[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
August 27 IRAN: Fate of Kurdish inmate on death row unknown: Brother Fearing the unknown fate of a Kurdish activist on death row in Iran, the imprisoned youth's brother on Monday affirmed the family was still working on halting the execution. In April 2018, Iran's Supreme Court ratified Ramin Hossein Panahi's death sentence for his alleged membership to the "outlawed" Kurdish nationalist group, Komala, and for supposedly drawing a weapon on Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) agents during clashes. Ramin's brother, Amjad Hossein Panahi, and his family have been actively engaged with lawyers and activists to stop the Islamic Regime's plan to go through with the execution. On Sunday evening "Ramin went on hunger strike, and at midnight he was taken to solitary confinement. They planned on executing him early in the morning [on Monday]," Amjad told Kurdistan 24 from Koln in Germany. Amjad stated that inmates had told the family that Ramin had been wounded during his transfer to solitary and that when he was taken out of the prison, possibly to a hospital. He suggested the imprisoned activist may have been "roughed up" by prison guards or other inmates, or that he may have resisted movement which could have led to the guards using excessive force. "We think that he may be in one of Tehran's hospitals, but as of yet we don't know his fate and whether or not he has been hanged." "We, as the family of Ramin, don't know whether he is alive or dead." Amjad affirmed that there are ongoing concerted efforts to prevent the execution of Ramin. He revealed that his family were updating the European Parliament on his brother's condition and were working closely with the Kurdistan Region's leading parties to establish contact with Tehran. (source: kurdistan24.net) MALAYSIA: Chile tourists face death penalty in Malaysia for murder 2 Chilean tourists facing the death penalty in Malaysia for allegedly murdering a man in a hotel are innocent and acted in self-defence, their lawyer said Monday (Aug 27). Felipe Osiadacz and Fernando Candia are on trial over the killing of a Malaysian in the lobby of the Kuala Lumpur hotel in August last year, less than 24 hours after they arrived in the country on holiday. The young men have pleaded not guilty. Malaysia has a mandatory death penalty for murder, and if convicted the pair will be hanged. "It was all an accident. A person went into the hotel and demanded money from them," their lawyer Venkateswari Alagendra told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur High Court after a hearing. The Malaysian man then attacked the Chileans and they fought back in self-defence, before calling the police, she said. She said she was confident that the pair, who went on trial earlier this year, would be acquitted. 2 women were seen hugging the men after Monday's court hearing, but declined to speak to reporters. The trial resumes on Sep 24. (source: channelnewsasia.com) INDIA: New law will deter rapists: ModiRapists will get a minimum sentence of 10 years and those found guilty of raping girls below the age of 12 years will get death Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, passed earlier this month, will act as a deterrent against rape and will play an effective role in curbing crimes against women and young girls. "No civilised society can tolerate any kind of injustice towards women. The nation will not tolerate those committing rapes. With this point in view, Parliament has made a provision of the strictest punishment by passing the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill," Modi said in his monthly "Mann Ki Baat" programme. Under the new Act that will replace the ordinance the government had brought in April, those guilty of rape will get a minimum sentence of 10 years and those found guilty of raping girls below the age of 12 years will be given the death sentence. Modi also hailed the decision of a court in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh to give the death penalty to 2 criminals who were found guilty of raping a minor girl. (source: Gulf News) SOMALIA: Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia (A/HRC/39/72)Report from UN Human Rights Council Note by the Secretariat The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Human Rights Council the report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Bahame Tom Nyanduga, pursuant to its resolution 36/27. In the report, the Independent Expert highlights a progressive improvement of the human rights context, while noting considerable challenges that negate the full realization of human rights in Somalia. The positive developments include the process of establishing the National Human Rights Commission and the fact that Somalia ceased the inhumane practice of public executions in Mogadishu of persons sentenced to deathM The many challenges
