April 22
ISRAEL:
Why Israeli courts refuse the death penalty for terrorists
If you ask Sara Kimchi, life in Israeli prison doesn't sound so bad.
"They have [a] good life," she says of the prisoners. "In the jail they have
books, they have television, they have everything. They came skinny, they are
going out like this - fat."
And that's why she's angry. Kimchi's husband was killed in a suicide bombing in
2002, and she doesn't want other attackers living what she considers the high
life in jail. "It's not fair," she says.
Kimchi wants them put to death. And when I meet her at community center for
Israelis whose relatives were killed in terrorist attacks, she's far from
alone: She and all of the other volunteers, who are celebrating Kimchi's
birthday, say they support the death penalty for terrorists. Every single one
of them.
The death penalty is technically legal for such crimes in Israel. But the
nation has held only 1 highly publicized execution - that of Adolf Eichmann,
the Nazi SS officer who played a key role in the Holocaust. Eichmann was hanged
in 1962.
The state has prosecuted Palestinian bombers for decades, but none has received
the death sentence - though, ironically, Israeli law does permit targeted
military assassinations of would-be Palestinian attackers if there's no other
way to arrest them or foil their attack. And that's certainly happened many
times.
And while many Palestinian attackers have gotten life sentences, many of them
have also been freed. Hamas, for example, exchanged captive Israeli soldier
Gilad Shalit in 2011 for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
That's one reason many bereaved Israelis support capital punishment - they
don't trust that Israel will actually keep convicted killers behind bars.
Another one hits even closer to home.
Abie Moses and scars from the burns he suffered in the 1987 firebomb attack
that killed his wife and 5-year-old son.
"My [34-year-old] wife, she was pregnant, she died instantly - burned to death
in front of the whole family," says Abie Moses, a volunteer at the center. His
5-year-old son also died in the attack, which took place in the late 80s.
Moses went on television, saying that he wanted the attacker to get the death
penalty. Then he got a call from the prisoner's own mother. "She gave me a call
saying if they touch my son, I am going to kill you. I am going to finish the
job that he didn't," Moses says.
Emanuel Gross, an Israeli legal expert, says that's what worries Israelis. "If
we are going to use the capital punishment, they will do it also. The other
side, the terrorists." It's a catch-22: A death penalty could lead to
retaliation, but a life sentence might not deter attackers because they know
there's always a chance Israel could release them.
And even Moses says that while he still supports the death penalty in theory,
he'd be open to keeping attackers alive - even the one who killed his wife and
son. It's worth it, he says, if one day a prisoner exchange could really lead
to a lasting peace.
(source: pri.org)
INDONESIA:
Cops nab 3, seize RM20,000 syabu
3 men, including an IMM13 card holder, are expected to face a drug trafficking
charge that carries the mandatory death penalty after they were caught with
about 200 grams of methamphetamine or syabu worth RM20,000 yesterday.
City police chief ACP M. Chandra said the suspects, in their 20s and 30s, were
nabbed by police during an operation at a car park at Bandaran Berjaya here
around 1.45pm.
"Police received a tip-off of a drug activity in the area and immediately
deployed a team of narcotics police to the scene.
"As police arrived, they spotted a Nissan Navara vehicle which tried to speed
off but rammed into a garbage bin.
"The suspects then tried to escape by exiting through the driver's side window
but were apprehended by the police," he said yesterday.
Chandra said police investigation found four plastic packets of crystal-like
substance believed to be Methamphetamine or syabu weighing around 200 grams and
worth RM200,000.
However, he said preliminary urine tests of the suspects, who were from
Sandakan, Inanam and Kota Marudu, came back negative of any drug abuse.
The suspects have been remanded for investigation under Section 39B of the
Dangerous Drug Act 1952, which carries the death penalty on conviction.
(source: The Borneo Post)
****************************
'New evidence' in death row Filipina case
Lawyers for a Filipina scheduled to be executed alongside two Australians are
racing to file a new appeal, this time arguing she was a victim of human
trafficking.
Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, 30, says she was tricked into travelling to Indonesia
with 2.6kg of heroin in 2010 by a woman who promised her work as a domestic
helper.
Her 1st bid for a Supreme Court judicial review, which pointed out the fact she
had no qualified Tagalog translator at her trial, was rejected.
Indonesia has been waiting for this week's Asian African Conference to close
before announcing an execution date for Veloso, Australians Myuran Sukumaran
and Andrew Chan, and 7 others.
It has also been waiting for all 10 prisoners to exhaust their legal appeals,
and all but 1 - Indonesian Zainal Abidin - has.
Lawyers for the Bali 9 pair have lodged a challenge in the constitutional court
but the attorney-general says he won't recognise it.
Philippine lawyers and advocates have joined Veloso's Indonesian legal team,
and will apply for another judicial review on Monday.
Lawyer Edre Olalia says documents for the appeal are being urgently translated.
They include a new interview from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency with
Veloso.
Other prisoners have been denied judicial reviews because no new information
was put forward, but Mr Olalia says he doesn't want to give false hope.
"The question of her being a victim of trafficking was never raised in the
first application, so in that sense it's new," he told reporters.
"There are no guarantees.
"Even if we file a 2nd judicial review and even if the new grounds are very
solid and convincing, and even if the new angle of human trafficking, vis-a-vis
drug trafficking is included ... we have to manage our expectations."
Mr Olalia was in Jakarta on Wednesday to pursue the case along with Veloso's
father Cesar and sister Marites.
Other family members, including Veloso's sons, aged 6 and 12, will follow on
Thursday if they get permission to visit their mother in her central Java jail.
Of the 10 prisoners slated for execution, she is the only 1 yet to be moved to
Nusakambangan Island, where Chan and Sukumaran are in semi-isolation.
Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay met with his counterpart, Jusuf Kalla,
and Indonesian Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly in Jakarta on Wednesday, where he
was expected to make a plea for Veloso's life.
(source: The Australian)
OMAN:
Death penalty introduced for drug offenders in Oman ---- Efforts to combat drug
abuse intensify due to increasing number of abusers in the country
For the 1st time, Oman may introduce the death penalty against drug traffickers
in an effort to curb the drug menace that affects many youths.
The decision highlights the increased threat that drug crimes pose on society,
since Oman halted the death penalty in 2004.
Under the new Combating Narcotics and Pyschotropic Law, 10 out of the 72
articles, introduce stiff penalties for drug peddlers.
Article 43 of the amended law introduces the death penalty or life sentences
for dealers and fines of up to OMR 25,000. It also stipulates the death penalty
for anyone who has a connection with international gangs for drug trafficking.
Article 56 says anyone who assaults a drug enforcement officer can face up to
ten years in prison and will be fined up to OMR 3,000. A life sentence could be
implemented if the assault permanently disables the officer and a death
sentence can be issued if the officer is killed.
The new law will be raised soon to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for final
approval.
Observers say that such a stiffening of punishments will help to decrease the
number of drug cases in Oman.
Ahmad Al Hinai, a social worker, told Gulf News that introducing that will be a
deterrent for drug dealers and will think twice before committing such crime.
Regarding the drug cases among Omani youth, Al Hinai said that there is an
increase in the number of young Omani women who drug addicts, compared to the
past 5 years.
A governmental source told Gulf News that the number of drug cases increases
more than ten per cent every year.
The government is building more rehab centres across the country to accommodate
the rising number of drug cases. Milions of Omani riyals have been spent in
treating drug abusers in the the country.
Oman's long coastline and proximity to drug producing countries poses a big
challenge to the country. An official with the Royal Oman Police told Gulf News
that the majority of those arrested for drug related offenses are expatriates.
Heroin is the number one drug seized by the ROP.
(source: Gulf News)
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