May 18
INDONESIA:
Jokowi says he's no coward
For the 1st time after 7 months in office, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo met
his campaign volunteers in public, asking them to support his recent policies,
including the slashing of fuel subsidies and the execution of drug convicts.
During a speech on Saturday at the Cibubur camping grounds in East Jakarta,
Jokowi said he would face the consequences of his controversial policies.
"I'm ready to become unpopular. I'm ready to be attacked. Don't ever think that
Jokowi is a coward. Keep that in mind," the President said.
On executing drug traffickers, Jokowi said he would do anything to protect the
nation's interests and sovereignty. "When [the government] was about to execute
the drug traffickers, I was warned that there would be foreign pressure,
including from Amnesty [International], the United Nations and leaders from
other countries. But I insisted that we have the legal sovereignty - that our
law recognizes the death penalty," he said.
Jokowi repeated his standard talking point on defending capital punishment. "50
people die [in Indonesia] every day and 18,000 every year because of drugs, so
why do we need to take care of 1 or 2 people who have been convicted as drug
traffickers?" he said.
Defying international pressure, the government executed 14 death row prisoners
in the first four months of the year, including 12 foreign nationals.
Despite his popularity in the months prior to last year's presidential
election, Jokowi, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)
politician, did not secure the nomination from his own party until March, less
than a month before the legislative election and 4 months before the
presidential election.
Observers said that the volunteer organizations supporting Jokowi put pressure
on former president and incumbent PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri to
drop plans to run again and instead give the ticket to Jokowi.
Jokowi won the election by a slight margin, a victory attributed to his
volunteers.
Among the groups that organized Saturday's event were the Volunteer Front for
Jokowi for President (Bara JP), Pro Jokowi, the Coalition of Youths and
Volunteers for Jokowi (Kawan Jokowi) and the People's Struggle Post (Pospera).
Representing the organizations, Pospera leader Mustar Bonaventura said such
gatherings would be held regularly. "This is just a start. The volunteer groups
must continue existing and consolidate themselves," he said.
(source: Asia One)
EGYPT:
EU latest to criticize Morsi death penalty referral
The European Union criticised on Sunday the recent court decision against
former President Mohamed Mursi, adding that it was not streamlined with Egypt's
obligations under international law.
"The court decision to seek the death penalty for former President Mohamed
Morsi and more than 100 of his supporters, in connection with a mass jail break
in 2011, was taken at the end of a mass trial that was not in line with Egypt's
obligations under international law," Federica Mogherini, the High
Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said in a
statement.
On Saturday, the Cairo Criminal Court referred Mursi and 105 other defendants
to the Grand Mufti to issue his opinion on handing them death sentences, for
escaping from a prison. A referral to the mufti is a step that must be taken
within Egypt's court system ahead of handing a death sentence.
"The Egyptian judicial authorities have the responsibility to ensure, in line
with international standards, defendants' rights to a fair trial and proper and
independent investigations," the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian State Information Services (SIS) said in an earlier
statement that the defendants are not being tried in "exceptional courts" and
that all litigation procedures are guaranteed in order to ensure that trials
are fair, in response to international condemnation.
Mogherini's statement was preceeded by an earlier statement today by the United
Kingdom's minster for the Middle East and North Africa, who voiced his
government's "deep concern" over the court decision.
UK Minister Tobias Ellwood's statement urged Egypt to "apply the rule of law
consistently in line with international standards, and to protect the political
and legal rights of all Egyptians as the basis for the country's future
stability."
Several groups and countries were among the critics of Saturday's court
decision, including the pro-Mursi Anti-Coup Alliance, the Palestinian Hamas
movement, international watchdog Amnesty International, Turkey and the United
States.
Following his ouster by the military in 2013, after mass protests against his
rule, Mursi has since been accused of several charges and stood as defendant in
various trials.
He still faces trial for insulting the judiciary, as well as a separate
espionage case.
