Jan. 10
ENGLAND:
'Gay people should get the death penalty’: 5 Muslim men on trial for stirring
up hatred after 'handing out homophobic leaflets near mosque -One leaflet
called The Death Penalty? showed image of mannequin hanging from a noose and
said buggery led to hell, court hears
-Jury told the 'horrible' leaflets were designed to stir up 'hatred and
hostility against homosexual people'
-Prosecution of the group is first of its kind since new laws were passed
A group of Muslim men handed a leaflet out to the public that called for
homosexuals to be 'punished' and given the death sentence, a court has heard.
The 5 men gave out the pamphlet, called The Death Penalty?, which showed an
image of a mannequin hanging from a noose and said buggery was a great sin
leading to hell, the court wast told.
It also said that it used to be punished by hanging and that people practising
and allowing homosexuality would suffer, the court was told.
Ihjaz Ali, 42, Mehboob Hussain, 45, Umar Javed, 38, Razwan Javed, 27, and Kabir
Ahmed, 28, are alleged to have handed out the document outside and near the
Jamia Mosque in Derby, in July 2010.
They are also alleged to have put it through people's letterboxes in the
neighbourhood.
All 5 men are accused of stirring up hatred on the grounds of sexual
orientation in the 1st prosecution of its kind since legislation came into
force in March 2010.
Opening the prosecution's case at Derby Crown Court today, where the 5 men are
on trial after denying all charges, prosecutor Bobbie Cheema said the case was
an example of a hate crime.
She told the jury of 7 men and 5 women: 'The essence of this case will come
down to this - an allegation of a hate crime, that these 5 defendants were part
of a small group of men who distributed horrible, threatening literature, with
quotations from religious sources and with pictures on them, which were
designed to stir up hatred and hostility against homosexual people.'
Miss Cheema showed the jury a series of 3 leaflets the men are said to have
handed out, which included The Death Penalty? leaflet, and told them they would
hear from witnesses who received them.
The 2 other leaflets were made and used as part of the campaign to publicise a
counter-protest in response to the Gay Pride parade due to be held in Derby on
July 10, 2010, she said.
She added: 'The leaflets you will see are not educational or simply
informative, they are, we suggest, threatening, offensive, frightening and
nasty.' The Death Penalty? leaflet, which mentions execution and says it is the
only way the immoral sin of homosexuality can be erased from society, was
handed out to people outside the Jamia Mosque after Friday prayers on July 2,
she said.
Miss Cheema said a police officer near the mosque at the time was handed a copy
by Razwan Javed, who is Umar Javed's brother, and was then given a 2nd leaflet
by Kabir Ahmed in nearby Madeley Street.
Miss Cheema said this came after a previous 2 leaflets had been distributed to
the people of Derby in the streets and through their letterboxes.
The 1st, called 'Turn or Burn', showed images of a burning lake of fire and an
image of hell.
It stated that the decriminalisation of homosexuality was the root cause of all
problems, she said.
The 2nd leaflet used the word 'GAY' as an acronym for God Abhors You, and was
distributed in the same way.
Miss Cheema said Ali first approached police a few weeks before the planned Gay
Pride parade to talk about a counter-protest by members of the Muslim community
and was advised that any placards, signs, flyers or speeches that were made
should be carefully worded so as not to commit any criminal offences.
Many members of the public complained about the first two and on July 1 Ali met
with police again and told them his group had been giving them out, Miss Cheema
said.
He was advised that officers were investigating the leaflets to see if any
criminal offences had been committed.
Ali is also said to have shown police an A4 page of slogans intended for use on
placards, some had been crossed out by his solicitor, he said, and he asked
police to check out the remaining ones.
Miss Cheema said they contained such things as 'Stay gay and you will pay' and
'Adam and Eve, not Steve'.
Ali's request for permission to counter the Gay Pride parade was eventually
refused because he did not apply to the council with enough time.
Miss Cheema told jurors that Ali, of Derby, was charged with all 4 counts on
the indictment because the prosecution say he was the person responsible for
organising the distribution of the leaflets.
Miss Cheema also said a fourth leaflet, Dead Derby, was found but not
distributed.
It described homosexuality as a 'vile, ugly, cancerous disease' and asked the
question 'Gay today, paedophile tomorrow?'
Miss Cheema told the jury that it was just The Death Penalty? leaflet upon
which the charges were based.
She said: 'You will have to assess quite how much Mr Ali wanted to carry out a
lawful and legal protest and quite how much of what he wanted was a shield he
could hide behind from the consequences of what he really hoped to achieve.'
The panel heard that the charges levelled against the 5 men involve offences
said to have taken place on July 2 and July 4, 2010.
They are all charged with distributing threatening written material intending
to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation contrary to Section 29C
(1) of the Public Order Act 1986.
