Feb. 16
INDIA:
Man gets death penalty for triple murder
The fast track court in Surat on Tuesday awarded death penalty to a man
accused in a triple murder case. Pronouncing the judgement, fast track
judge S I Nagamiya said it was a clear case of murder and accused Bhagwan
Behra had committed a heinous crime of killing his family members.
Behra, 28, had set ablaze his sister-in-law, nephew and a neighbour on
September 10, 2002 at his residence in Udhana Magdala Road in Surat.
Suspecting that his sister-in-law Shasi Behra was having an extra-marital
affair with a bank employee, residing in the same area, Behra physically
tortured Shasi and her son Rohit and later set them ablaze, informed
public prosecutor Manish Chaliawala.
Later, the accused also poured kerosene on his neighbour Mauribhai and set
him ablaze because he was trying to rescue Shasi and Rohit.
A case of murder was lodged in the Umra police station by Subhash Behra,
Shasis husband. Bhagwan used to help Subhash in his business.
In his police complaint, Subash had alleged that his brother was mentally
'unfit' and he had even threatened to kill various other family members.
During the trial, the public prosecutor requested the court to sentence
the accused to death as he had killed three innocent persons, only on the
basis of suspicion.
The court examined the medical reports of the accused and concluded that
the he was not suffering from mental illness and had committed the heinous
crime in rage. During the proceedings, the court examined 5 witnesses and
also recorded the statements of the doctors who had conducted the
post-mortem in the case.
(source: Express News Service)
MALAYSIA:
Malaysia told migrant crackdown could lead to torture, executions
The human rights group Amnesty International Tuesday urged Malaysia to
halt the planned deportation of hundreds of thousands of illegal
immigrants, saying some could face execution or torture in their home
countries.
Migrants from Myanmar, Nepal and the Indonesian province of Aceh could be
subjected to serious human rights violations if they were sent home in a
crackdown due to begin on March 1, the organisation said.
"We remain gravely concerned that refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants
caught up in any large-scale deportation operation are still at risk of
serious human rights violations," Amnesty said in an open letter to
Malaysia's Home Affairs Minister Azmi Khalid.
The organisation urged Malaysia not to return any Acehnese to Indonesia,
"where they remain at risk of extrajudicial executions, torture and
arbitrary detention."
Most illegal immigrants in Malaysia are from Indonesia, many of them from
Aceh province, the area worst hit by the December 26 tsunami and also the
scene of a long-running separatist rebellion.
"In view of the continuing humanitarian crisis in Aceh, the well-being of
all Acehnese returned to Aceh remains of compelling concern," Amnesty
said.
"The unstable political situation in Nepal, where a nationwide state of
emergency was declared on February 1, may place deported Nepalese migrants
at greater risk of serious human rights violations, including
extrajudicial executions, torture and arbitrary arrest."
Amnesty also urged the Malaysian government not to "forcibly return any
asylum-seekers or refugees to Myanmar, where they remain at risk of
serious human rights violations."
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced Monday after
talks with the visiting Indonesian president that the government would
crack down hard on illegal immigrants from March 1.
The new deadline marks the end of an amnesty which has twice been extended
at Indonesia's request.
The planned crackdown will involve more than half-a-million officials and
civilian members of the People's Volunteer Corps security organisation in
a nationwide sweep.
Amnesty said "the risk of abuses due to poor training and lack of
accountability have increased in light of recent reports that the
authorities intend to equip members of the People's Volunteer Corps with
firearms."
Before the amnesty began on October 29 last year, Malaysia estimated there
were more than a million illegal workers in the country, mostly from
Indonesia but also from the Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, India
and Sri Lanka.
Nearly 400,000, mostly Indonesians, left without facing any penalty during
the first 3 months of the amnesty. But others have remained, clinging to
jobs in the construction, plantation and service industries in the face of
unemployment at home.
(source: Borneo Nulletin)
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY:
Abbas upholds death sentences
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has authorised the execution of 51
Palestinians convicted of collaborating with Israel and of murder, a
senior Palestinian Authority official announced on Wednesday.
Abbas had transferred the 51 cases for reviewing to the mufti (the highest
religious leaders) of Jerusalem, Ekrema Sabri, said Northern Gaza Strip
Governor Sakher Bseiso.
He ratified court rulings sentencing them to death after the mufti gave
their approval and referred the cases back to the president, Bseiso told
reporters in Gaza City.
The Palestinian Supreme Court in Gaza City had sentenced the 51 to death
in the past few years, but has been waiting for presidential ratification
before ordering the executions to go ahead.
Some of the Palestinians have been accused of aiding Israel in killing
Palestinian militants, others of murder.
Bseiso did not say when the executions will take place.
(source: South African Press Agency)
