May 31
PAKISTAN:
Only way to end terrorism: Hang the culprits?
Crime rate has decreased drastically across Punjab after the federal government
lifted the moratorium on capital punishments after 7 years following the
Peshawar carnage in December when the Taliban gunned down 151 people of which
132 were school children, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations
Muhammad Baqar Raza claimed while speaking to Pakistan Today on Friday.
Sharing the official statistics with the scribe, he said that 1,319 cases of
murders (including 167 blind murders) were registered in the first 3 months of
2014 while during the same period in 2015 after the lift of moratorium on
capital punishment, a decrease of 22 % was seen as 1028 cases of murder (131
blind murders) were reported across the province.
The data revealed that 62 cases of dacoity/robbery which resulted in murder
were reported in the first 3 months of 2014 while during the same period this
year 44 cases of dacoity/robbery which resulted in murders were reported which
showed a decrease of 29 %.
"These figures clearly show a significant decrease in the killings reported in
the current year as compared to the incidents reported in 2014," Raza added.
SSP Raza added that before the lift of moratorium the Punjab Police had been
reporting 15 to 20 cases of murders everyday which had decreased to 8 to 10
cases of killings now.
Hamid Ali Khan, National Co-coordinator of Nation Counter Terrorism Authority,
shared with the Senate Committee on Interior that 137 people have been hanged
so far in the country after the lifting of moratorium. "Till mid-April, the
mercy petitions of 81 executed prisoners had been rejected by the Supreme Court
of Pakistan," said Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Farooq Nazir.
As many as 33 condemned criminals including a woman with rejected mercy appeals
by the president are languishing in Punjab jails.
Whereas, the mercy appeals of 5,431 condemned prisoners including 46 women are
yet to be heard and approximately, 45 % of prisoners in Punjab jails are
under-trial prisoners.
According to figures available with Pakistan Today, number of convicted and
condemned detainees is 19,781, whereas 194 are in the lock-up over the charges
of death by negligence and 2,140 have been booked on murder attempt.
According to Interior Ministry, the number of sentenced prisoners is not less
than 8,000 including those who have moved appeal before the relevant courts.
Over 8,500 death row prisoners were languishing in jails across Pakistan till
March 2014. Pakistan is among the countries that have the highest number of
accused held on murder charge.
Former inspector general of police argued that keeping in mind the criminal
justice system of the country which is slow and full of complications, capital
punishment is the only way to deal with scourge of increasing crimes and
terrorism.
"The terrorist would have some sort of fear in their minds before committing
such heinous crimes that if arrested they will be hanged. Capital punishment
acts as a deterrent to the homicides (murders)," he added.
SP Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Umer Virk talking to Pakistan Today said
that crimes rate has decreased since the lift on moratorium whereas some other
police officials were of the opinion that the decrease in crimes rate is
because the hardened habitual criminals are hiding somewhere due to ongoing
general holdups and search operations being carried out by the Punjab Police
and law enforcement agencies.
However, the human rights activist argue that it was not established anywhere
in the world that capital punishments act as a deterrent to crime and
homicides.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, Justice Project Pakistan Director Sarah Belal said,
"It would be a first if this was true. Nowhere in the world has it ever been
established that the exercising of the death penalty is a clear deterrent to
crime. If such figures exist, the government should make them public and share
them will all shareholders."
Belal added that he organisation's experience of working with the criminal
justice system revealed that owing to a wide and vague definition of terrorism,
almost all those tried as terrorists in Pakistan are sentenced for crimes that
do not fit any widely acknowledged definition of terrorism.
"All the while, real terrorists who commit atrocities like the one in Peshawar
remain unaffected. How then can the government claim that these executions have
helped curb terrorism?" questioned Belal.
(source: Pakistan Today)
***************
Asia Bibi suffering from intestinal bleeding in Pakistan prison
According to the family, the Christian women jailed in Pakistan is suffering
from intestinal bleeding and requires medical treatment. Her lawyers have
mobilized to call for a medical response after a recent family visit.
Asia Bibi has endured years in prison, given the death penalty for false
charges of blasphemy and is described by family as "so weak she can hardly
walk."
