites published a
photo of a man who they claimed was of a suspect of the attack after he was
arrested. However, Iranian authorities have only confirmed the arrest of a
woman suspect who was not shot dead. Since the publication of this photo, there
has been no mention by Iranian official sources about this man.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
LEBANON:
Mashnouq: Berri, Hariri Support Reactivating Death Penalty, Aoun Mulling Issue
Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri support the reactivation of
the death penalty law and President Michel Aoun has promised to mull the issue,
Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq announced on Thursday.
The minister voiced his remarks during a meeting at the ministry with families
of victims of "intentional homicide."
Mashnouq called on the families to "raise their voice high to mobilize the
Lebanese society to press for fulfilling justice and stand in the face of
external and international pressures aimed at preventing the reactivation of
the capital punishment law."
And expressing his sympathy with the relatives, the minister promised them that
he will follow up on the issue until the end.
"My efforts towards the reactivation of the death penalty law stem from my
keenness on protecting the rest of the youths" from murders, Mashnouq noted,
citing the recent killing of 24-year-old man Roy Hamoush that has shocked the
Lebanese society.
The minister also pointed out that there is a study that revealed that
"intentional homicides stopped completely for several months after executions
were carried out during the tenure of president Elias Hrawi, martyr premier
Rafik Hariri and justice minister Bahij Tabbara."
Human Rights Watch had on Monday urged Lebanon to respect its moratorium on the
death penalty after the latest calls for its reinstatement.
Capital punishment is legal in Lebanon, but there has been an effective
moratorium in place since 2004, without any executions carried out despite
judgments to that effect.
"Ending its moratorium on executions would only serve to tarnish Lebanon's
human rights record," HRW said in a statement.
Roy Hamoush's recent murder was the latest in a growing number of people killed
on the street or in broad daylight in Lebanon, often for minor reasons.
"Once again, political pressure is growing for Lebanon to resume executions,"
said Human Rights Watch.
"A resumption of executions would constitute a troubling setback for Lebanon,
without making the country safer or deterring crime," the London-based watchdog
said.
Instead of resuming executions, "parliament should solidify Lebanon's position
as a leader on this issue in the Middle East, and abolish the death penalty
outright," HRW urged.
(source: neharnet.com)
EGYPT:
Egyptian court recommends death penalty for 30 over assassination of prosecutor
A Cairo criminal court on Saturday recommended the death penalty for 30 people
convicted of involvement in the 2015 assassination of Egypt's top prosecutor,
the most senior state official killed by militants in recent years.
The court set a verdict session for July 22, after referring its recommendation
to the country's top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for a non-binding
legally-required opinion. The July 22 verdict can be appealed against.
Public prosecutor Hisham Barakat was killed in a car bomb attack on his convoy
in Cairo, an operation for which Egypt blamed the Muslim Brotherhood and
Gaza-based Hamas militants, though both groups have denied it.
"The brutal conspiracy by hired hands to target the public prosecutor Hisham
Barakat and assassinate him, where the corrupt and weak-willed forces of evil
and tyranny conspired, could only be carried out by an unjust group that has
shed innocent blood," said Judge Hassan Farid.
Farid initially read out 31 names but 2 of them referred to the same person and
the judge then corrected himself.
Only 1/2 of the defendants are in custody, with 15 on the run.
The Interior Ministry released a video last year showing clips of several young
men confessing and admitting going to Gaza for training from Hamas, though some
of them later denied the accusations in court.
The defendants said they were forced to confess under torture and their lawyers
asked that they be medically examined. Farid said he granted the request to a
majority, but not all, and that doctors in a prison hospital had found no signs
of torture.
Egypt faces an Islamist insurgency led by Islamic State in North Sinai, where
hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed.
The group has also increasingly carried out attacks in Egypt targeting
Christians in a spate of church bombings and shootings that have killed some
100 since December.
Barakat was the highest-ranking state official to die in a militant attack
since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a former military chief, ousted President
Mohamed Mursi, a Brotherhood leader, in 2013 after mass protests against his
rule.
(source: Reuters)
*************
Death sentence recommended for 31 convicted of assassinating Egypt's top
prosecutor
31 people face execution for the assassination of Egypt???s top prosecutor,
Hisham Barakat, in a car bomb attack on his convoy in Cairo 2 years ago.
Egypt has consistently blamed the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas militants from
Gaza for the bombing, although both groups have denied the charge.
This morning, a Cairo criminal court recommended the death penalty for the 31
convicted of involvement. The sentence will be considered by the Grand Mufti,
the country's top religious authority, and the final verdict delivered on 22
July.
Mr Barakat, 64, the prosecutor-general who was responsible for sending
thousands of Islamists to trial, was Egypt's most senior state official to be
targeted for assassination in 25 years.