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----ARKANSAS
August 27 ARKANSAS: Priest who cared for inmates remembered in prison MassVincentian priest served 9 years in Southeast Arkansas On a Tuesday afternoon in the chapel that Vincentian Father Louis J. Franz helped found at Tucker Maximum Security Unit in Jefferson County, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor celebrated Mass as guitars and the soulful voices of inmates in the prison band played. It was a simple Mass, no frills, and 3 Catholic inmates received Communion. It was a fitting memorial Mass for Father Franz, who fought for inmate rights and the abolishment of the death penalty and life without parole. He died July 11 from cancer at the age of 86. Sister Joan Pytlik, DC, diocesan social justice advocate, who has known Father Franz for about 30 years, spoke at the memorial Mass Aug. 14, saying it was a way both to remember his work and to prove him wrong. "Father Lou often told me about death, 'The 1st week they glorify you, the 2nd week they remember all your sins and the 3rd week they forget about you,'" she said. "Having died on July 11, we still are proving him wrong over a month later." The Mass invoked the Lord's mercy at every turn, with the responsorial psalm "The Lord attends to the groaning of the prisoners," the Gospel reading of Matthew 25:31-46 and, by divine coincidence, it was the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe, the patron saint of prisoners. Father Franz was ordained a priest on June 2, 1957, and spent his early priesthood in California and Missouri. He even served nine years as provincial of the Southern Province. From 1985 to 1993, Father Franz served parishes in Lincoln and Cleveland counties in Arkansas, mostly St. Justin Church in Star City. Bishop Andrew J. McDonald appointed Father Franz co-director of the Diocese of Little Rock prison ministry along with Deacon Frank "Buddy" King. After learning that many were sentenced to death for crimes because the lack of skilled legal representation, he founded Arkansas Churches for Life in 1987, a nonprofit funded by the Vincentians to help the poor, mentally ill and minorities afford proper counsel. In one case, Father Franz filed a motion with the Arkansas Supreme Court after a death row inmate was sentenced to death without any appeals, something the inmate requested. He said at the time, "The state cannot be hired to commit suicide," according to a 1998 Arkansas Catholic article. The court agreed any death penalty case should be required to be appealed. "He knew that many were mentally ill or deficient, depressed or not wanting to face their crime. He knew God in his mercy wasn't finished with them," Sister Joan said. Along with Sister Joan, Bishop Taylor and Renie Rule, an advocate for inmates and founder of the Paws in Prison dog training program, spoke about the impact Father Franz made in policy and heart. Though Bishop Taylor never met Father Franz, he said Pope Francis' recent change to the catechism to make the death penalty contrary to Church teaching in all cases "would have pleased Father Lou very much." "We can say to Father Lou, if you can hear us, the Church has finally caught up with you," Bishop Taylor said. Just as Pope Francis has called life in prison without parole the "death penalty in disguise," Father Franz echoed those sentiments in his most recent interview with Arkansas Catholic in 2017. "People don't know much about the prison system and sentencing system ... it's in-prison execution; that's what life without parole is," he said last year. Sister Joan told the roughly 10 inmates, 2 wardens and chaplain present at the memorial Mass that Father Franz would show up at trials of inmates in his Roman collar. He said in a 1998 Arkansas Catholic article, "I wanted it to be seen that the Catholic Church was concerned for the inmates and the families." The white-walled chapel, with tall, narrow windows of colored glass, was a dream of Father Franz and King, while Rule was one of the people he pushed to make that dream a reality. Though Rule, now executive director of Arkansas Hospice Foundation, had many irons in the fire, it didn't faze Father Franz, who told her "I will meet you tomorrow and we will begin working on this chapel." Rule was co-chair of the fundraising committee and took over after King's death in 2003 from a heart attack. Father Franz donated substantially to the chapel. "When you're ready to learn, a teacher will appear and Father Lou was that man for me," Rule said, adding that she tried to explain the next day at lunch how taking on the chapel project would be difficult, he simply replied, "Would you please pass the ketchup?" The chapel took 15 years to complete, and while Rule would get discouraged, Father Franz would remind her it took Moses 40 years to cross the desert. She said he emphasized, "You are on a journey and this journey will not be over until it's time. God knows what he is doing."