The family visited last week after not seeing Asia for over a month. They were
traveling in Europe to come to Madrid for #WeAreN Congress, organized by
MasLibres.org and after his visit to the Vatican, where they were received
during the general audience by Pope Francis.
Asia Bibi sentenced to death pakistanAccording to information provided to
MasLibres.org, stomach problems developing for months worsened to the point
that she is suffering from "intestinal bleeding".
"When vomiting there is also shown traces of blood, Asia has difficulty feeding
properly, while constant pain in the chest. Therefore, it is necessary that
Asia Bibi be submitted as soon as possible a full medical checkup, including
blood work," said the same sources.
Lawyers of Asia Bibi have taken the necessary legal actions to receive timely
medical treatment and is transferred to the prison in Lahore, which can provide
more adequate health care and she would be closer to her family, who have to
travel for several hours from Lahore to Multan on each visitation.
Asia allegedly spoke negatively about Islam or their prophet as witnessed by
some abusive women working near the women.
(source: Global Dispatch)
*******************
Not left hanging: Plea to abolish death penalty dismissed
The Supreme Court while dismissing a plea against the abolition of the death
penalty in Pakistan has observed that the right to life and liberty is not
absolute in nature. Such a right is, however, circumscribed and subject to law.
The 3-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar
dismissed the 4-year-old petition, filed by Barrister Zafarullah, a
representative of the Watan Party, against the awarding of death sentence in 27
different offences.
Now the top court has issued a four- page written order with reasons related to
this matter.
Justice Mian Saqib Nisar while authoring the judgment has observed that the
petitioner has referred Article 9 of the Constitution, which says that no
person shall be deprived of life or liberty. But the court has made clear that
the right to life and liberty is not absolute in nature and a person cannot be
bereft of his life and liberty except in accordance with the law.
The court while referring Article 4 (2) (a) of the Constitution says that a
person can be deprived of his life and liberty, if it is provided and
prescribed by any law.
The judgment also says that the petitioner has failed to show the court that on
the basis of two constitutional clauses, the top court while exercising its
jurisdiction in terms of Article 184 (3) of the Constitution can direct the
abolition of the death penalty in Pakistan and annul any law.
Regarding the petitioner's argument that Article 9 is not a properly worded
article, therefore the parliament should make necessary amendment, the judgment
says that the top court while exercising the instant jurisdiction does not deem
it appropriate to issue such direction. "As regards the argument that the
criminal justice system is unfair, unreasonable and convicts and death
punishments lack due process, suffice it to say that this by itself is not a
threshold or touchstone for striking down any law, rather if there is
deficiency in the relevant law, it is the duty of the parliament to provide it
or correct the law by amendment".
The court while referring Article 10-A of the Constitution said that if any
person is aggrieved on account of lack of fair trial or due process of law, he
has the remedy, before the appropriate forum in appropriate proceeding, to
challenge such a trial and conviction.
(source: The Express Tribune)
TAIWAN:
Too soon to scrap death penalty: Ma----A 3-year-old opinion poll was used to
back President Ma Ying-jeou???s view that society is not ready to abandon
capital punishment
President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday said the government cannot abolish capital
punishment because society needs time to reach a consensus on the issue,
according to Presidential Office spokesman Charles Chen.
Chen's remarks came after some observers interpreted a comment by Ma a day
earlier as a sign that his administration might be considering abolishing the
death penalty.
Asked about increased calls against ending the death penalty after an attack on
an eight-year-old girl in a school bathroom in Taipei's Beitou District on
Friday, Ma said that 2 views he described as "opposing" have been debated for
some time: Some people believe that capital punishment does not deter crime,
while others believe that abolishing the death penalty would encourage crime.
"I think we better observe this for some more time," Ma said.
Chen yesterday quoted Ma as saying that the government is unable to scrap
capital punishment at the moment, but would continue to work toward reducing
its application.
When meeting recently with a British parliamentary group in favor of the
abolition of the death penalty, Ma said that the majority of Taiwanese are
against ending capital punishment, Chen said.
The president also referred to a 2012 Ministry of Justice poll in which 76.7 %
of respondents opposed scrapping the death penalty, while more than 85 %
believe that abolishing the death penalty would affect public security, Chen
said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that further dialogue
with those who advocate abolishing capital punishment is needed in the wake of
the slaying of the 2nd-grader.