Ali faces 4 charges, while Hussain, of Normanton, and Umar Javed, of Derby, are
charged with 2 counts each.
Razwan Javed, and Kabir Ahmed, both of Derby, are charged with 1 count each.
Miss Cheema said each defendant admitted playing a part in the distribution of
the leaflets but said they would probably each put forward various lines of
defence.
In a police interview Ahmed said he did not feel that the views expressed in
The Death Penalty? leaflet - which suggested three different ways to murder
homosexuals - were wrong and simply expressed what Islam says about
homosexuality and it was his duty as a Muslim to condemn it. Razwan Javed, Miss
Cheema said, also admitted distributing the leaflets but said it was only to
raise awareness about what Islam says about homosexuality and not to frighten
or threaten anyone.
Miss Cheema added: 'A word of warning: this case is not about, and we must not
make it about, an interference with the defendants' freedom of religion or
freedom to express their religious views in an attempt to educate or inform
people.
'The vast majority of Muslims, and indeed other religious people, or people
with no religion but who have strong views about homosexuality, are able to
express their views if they wish in a critical but lawful, moderate and
self-controlled way. That's one of the rights we have.'
The case continues.
(source: The Daily Mail)
EGYPT:
Former deputy PM rules out death sentence for Mubarak
Ousted leader Hosni Mubarak will not face the death penalty, but will also not
be acquitted, former Deputy Prime Minister Yehia al-Gamal said Monday.
The ex-president's criminal trial is ongoing.
In an interview with CBC satellite channel, Gamal, a well-known legal expert,
said the judges handling the trial will not be merciful to Mubarak, who Gamal
said humiliated Egypt during his tenure.
Gamal, who served in the 1st post-Mubarak interim cabinet, did not elaborate on
how he reached his prediction about the court verdict.
Mubarak, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly and 6 former security officials
face charges of ordering the killing of protesters during last January's
uprising, which forced the end of his 30-year rule.
Over the past 3 sessions of the trial, the lead prosecutor has pushed for the
death penalty for Mubarak and Adly.
Egypt's new constitution should be crafted through consensus, Gamal said. He
said the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which
has won the most People's Assembly seats thus far, will be burdened with this
major responsibility.
Gamal also ruled out that the coordinator of the Brotherhood-led Democratic
Alliance, Wahid Abdel Meguid, may head the next parliament, noting that MP
Mahmoud al-Khodeiry, a legal jurist, or any FJP member, has better chances.
There is no possibility of an alliance between the FJP and Salafi parties, who
alarm the Brotherhood, Gamal said. He said the FJP might instead unite with the
Wafd Party, Wasat Party or Egyptian Bloc.
(source: Egypt Independent)
IRAN:
Hekmati has 20-day death penalty appeal
Amir Mirzaie Hekmati, an American sentenced to death in Iran on charges of
spying, has 20 days to appeal his case, Iran's judiciary said.
Hekmati's family has hired an attorney who has had success in negotiations with
Iranian officials to work on the case, CNN said.
"We're prepared to open up a line of communication with the government,"
attorney Pierre Prosper said. "Our hope is that they will talk with us."
The government-backed Iranian Student's News Agency reported judiciary
spokesman Mohseni Ejeie said, "If the sentence is appealed, then the Court of
Appeals will hear the case. If not, then the sentence is final."
Monday, the Revolutionary Court said it imposed the death sentence on Hekmati,
a former U.S. Marine who Iranian officials said was a spy working for the
United States. Iran's government-supported media outlets said Hekmati was hired
by the Central Intelligence Agency in May 2009 to carry out espionage
operations in Iran. On Dec. 17, Iran's Intelligence Ministry reported his
arrest and called him a CIA spy of Iranian descent.
Hekmati's family and the U.S. government deny the allegations and said Hekmati
was American-born.
"Allegations that Mr. Hekmati either worked for or was sent to Iran by the CIA
are simply untrue," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, echoing
similar a statement by White House press secretary Jay Carney. "The Iranian
regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting
forced confessions, and of holding innocent Americans for political reasons."
Prosper said one goal was to remove the case from the political realm.
Prosper, a former ambassador-at-large for war crimes under the George W. Bush
administration and a prosecutor for the Rwanda tribunal at The Hague,
successfully negotiated with Tehran for last year's release of Reza Taghavi, an
Iranian-American businessman held for more than two years in Iran.
Prosper said he also would work to revive he contacts he used in the Taghavi
case and try to meet directly with Iranian authorities.
In Flint, Mich., where the Hekmatis live, the parents said their son was being
exploited for political gain.
