[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide----IRAN, PAKIS., INDIA, BANG., IRE.
Nov. 26 IRANexecutions 4 Prisoners Hanged A prisoner was hanged at Rajai Shahr Prison on Moharebeh charges and 3 other were executed at Tabriz Central Prison on murder charges. Execution in Karaj According to a close source, a prisoner was executed at Rajai Shahr Prison charged with Moharebeh (waging war against God) on Wednesday November 22. The prisoner, identified as Majid Sa'adat, was transferred to solitary confinement on Wednesday November 15. On Wednesday November 21, he was returned to his cell, while his execution was thought to have been stopped. However, he was transferred to solitary confinement again on Wednesday and was executed. Majid Sa'adat was convicted of Moharebeh, while there is no information regarding his criminal offence and the evidence against him. "Majid Sa'adat extorted some of the Iranian authorities by posing as government officials and an agent of the Ministry of Intelligence. However, he was never aggressive and did not use cold weapons or guns, which would make his crime count as Moharebeh," Said one of the prisoner's relatives to Iran Human Rights (IHR). IHR is investigating further into this case. Execution in Tabriz According to a report by HRANA News Agency which is also confirmed by Iran Human Rights (IHR), on the morning of Wednesday November 22, 3 prisoners were executed at Tabriz Central Prison on murder charges. Kurdistan Human Rights Network identified the three prisoners as Jamal Qanbari from Tabriz, Sa'ed Askari from Mianeh, and Ali Delgoshadi from Mamqan. The executions of these prisoners have not been announced by the state-run media so far. (source: Iran Human Rights) PAKISTAN: 2 get death penalty in murder case Additional District and Sessions Judge Ejaz Ahmad on Saturday awarded death sentence to 2 accused involved in a murder case of Sadar police station. According to the prosecution, Muhammad Nawaz with his 2 accomplices Qaisar and Rizwan had gunned down Sohail Anjum at Chak 5/NB over some business matters on February 3. The court awarded 50 years jail imprisonment to Nawaz and Qaisar with a fine Rs1 million as compensation money for the family of the victim while the court acquitted Rizwan. (source: The Express Tribune) Culture Circle: Play on prisoners on death row to be staged on 28th, 29th Ajoka Theatre in collaboration with Justice Project Pakistan and Alhamra Arts Council are set to stage their co-production, Intezaar, on Nov 28 and 29 at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall. The play, written by Shahid Nadeem and directed by UK-based director Dina Mousawi, is based on true stories of prisoners on death penalty in Pakistan. It is a unique project that has brought 4 organisations together committed to human rights and socially meaningful art. Supported and coordinated by Justice Project Pakistan and Highlight Arts, London, the project has been developed by creative partners Ajoka and Complicite, London. An evening was organised in memory of poet and writer Aqeel Ruby in connection with his 3rd death anniversary at Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (Pilac) on Thursday. Speakers, including Syed Noor, Asim Bokhari, Pervaiz Kaleem, Dr Kanwal Feroze and Yousaf Punjabi paid tributes to Ruby. Syed Noor said that the success of his movies such as Choorian, Majajan and Mehndi Walay Hath had immense contribution from Ruby in the form of his beautiful poetry. Pilac Director General Dr Sughra Sadaf said the centre would publish Punjabi literature written by Ruby. He was a university in himself and had great command over Greek philosophy. Ruby's widow, Begum Bushra Aqeel, announced that the literary collection of her husband, including books, would be donated to the Pilac library. A classical dance performance is scheduled to be held at Ali Auditorium on Sunday (today). Faiz Foundation Trust has flown in a 10-member classical dance team from the US to present a dance drama. Titled 'The Forgotten', the performance will be based on the history and life of Empress Noor Jahan. It aims to explore Noor Jahan's strength and influence in 16th century Mughal India, and how she maintained her power in a male-dominated empire, only to be almost forgotten in the latter years of her life and in death. Through an enthralling performance of South Asian classical dance, live music, stunning visuals and theatre, kathak artist Farah Yasmeen Shaikh, director Matthew Spangler and music director Salar Nader, along with their team of musicians and actors, will deliver the performance surrounding this powerful woman. (source: dawn.com) INDIA: Cabinet approves death penalty for convicts raping 12-year-old and belowMadhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya said, "Any person convicted for raping 12-year-old minor or below will be sentenced to death." Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approves death sentence for rape convicts in the