Every child is the darling of their parents and the party was saddened by the
tragedy, DPP spokesman Wang Min-sheng said, adding that all children should be
able to study in an environment free from fear.
Complex and serious social problems were behind the killing, not just the issue
of campus security, Wang said.
On the abolition of the death penalty, there are still deficiencies in the
complementary measures of the current law, and also different views in society
regarding the issue, he said.
"We need to have further dialogue and communication," he said.
The suspect in the slaying, Kung Chung-an, 29, reportedly said he was under
great pressure and suffering from auditory hallucinations at the time of the
incident.
His elder brother said Kung moved out of the family home 5 years ago.
He did not know how a previously normal person could turn into a killer, the
brother added.
(source: Taipei Times)
**************
Further discussion needed on scrapping capital punishment: DPP
The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said Saturday that
further dialogue and communication with those who advocate abolishing capital
punishment are needed in the wake of the tragic murder of a 2nd-grader by a
random attacker at her school campus in Taipei's Beitou District.
DPP spokesman Wang Min-sheng said every child is the darling of the parents and
that the party was saddened by the tragedy. He added that every child should be
able to study in an environment free from fear.
Wang said that there are complex and serious social problems behind the killing
and not just the issue of campus security.
He noted that on the issue of abolishing the death penalty, there are still
deficiencies in the complementary measures of the current law, and also
different views in society regarding the issue.
"We need to have further dialogue and communication," he said.
The suspect, Kung Chung-an, 29, allegedly killed the child because he was under
great pressure and suffering from hallucinations.
His older brother said Kung moved out of the family home 5 years ago, and added
that he did now know how a previously normal person could turn into a killer.
(source: Focus Taiwan)
INDIA:
President rejects mercy plea of Pune teacher who raped, killed 13 year-old
A school teacher convicted for rape and murder of a minor girl in Pune 13 years
ago will finally be hanged to death. President Pranab Mukherjee turned down the
mercy plea of convict Shivaji Shankar Alhat, 58, who was sent to gallows by a
Pune court in January 2003. Alhat is currently lodged in the Yerwada Central
Jail in Pune where Mohammad Ajmal Kasab was the last man to be hanged in
November 2012.
"We have received the communication from the President's office about the mercy
plea being turned down. Now the additional district judge of Pune, who had
awarded the penalty, will fix the date of execution," said a highly-placed
source in the Home department.
Alhat was convicted for raping and murdering the victim, Hemalata Nanavre. As
per the prosecution, Alhat lured the little girl to a nearby hill in Junnar on
the pretext of collecting firewood on the morning of January 14, 2002. There he
raped the girl and then stabbed her 21 times, before strangulating her to
death. He later hid himself in a sugarcane field for 2 days.
Meanwhile, the villagers recovered Hemalata's body on the morning of January 15
by the hillside. Hemalata's mother Sushila filed an FIR against Alhat at 10.15
am the same day with the Junnar police, following which the police carried out
a panchanama at the rape and murder site and conducted a search for Alhat.
When the police nabbed Alhat from the sugarcane fields two days later, they
found the rope used for strangulation on his person. The blood stains on
Alhat's clothes matched that of Hemalata. The blood-stained knife used by Alhat
was also recovered from a field nearby.
In the judgment, then Additional District Judge - Pune, Justice L S Pavshe,
called Alhat 'shaitan' (demon) for committing the crime and said the judiciary
would be failing in its task, if it did not pronounce the death sentence.
Alhat, who was a father of 3, had even appealed that he was impotent, a fact
that was negated through a medical examination. The judge said Alhat had
brought shame to the noble profession of teaching and did not deserve any
mercy. As many as 17 witnesses deposed in this case.
(source: dnaindia.com)
QATAR:
Qatar drops death penalty for Filipino 'spy'
A death sentence handed to a Filipino in Qatar for spying was reduced on appeal
by a Doha court on Sunday to life imprisonment.
2 other sentences of life imprisonment against another pair of defendants, also
from the Philippines, were reduced at the same time by Qatar's Court of Appeal
to 15 years in jail.
of the men sentenced to serve 15 years has been named as Ronaldo Lopez Ulep.
