April 13
INDIA:
3 of family get death sentence
A Local Court has awarded death sentence to 3 members of a family (father
and 2 sons) in a triple murder case.
The accused who were sentenced to death included Balbir Singh and his 2
sons Krishan and Ranjit of Anwali village.
They had been facing trial in connection with the case of murder of Lakhan
and his 2 sons Mahinder and Suresh of the same village.
According to the prosecution, Lakhan and his sons Mahinder, Suresh and
Satbir were working in their fields when they were attacked by the
convicted persons on December 1, 2001.
In the attack, Lakhan and his son Mahinder died on the spot, whereas
Suresh succumbed to injuries in a hospital at Rohtak.
Additional Sessions Judge A K Vimal yesterday also acquitted 2 women Murti
and Kavita who were involved in this case from the charge of murder.
All the 3 accused who were awarded death sentence were also fined Rs 5,000
each.
(source: The Hindu)
UZBEKISTAN:
Uzbekistan executes man after torture-rights group
Uzbekistan executed a prisoner last month, bringing to at least 10 the
number killed since a 2003 U.N. appeal for it to suspend the death penalty
due to torture concerns, a human rights group said on Wednesday.
The Central Asian state is a staunch U.S. ally in its "war on terror",
providing a military airbase for operations in neighbouring Afghanistan,
but has come under intense criticism by Western human rights groups for
torturing prisoners.
Akhrorkhodzha Tolipkhodzhayev, a 25-year-old soldier, was executed by
firing squad on March 1, said Tamara Chikunova, director of rights group
Mothers Against Execution and Torture.
She said Tolipkhodzhayev, convicted of murdering two children while
robbing a flat, had been extradited from next- door Kazakhstan where he
had been imprisoned for robbery. But there was evidence his confession was
extracted under torture.
"Documents from the military hospital confirm he was admitted with heavy
wounds to his body. This was during the investigation," Chikunova said.
Uzbek officials could not be reached for comment.
In 2003, the U.N. Committee on Human Rights called on Uzbekistan to
suspend all executions.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov, in power since the country was a Soviet
republic, said in December he would like executions to stop, but gave no
timeframe. Officials have also repeatedly said they are working to
eradicate torture.
Karimov, who brooks no dissent in the mostly Muslim country and has
outlawed opposition parties, said that ending executions was partly a
matter of public opinion. He said 50 to 60 people were sentenced to death
last year.
(source: Reuters)