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, PENN., N.C., LA., NEB., CALIF., USA
Nov. 26 TEXAS: Wheels of justice slow, methodical for Gregg homicide suspects After years of waiting in the Gregg County Jail, 4 of the county's 5 longest-waiting homicide suspects were sentenced and moved to prison this year. Eleven of the 28 homicide suspects held in jail this year were released to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, but others have spent more than a year in jail. These cases often are part of a balancing act, moving slowly enough to ensure uncovering all possible evidence but quickly enough to meet the constitutional right to a speedy trial. District Attorney Carl Dorrough said waiting for DNA testing results to come back from state labs is one factor that can slow down a case. "Once we do our testing and are ready to go, we've had occasions where the defense requested additional testing," Dorrough said. Other factors, such as logistical challenges, also can come into play, Dorrough said. "You have to make sure all your evidence is ready and available, all your witnesses are ready and available, and you have to make sure the defense attorneys are available and ready," he said. Torry Reed, who waited nearly 5 years to go to trial after being charged with capital murder, was transferred to prison in April after receiving a 75-year sentence in connection with the 2012 fatal shooting of DeAundray Lamanze Rossum in 2012. His brother, Deion Reed, who was charged with murder in the same shooting, was given 60 years earlier this year. Dorrough said the Reed brothers' trials and lengthy waiting periods are abnormal. Their cases were made more complicated because 2 defendants were implicated in the same crime. "If you have multiple defendants all charged with the same crime, it's very difficult to try those cases together," Dorrough said. "Particularly in the Reed brothers' case, they could not be tried together. They had to have separate trials. Unfortunately, that strings things out further." While the number of homicide cases in the county has increased in the past few years, the number of courts available for murder trials and the number of prosecutors available to work those cases has not changed, Dorrough said. "At the end of the day, no one in our office is eating bonbons and drinking mai tais, just sitting around," he said. A state law implemented in 2013 also has slowed down some cases, Dorrough said. The Michael Morton Act, created after Morton was imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, requires the state to share all evidence uncovered with the defense, ensuring no stone goes unturned and each case gets looked at from all possible angles. Dorrough said that means asking law enforcement about evidence they don't know about or might not exist. "If we fail to (turn over evidence), it's the prosecutors who are held accountable," he said. "It's our licenses on the line, not those agencies who provide the documents and information." Defense attorney Jonathan Hyatt, who represents murder suspect Jessie Brown, said delays in DNA testing are a "systemic problem," sometimes taking 18 months or more. "The whole process takes forever. ... The Department of Public Safety lab just has a huge backlog (of evidence to test)," he said. But overall, Hyatt said, there are more concerns involved with rushing into a trial unprepared. "If you're sitting in jail, you have short-term and long-term interests. Long-term, it's getting resolution on your case, and short-term, it's getting out of jail," Hyatt said. "Nobody wants to sit in jail forever, but I'd rather be sitting in jail, accused of a crime, but get my best shot at the trial than hurry up the trial and have to appeal and all of that." However, the longer the wait, the more likely witnesses are to move away and the less likely their memory of an event will be reliable in court, Hyatt said. In addition to waiting on DNA testing or available resources, Dorrough said processes such as going through inmate phone calls, which might provide crucial evidence, or editing a video statement can hold up a case's progress. "Technology hasn't necessarily been our friend when it comes to making it quicker," Dorrough said. "It's labor intensive, going through all of that ... but we do it on these kinds of cases because it might provide evidence for our case or exculpatory evidence." The cost It has cost about $214000 to house the 15 homicide defendants in the jail - at a combined total of 6,908 days - as of Saturday. The average daily inmate cost for Gregg County Jail is $30.94. Kyron Templeton, the longest-waiting inmate in the county jail, has cost the county more than $45,000 since he was booked Nov. 26, 2013. Templeton is being held on $2.5 million bond, charged with capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is accused of stabbing and killing 2 people at a Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center facility. But Hyatt, the
