July 2
MALAYSIA:
Don't axe death penalty just for Sirul, says MP
Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh today questioned the government???s
announcement that it was considering abolishing the death penalty, asking if
this was merely for the purpose of extraditing Sirul Azhar Umar from Australia.
In a statement, he welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's
confirmation yesterday that Putrajaya was contemplating removing the death
penalty in Malaysia.
However, he added that it was unclear if Wan Azizah was advocating this in
order to extradite Sirul, who was convicted of the 2006 murder of Mongolian
national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
???It must be stated at once that the death penalty ought to be abolished as a
matter of principle and not merely to facilitate the return of Sirul as it is
an inhumane form of punishment and numerous studies have found it to be an
ineffective deterrent," he said.
Ramkarpal, who has spoken out against the death penalty before, said the
government must have the political will to completely abolish the punishment
and impose a moratorium on pending death row cases in the meantime.
???There are currently various crimes that impose the death penalty, and each
of them should be amended in the next Parliament sitting to expedite the
process of the total abolishment of the death penalty in this country."
Wan Azizah had said that Putrajaya was considering doing away with the death
penalty in legislation pertaining to criminal offences, which could leave
Australia with no choice but to send back Sirul.
"That's why we are discussing whether it is necessary for us to change the
sentence or replace it with any penalty," she said.
Ramkarpal said if the death penalty was abolished, Sirul would likely be
extradited as Australia would no longer have any reason to hold him there.
"Indeed, if Australia continued to hold him despite the death penalty being
abolished, it may be seen as harbouring a convicted murderer without
justification which could strain bilateral ties between the 2 countries and
tarnish the image of Australia in the eyes of the world," he added.
Sirul and his accomplice Azilah Hadri were sentenced to hang in 2009 for
Altantuya's murder.
Their conviction was overturned in 2013 after questions were raised about how
their trial was conducted. However, the Federal Court upheld their death
sentences in 2015, by which point Sirul had already fled to Australia.
Australian law will not allow Sirul to be sent back to Malaysia as he faces the
death sentence.
Azilah meanwhile remains on death row in Kajang prison.
(source: freemalaysiatoday.com)
THAILAND:
Justice flaws condemn death penalty
A latest claim by an eyewitness, that executed murder convict Teekrasak Longji
was not a murderer, has mostly been buried in the death penalty debate where
emotions ran high over the past 2 weeks.
True, the claim is yet to be proved. But Teerasak will remain dead even if the
claim is eventually proved to be true.
The new jigsaw piece in the murder case, no matter how credible it is, stands
as a reminder that the justice process here in Thailand and elsewhere is not
flawless.
(source: Opinion; Surasak Glahan Deputy Op-ed Editor, Bangkok Post)
INDIA:
Punjab wants death penalty for drug peddlers and smugglers
The Punjab government has decided to recommend the death penalty for drug
peddling or smuggling, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today.
Singh said the recommendation was being forwarded to the Narendra Modi
government.
"Since drug peddling is destroying entire generations, it deserves exemplary
punishment. I stand by my commitment for a drug free Punjab," he wrote in a
tweet.
Deaths caused by drug overdoses have caused a political slugfest in Punjab.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), an opposition party, said the government had
forgotten its pre-election promises, and wasn't serious about combating the
smuggling, peddling and consumption of drugs.
Last month, a government spokesperson said a Special Task Force had
successfully blocked trans-border and interstate-border drugs supply -- with
16,305 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances
Act, and 18,800 people arrested since March 16, 2017.
(source: indiatoday.com)
BANGLADESH:
2 get death for killing child in Narayanganj
A Narayanganj court today gave death penalty to 2 people for killing an
11-year-old child after abduction in Kadamtali Navana City area near
Siddhirganj in 2012.
Judge Mohammad Robiul Awal came up with the verdict today against Mohiuddin
Hasanat, 30, the brother in-law of Ashikur and his assistant Saiful Islam, 30,
after they were proven guilty.
During the verdict, Mohiuddin was present while Saiful is still a fugitive,
reports our Narayanganj correspondent quoting Fazlur Rahman, public prosecutor
(PP) of Narayanganj District Court.
In 2012, centering a family dispute, Mohiuddin abducted Ashikur Rahman Talukdar
Rifat from his home in Mirpur of Dhaka while he was playing on the playground,
he added.
Later, police recovered Ashikur's slit throat body inside a garden in Kadamtali
Navana City area under Siddhirganj Police Station in Narayanganj.
Mohiuddin admitted to killing Ashikur with the help of Saiful.
On August 12, the victim???s father Toffazol Hossain filed a murder case on
August 12 with Mirpur Police Station.
On August 13, Learning from TV news about recovery of the body of an
unidentified minor boy, Ashikur's parents rushed to Siddhirganj Police Station
and identified the body.
(source: thedailystar.net)
PAKISTAN:
4 awarded death, life terms
A court sentenced 2 murder convicts to death and gave the life term to as many
others in a triple murder case in Shahpur City. The judgment was announced by
Additional Sessions Judge Javed Iqbal Ranjha.
The prosecution told the court that accused Khawar, Qaiser, Saeed and Mubashir
had gunned Riaz, Wajid and Hayat over an enmity in 2015.
The local police registered a case against the accused and presented the
challan before the court. After hearing the arguments, the judge handed down
the death sentence to Khawar and Qaiser. The judge also awarded life terms to
Saeed and Mubashir.
A fine of Rs0.6 million was imposed on the convicts.
Earlier, a court awarded the death penalty to a convict for his involvement in
a murder case in Faisalabad. Additional Sessions Judge Asadullah Siraj
announced the verdict.
Convict Fakhar Imam had killed his wife Hina and son Hasnain Ali over a
property dispute in 2015.
The local police registered a case against the convict and presented the
challan before the court. After hearing the arguments, the judge handed down
the death sentence on two counts to Fakhar along with a fine of Rs0.5 million.
(source: The Express Tribune)
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