"We believe that this verdict is the result of a process that was neither
transparent nor fair," Behnaz Hekmati said in a statement on behalf of herself
and her husband, Ali. "Amir did not engage in any acts of spying, or 'fighting
against God,' as the convicting judge has claimed in his sentence. Amir is not
a criminal. His very life is being exploited for political gain."
(source: United Press International)
************************
Iran urged to halt execution of US national in ‘spying’ case
Press release
Iran must not execute a US national sentenced to death after an unfair trial,
Amnesty International said today amid fears he could be executed within weeks.
Amir Hekmati, an Arizona-born Iranian-American who had served as an Arabic
translator in the US Marine Corps, was accused of spying for the CIA and
sentenced to death for “collaboration with a hostile government”. His appeal
against this conviction and sentence must be lodged within 20 days.
Hekmati was held without access to his family, a lawyer or consular assistance
after his arrest in August last year, in violation of international law.
He was made to participate in a televised "confession" before his trial in
December, breaching his rights to a fair trial even further.
“Like many other detainees in Iran, Amir Hekmati did not receive a fair trial
and we question the timing and political circumstances of this decision,” said
Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s interim Director for the Middle East and
North Africa.
“We know from past experience that the Iranian authorities sometimes rush
forward with executions of political prisoners – including dual nationals – at
politically sensitive times and we fear that this execution could happen within
days or weeks.”
The death sentence for Hekmati comes at a time of heightened tensions between
Iran and the US, amid announcements that Iran has begun uranium enrichment and
strengthened US sanctions against Iran.
The Iranian authorities have executed political prisoners in January over the
past two years, in relation to the unrest following the disputed presidential
election of 2009.
These executions have widely been seen as warnings to potential opposition
protesters ahead of yearly celebrations marking the 11 February anniversary of
the Iranian Revolution when people are encouraged to demonstrate in large
numbers in support of the state.Zahra Bahrami, who held dual Dutch-Iranian
nationality, was executed for alleged drugs offences in January 2011 while
awaiting trial on political charges related to the post-election unrest.
Parliamentary elections – the first elections to be held since 2009 – are also
scheduled for March 2012.
“The lives of political detainees on death row in Iran are hanging in the
balance this month,” said Ann Harrison.
Iranian activists on death row
Gholamreza Khosravi Savajani, an alleged supporter of the People’s Mojahedin
Organization of Iran (PMOI) who reportedly spent more than 40 months in
solitary confinement in various detention centres in Iran, is also facing
execution.
Arrested in Kerman on 24 February 2008, he was sentenced to death in late 2011
after conviction of “moharebeh” (enmity against God) in connection with his
alleged financial support to the pro-PMOI TV station Simay-Azadi.
3 alleged PMOI supporters – Ali Saremi, Ja'far Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj
Aghaei – were executed in Iran between 26 December 2010 and 24 January 2011.
All men had been convicted of moharebeh (enmity against God) in relation to
contacts with the PMOI.
Blogger Vahid Asghari, who had hosted websites critical of the government, was
sentenced to death on Friday after conviction in an unfair trial of “corruption
on earth” for allegedly organising a “pornographic” network against Islam and
the state.
Asghari had been held since May 2008. In October 2009 he said in a letter to a
judge that he had been subjected to torture, forced to make a televised
“confession” and forced to make spying allegations against high profile blogger
Hossein Derakhshan.
Saeed Malekpour, a 36-year-old web designer and permanent resident of Canada,
is also under sentence of death following a retrial on similar charges, which
may be linked to Vahid Asghari’s case. A previous death sentence was reportedly
overturned in June 2011.
Prior to his arrest during a family visit to Iran in 2008, he had created a
program enabling photos to be uploaded online which had then been used to post
pornographic images without his knowledge. He is alleged to have been tortured
while being held in solitary confinement in Evin Prison for more than a year.
The government has officially acknowledged executing 17 people already this
year, although Amnesty International has received information suggesting at
least 39 people may have been put to death in the first week of 2012 alone.
In December 2011, Amnesty International highlighted a massive wave of
executions in Iran throughout 2011, with over 600 people being put to death
between the beginning of 2011 and November. Most of these were for drug related
offences.
The scope of the death penalty is very broad in Iran and thousands are believed
to remain on death row.
Most are alleged drugs offenders, but at least 14 women and men – including
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani - are facing stoning to death after conviction of
“adultery while married”. Pastor Yousef Naderkhani also remains held pending
the outcome of his retrial on the charge of “aspostasy from Islam”.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases as the ultimate
violation of the right to life.
(source: Amnesty International)
**********************
Iranian Judiciary Must Reverse American Citizen’s Death Sentence
The Iranian judiciary should immediately rescind the death sentence in the
appeals court issued for Iranian-American citizen Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, the
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said today. In addition, the
judiciary should provide a fair trial with full access to his lawyer and put an
end to more than 4 months of isolation and lack of transparency about his
arrest and prosecution, the Campaign said.