A Cairo court sentenced Mursi last month to 20 years of maximum security prison
for charges of show of force and detention associated with physical torture
during deadly protests in 2012. He was nevertheless acquitted of murder
charges.
Since Mursi's ouster, Muslim Brotherhood leaders and prominent figures have
often found themselves behind bars and facing courts. He and his support base
consider the power change which saw his removal a coup.
(source: Albawaba news)
*******************
Qaradawi on his death sentence: 'worthless, undeserving of attention'
The death sentence handed to Islamist scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi and dozens
others in a 2011 prison break case is "worthless and undeserving of attention,"
Qaradawi said in a televised speech aired by Al-Jazeera Mubasher Saturday.
Qaradawi, an Egyptian living in Qatar, was sentenced to death Saturday along
with former President Mohamed Morsi and 104 others over charges of raiding Wadi
al-Natroun prison and freeing many prisoners during the 2011 January 25
Revolution.
The sentences "cannot be executed," because they are "against the law of God,
logic and mind," said Qaradawi, a major supporter of the banned Muslim
Brotherhood group.
"I do not pay attention to such rulings ... they are fabricated and invalid,"
he added. He also denied accusations of inciting violence.
"Everybody knows that I was in Qatar at that time [wadi el-Natroun prison
break]... and how can an 85-year-old man break a jail and free prisoners" he
continued.
The preacher ruled out that the Grand Mufti would approve the mass sentences;
the Mufti's religious opinion, sought when a case results in a death sentence,
only has an advisory capacity. However, several mass death sentences were
commuted after receiving the Mufti's opinion.
The case has already been referred to the Mufti, and the court will uphold or
commute the sentences on June 2. Regardless of the court's decision, the
defendants are legally entitled to challenge the verdict.
Qaradawi, who is the head of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, was
listed in December 2014 on Interpol's wanted list over accusations of murder,
helping prisoners to escape, arson, vandalism and theft.
His membership in the International Islamic Council for Da'wah and Relief,
headed by Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayed, was revoked for mixing politics
with religion, according to Youm7.
In January, Egypt formally requested Qatar to freeze the assets of Qaradawi for
"illegitimately acquiring" them.
(source: The Cairo Post)
IRAN:
Juvenile offender faces imminent execution
Amnesty International is urging the Iranian regime to halt the execution of a
24-year-old man is at imminent risk of execution, for a crime which took place
while he was below 18 years of age.
Hamid Ahmadi, who has been convicted of fatally stabbing a man during a group
fight that took place when he was 16 years old.
"The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, but
it is particularly troubling that in this case Iran is again set to violate the
clear prohibition in international law of executing those who were children at
the time of the alleged crime. If the execution goes ahead while the case is
under review at Iran's highest court, it would also be an appalling miscarriage
of justice," said Said Boumedouha, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's
Middle East and North Africa Programme.
"The Iranian authorities should halt all plans to carry out this execution
immediately."
"Hamid Ahmadi's death sentence contradicts, once again, Iran's repeated claims
that it does not execute juvenile offenders and displays the authorities'
blatant disregard for one of the clearest prohibitions on the use of the death
penalty," said Said Boumedouha.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA:
PNG 'seriously reconsidering' death penalty
The Papua New Guinea government says it will seriously reconsider the death
penalty following church, NGO and public criticism of the law.
Parliament voted in favour of the death penalty for crimes such as murder and
rape 2 years ago, but it has not yet been implemented due to lack of
infrastructure.
The Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, has called for a review of the law, saying
the matter would be debated in parliament, which could result in the law being
repealed.
Our correspondent, Todagia Kelola, says this comes after the global outcry of
Indonesia's execution of foreign drug convicts.
"The death of the 2 Australians in Indonesia is I would say a part of the
reason why the prime minister is seriously considering to review that law. But
there are also other criticisms by ordinary Papua New Guineans, churches and
NGOs that this law will really not solve the problem of crime."
Todagia Kelola says it is not known when the issue will be raised in
parliament.
(source: Radio New Zealand International)
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