(source: The Times)
******************
7 men facing imminent execution after being tortured in custody
The Egyptian authorities must immediately stop the imminent executions of 7 men
sentenced to death in two grossly unfair trials, said Amnesty International
calling on them to refer the case to the senior judges at Egypt's highest
appeals court, the Court of Cassation. The organization had recently warned
that legal amendments passed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi limiting the
appeal process before the court could contribute to an spike in death sentences
and executions in the country.
At least 6 of the men were forcibly disappeared and tortured to obtain
"confessions" that were later used by a criminal court in Mansoura to convict
them of murdering a police officer and setting up a "terrorist" organization.
The verdict was upheld by the Court of Cassation last week. In a separate case,
another man is facing imminent execution after losing his final appeal before
the same court. He was convicted, following a grossly unfair trial, of killing
a man during a protest in Alexandria.
"Regardless of what the men may have been involved in, forcibly disappearing
suspects and torturing them into confessing is not justice. The death penalty
is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. No one should be
deprived of their right to life, no matter how horrific the crimes they have
been accused of are," said Najia Bounaim, North Africa Campaigns Director at
Amnesty International.
"Time is running out to save these men's lives, they can be executed at any
time. The Egyptian authorities must immediately halt these executions and order
a fair re-trial for the seven men, without resorting to the death penalty or
relying on torture-tainted evidence."
On 7 June Egypt's Court of Cassation, upheld death sentences against Bassem
el-Khereby, Ahmed Meshaly, Ibrahim Azab, Mahmoud Wahba, Khaled Askar, and Abd
el-Rahman Atteia after a deeply flawed trial. The man they are accused of
murdering was a police guard of 1 of the judges sitting on a panel on a trial
of President Mohamed Morsi. The President has 14 days to reduce the sentence
before a final execution date is set.
The men's lawyers submitted a final appeal to the Public Prosecution on 15 June
requesting a retrial, based on the due process errors in the trial. If it is
accepted, the case will be examined by the most senior judges at the Court of
Cassation.
According to their families and lawyers, they were arrested by the National
Security Agency (NSA) in March 2014 and forcibly disappeared for periods of
between 3 days and 3 months cutting off their access to their relatives,
lawyers and the outside world while being tortured to obtain videotaped
"confessions". They were held in different locations across the country
including the NSA headquarters in Cairo.
At least 3 of the families told Amnesty International that they only learnt
their sons had been detained when they saw them "confessing" on TV with bruised
faces. When the families were finally allowed to visit their sons in prison
they told them that they had been tortured by being anally raped repeatedly
using a wooden stick, given electric shocks on the genitals and other parts of
the body, suspended in stress positions for periods of up to 4 days. They said
that NSA officers had burned them in the neck with cigarette butts and
threatened to rape their mothers and sisters in order to pressure them to
confess.
The men later retracted their confessions before a state security prosecutor in
Cairo, explaining they had been tortured. But they were then returned to the
NSA where they were tortured again as punishment for withdrawing their
statements and sent back to the prosecutor for a second time where they
"confessed" fearing further reprisals.
The men's lawyers also told Amnesty International that they were denied access
to legal representation during interrogation and the verdicts relied entirely
on evidence extracted through torture and flawed investigations by the NSA. The
court also ignored forensic evidence indicating that at least 2 of the men had
bruises and burns on their bodies inflicted during their detention and
repeatedly refused to refer defendants to the Forensic Medical Authority to
investigate their torture allegations.
Although the Court of Cassation accepted the appeal and reviewed the case
incidents, it did not set a trial date to allow the lawyers to present their
defence in court. In addition, the court applied recently adopted draconian
legal amendments to the appeal system before the court which abolished the
defendant's right to a retrial and reduced the appeals to one stage instead of
2 paving the way for more death sentences and executions.
Alexandria case
The Court of Cassation also upheld a death sentence against Fadl Abdel Mawla in
April 2017 in a separate case. He had been convicted after, a grossly unfair
trial, of killing a Coptic man during a protest in Alexandria on 15 August 2013
and is also at risk of execution at any time. His lawyer said he was
ill-treated by the NSA in the Alexandria security directorate in a failed
attempt to force him to confess.
Lawyers told Amnesty International that to convict him the court relied
entirely on the testimony of one witness, whom lawyers and local rights groups
say was pressured into testifying by an NSA officer. His lawyers also presented
to the court official documents stating that Fadl Abdel Mawla had been at work
during the time of the protest. They have appealed to the public prosecutor,
requesting a retrial. If their appeal is accepted, the case will be looked into
by the most senior judges of the Court of Cassation.
Background
Egypt's use of the death penalty has increased sharply since 2013, when no
executions were recorded and 109 people were sentenced to death. The number of
executions increased from 15 in 2014 to 22 in 2015 and doubled to reach 44 in
2016. The number of people sentenced to death rose to 509 in 2014 and 538 in
2015 before falling to 237 in 2016.
(source: Amnesty International)
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