This is the 1st time an American citizen has been sentenced to death by the
Iranian judiciary.
“We are seriously concerned regarding the death sentence, secrecy, and
continued lack of transparency surrounding the prosecution of Iranian-American
citizen Amir Hekmati,” said Campaign spokesperson Hadi Ghaemi.
“We ask the Iranian judiciary to adhere to international standards of due
process and allow independent observers in the courtroom at his appeals trial,”
he added.
A source close to the family told the Campaign that the US citizen entered Iran
for the 1st time on 15 August 2011 to visit with his family members. He was
arrested on 29 August 2011 on charges of espionage.
“When Amir supplied his background and applied for his passport processing at
the Iranian Interest Section of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC, he was
assured that his prior employment with the US government was not going to
impede his trip to Iran nor cause him any problems,” the source added.
4 months after his arrest in August 2011, Hekmati’s 1st court session was held
on 27 December at Branch 15 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court. Presiding Judge
Abolghassem Salavati denied Hekmati the lawyer hired by his family to represent
him. Instead, a court-appointed lawyer represented him during the trial without
ever seeing him beforehand.
Judge Salavati is one of Iran’s most notorious judges, well known for the
unlawful and harsh sentences he has delivered to dozens of political prisoners
during the post-election show trials. He has sentenced more than one hundred
political prisoners, human rights activists, and peaceful demonstrators to
lengthy prison sentences as well as at least nine execution sentences, earning
the moniker “The Judge of Death.”
Over the past few years a number of Iranian-Americans who have traveled to Iran
have faced similar charges, from undermining the Islamic Republic to spying for
American agencies. In all such cases the defendants have been released after a
few months and have left the country.
“Almost all the elements of Hekmati’s case fall into a classic pattern of
Iranian intelligence’s spy-finding machine,” said Ghaemi.
The source close to the family told the Campaign that over the course of
Hekmati’s arrest, Iranian authorities pressured them not to talk with the
media, assuring the family they would release Hekmati soon. During his arrest
and subsequent detention, Hekmati was never allowed to contact his family in
the US.
According to state-operated Fars News Agency, Hekmati allegedly entered Iran
with the aim of penetrating the country’s intelligence system. Further
examination, according to a report by the Judicial-Legal Director of the
Intelligence Ministry’s Espionage Unit, indicated that his goal was to accuse
Iran of involvement with terrorism. His indictment alleged that Hekmati was
recruited by the CIA in May 2009 to carry out espionage missions in Iran.
The family asserts that what was said in the indictment regarding Hekmati’s
background, his prior service in the US military and his prior employment with
the US government, is in the public record and he never hid what he did in the
past. All the information regarding his background could be obtained from his
passport application, as well as from his resume, easily accessible from his
confiscated laptop.
Breaking their months-long silence, Amir Hekmati’s family issued a statement on
3 January 2012, asserting, “We have been asked by Iranian authorities to remain
silent, and were told that Amir would eventually be released soon. After …
reports that a verdict is imminent we can no longer remain silent.”
Rather than release Hekmati without charges, on 27 December Iranian authorities
televised a pale and emaciated Hekmati confessing to the charges. Today, 9
January 2012, Hekmati has been sentenced to execution.
“It has been 126 days since Amir Hekmati was detained by the Iranian government
after having been granted permission by Iranian authorities to enter to visit
his beloved family,” the family said in their statement from 3 January 2012.
“[W]e believe the allegations made against Amir are false and believe that the
purported confession was not voluntary and was made under severe duress.”
“The judiciary has claimed Amir Hekmati is a spy, citing evidence that only
they are aware of,” said Ghaemi. “That evidence should be made public and the
judiciary should be completely transparent. If such an accusation were based on
credible evidence, there would be no reason to hold his trial without adequate
due process.”
(source: Iran Human Rights)
SINGAPORE:
Drug offender's appeal to reopen case dismissed
Singapore's highest court has dismissed a criminal motion filed by a man facing
the gallows after being convicted of drug trafficking.
Ramalingam Ravinthran and his accomplice Sundar Arujunan were arrested in 2006
for bringing into Singapore enough drugs to receive the mandatory death
penalty.
But while Ramalingam faces the death penalty, his accomplice Sundar was charged
with and convicted of trafficking in a smaller amount of drugs.
Sundar received a 20-year jail term and 24 strokes of the cane.
Ramalingam's lawyer, M Ravi, challenged this sentence.
He had sought to have his 53-year-old client's death sentence set aside and
replaced with a non-capital sentence.
In its decision delivered by Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, the Court of Appeal
found that the evidence presented did not support Ramalingam's contention that
his accomplice Sundar, was more culpable than him.
(source: Channelnewsasia)
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