April 10
NEW ZEALAND:
NZ's top trading partner executes the most people
New Zealand has a "proud history" of condemning the death penalty but some of
its most important trading partners are the worst offenders, Amnesty
International says.
The organisation's annual review of death sentences and executions released
today showed that while the global trend towards abolishing capital punishment
continued in 2012, there were still "disappointing setbacks".
These included the resumption of executions in several countries that had not
used the death penalty in some time, notably India, Japan and Pakistan.
At least 682 executions were known to have been carried out worldwide last
year.
The top 5 executing countries in the world (in order) were China, Iran, Iraq,
Saudi Arabia and the United States.
China was found to have executed more people than the rest of the world put
together, but exact figures remained a state secret.
Amnesty International said the New Zealand Government could do more to condemn
China's capital punishment policy.
"China is the world's biggest executor, but also our biggest trading partner,"
Amnesty deputy director Rebecca Emery said.
"We need to use that special relationship we have and on trading trips to China
such as the one the prime minister is on right now, we often urge him to raise
our human rights concerns."
Amnesty International would also focus on Japan, and asked people in New
Zealand to call on the Minister of Justice in Japan to abolish the death
penalty.
"We have a lot of relationships between Japan and New Zealand, and a lot of
people go to Japan to live," Emery said.
"When they read about Japan's death penalty rates and barbaric executions,
people are often alarmed."
New Zealand had a "proud history" of speaking out against capital punishment,
she said.
In 2007 New Zealand co-authored the United Nations' moratorium on the death
penalty, which encouraged all members to suspend capital punishment.
"New Zealand has been a leader in one of the most significant human rights
shifts in our generation," Emery said.
The Pacific sub-region continued to be a virtually death penalty-free area.
(source: Fairfax NZ News)
SINGAPORE:
Drug trafficker escapes death sentence under amended Misuse of Drugs Act
A 29-year-old man has escaped the gallows for drug trafficking as he satisfied
the twin requirements for the discretionary death sentence, in the 1st capital
case prosecuted under the amended Misuse of Drugs Act which came into effect in
January.
His co-accused, 27-year-old Muhammad Ridzuan Md Ali, who was convicted of the
same charges, was sentenced to death as he did not fulfil the requirements.
Abdul Haleem Abdul Karim was convicted of trafficking in a Class 'A' controlled
drug - which carries the mandatory death penalty - and possessing drugs for the
purposes of trafficking.
However, Justice Tay Yong Kwang ruled that Abdul Haleem satisfied the condition
of having only played the role of courier, and the condition of providing
"substantive assistance". Justice Tay eventually sentenced him to life
imprisonment and the maximum 24 strokes of the cane.
Abdul Haleem has been issued with a Certificate of Cooperation by
Attorney-General Steven Chong stating that he had "substantively assisted CNB
in disrupting drug trafficking activities" within Singapore.
An Attorney-General Chambers spokesperson said: "As DPM (Deputy Prime Minister)
Teo highlighted in Parliament, the certificate mechanism was developed with a
view to assisting in Singapore's broader enforcement efforts and to keep drugs
out of Singapore. "The information provided may assist to dismantle drug
syndicates or facilitate the arrest or prosecution of syndicate members,
particularly members higher up in such syndicates."
The spokesperson added that there are ongoing cases involving offences under
the Misuse of Drugs Act before the court for which the certificate "may be
relevant".
"Whether a certificate would be issued will be assessed on the facts of each
case and whether the individual concerned has 'substantively assisted' in
disrupting drug trafficking activities in Singapore or elsewhere," the
spokesperson said.
The Misuse of Drugs Act was amended in 2012 together with the Penal Code to
remove the mandatory death penalty for certain types of homicide and drug
trafficking offences, in a move to "temper justice with mercy".
Apart from meeting the condition of being only a courier, a drug trafficker
must either have cooperated with the Central Narcotics Bureau in a substantive
way, or have a mental disability which substantially impairs his appreciation
of the gravity of the act.
Abdul Haleem and Muhammad Ridzuan were arrested on May 6 2010, and were charged
with having not less than 72.50 grams of diamorphine in possession for the
purpose of trafficking and having in possession for the purposes of trafficking
no more than 14.99 grams of diamorphine.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Shahla Iqbal noted that Abdul Haleem "took a
consistent stance" as set out in his statements and under cross-examinations,
and was "observed to be a truthful and straightforward witness".
(source: ChannelNewsAsia)
INDIA:
Execution of Sonepat rapist-killer stayed till May 6
Punjab and Haryana High Court today extended the stay on the execution of rape
and murder convict Dharampal Singh, a resident of Sonepat, who was transferred
from Rohtak jail to Ambala central jail for his scheduled April 15 execution
earlier this month.
Dharmpal's was 1 of the 5 mercy petitions rejected by the President on April 4.
He had got a temporary relief on April 6, when the Punjab and Haryana High
Court stayed the execution till April 10.
The division bench of Justice AK Mittal and Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia
had ordered stay on the hanging while hearing a petition filed by NGO Lawyers
for Human Rights International. In the previous hearing, the bench had also
issued notice to Haryana government and asked it reply to the notice by April
10.
Dharampal was sentenced to 10-year imprisonment for raping a girl in Sonepat in
1991. However, after his release on parole in 1993, Dharampal along with his
brother, Nirmal, murdered the girl, her father Tale Ram, mother Krishna and
brothers Teenu and Praveen when they were sleeping at their house.
The accused brothers were sentenced to death by a Sessions Court on May 5, 1997
and it was retained by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 29, 1998.
However, the Supreme Court converted Nirmal's death penalty to life
imprisonment but Dharampal's death sentence was retained. His mercy petition
was rejected by the Union Home Minister in 2000. Dharampal filed a mercy plea
to the President in 2005 which was rejected after about 8 years, on April 4.
(source: PunjabNewsline)
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