All 3 had been convicted last year on charges of espionage and passing on Qatar
military and economic secrets to the Philippines government.
The unnamed defendant who was originally sentenced to death is likely to spend
up to 25 years in prison.
He worked as a supervisor at Qatar Petroleum.
The other 2 defendants worked for the Qatar Air Force.
At the time of their conviction it was alleged that the two men working for the
air force supplied information to the third man for cash.
Following Sunday's brief hearing, the Philippines ambassador to Qatar, Wilfred
C. Santos, said the reduction in sentences was "welcome" but a further appeal
may take place.
"We welcome this development and we will continue to monitor the case," he
said.
"We are willing to exhaust all legal avenues."
Manila has "emphatically" denied spying on Qatar.
All 3 men have been detained since 2010.
The case has raised concerns among rights groups, which question the
convictions and allege the 3 men have been tortured while being detained.
Amnesty International alleges Lopez Ulep spent four years in solitary
confinement and was convicted "on t he basis of a 'confession' he was forced to
sign, even though it was written in Arabic and he could not read it".
Ahead of Sunday's hearing, Amnesty released a blog from the 17-year-old
daughter of Lopez Ulep, who said her father was dragged away from their Doha
home in April 2010 and the family have not seen him since.
She said investigators took laptops, photos and the family's savings hidden in
a safe.
The teenager, who is now in the Philippines, urged the Qatari authorities to
release her father and "return what they took from us for the past 5 years".
Santos said Manila knew about the allegations of torture.
"We are aware of these and are taking note of this," he said.
Relatives of the defendants were also at court but refused to comment
afterwards.
(source: al-monitor.com)
IRAN----executions
2 Prisoners Hanged in Prison of Kerman
2 prisoners who had been convicted of murder were hanged earlier this week in
Kerman.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA),
the death sentences of 2 prisoners, convicted to death on charges of murder,
was conducted on Sunday 24th May, in the prison of Shahab, in Kerman.
Their identities are unknown and official authorities and judicial authorities,
also, have not commented in this regard.
According to Human Rights Activists in Iran, the number of executions in the
last several weeks, across the country have been increased, while, part of them
were in the public, and other executions often not been declared and the
administration of justice have not announced them.
**************
1 Prisoner Hanged in Central Prison of Tabriz
A prisoner who was charged with murder, was hanged in central prison of Tabriz,
on Wednesday May 27.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the
executed prisoner with the name of Nourooz Basiri, had committed murder 2 years
ago.
Mr. Basiri was the residence of Youyghoonlooy-e-Jadid village, located in rural
area of Malekan city in East Azerbaijan province.
Need to be mentioned, the effort of his family and local trustees for getting
consent failed and eventually he was hanged on Wednesday dawn.
(source for both: HRANA news agency)
***************
Mass-Executions of Ghezelhesar Prison Continue: 13 Prisoners Transferred For
Execution----Less than a week after execution of 22 prisoners in Ghezelhesar
prison of Karaj, 13 other death row prisoners have been transferred to the
prison's quarantine for execution.
13 prisoners are scheduled to be executed in the Ghezelhesar prison of Karaj,
the coming 2 days according to Iran Human Rights' sources today. All the
prisoners are from Unit 2 of the prison and sentenced to death for drug-related
charges.
The reports say that the prison authorities had to use the prison's spacial
guard to transfer the prisoners due to their resistance. Several prisoners were
injured by the guards.
One prisoner stubbed another prisoner to death in order to postpone the
execution. It is well known that when a prisoner who is sentenced to death for
drug charges is commits a murder his death sentence for drug charges is
postponed since "qisas" (retribution in kind) is given higher priority.
Iran Human Rights (IHR) once again calls for the international community's
reaction to the mass-executions of the Ghezelhesar prison. Mahmood
Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of IHR said: "The situation among the death
row prisoners of Ghezelhesar prison is desperate and needs the urgent reaction
of the world community" - "It is a shame that the international community is
watching these mass executions without showing any reaction."
In addition to the prisoners who were transferred for execution today, 44 other
prisoners have been executed in the same prison in less than 1 month.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
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