June 15
SAUDI ARABIA-----executions
2 convicts beheaded in Saudi Arabia, take 2015 tally to 100
A Syrian national convicted of drug trafficking and a citizen found guilty of
homicide have been beheaded in Saudi Arabia, bringing to 100 the number of such
executions in the oil-rich country since the beginning of this year.
The Syrian man, identified as Ismael al-Tawm, smuggled "a large amount of
banned amphetamine pills into the kingdom" and was decapitated in the northern
region of Jawf on Monday, said the Saudi Interior Ministry in a statement
carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
A separate statement said Saudi national Rami al-Khaldi was executed in the
western province of Taef, after being convicted of stabbing another Saudi to
death.
Amnesty International has described Saudi Arabia's use of death penalty as
unprecedented, and said the toll is "one of the highest recorded by the
organization during the same period for more than three decades."
The London-based watchdog said on May 28 that almost 1/2 of the executions
carried out so far this year were for drug-related offenses, and about half of
those put to death have been foreigners.
"These do not fall into the category of 'most serious crimes,' and the use of
the death penalty for such offences violates international law," it said.
The United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary
executions had earlier expressed concern about a surge in the number of
executions carried out in Saudi Arabia.
"It is certainly very disturbing that there is such a fast pace of executions
at the moment," Christof Heyns said on May 27.
In Saudi Arabia, rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking all
carry the death penalty. Beheadings are carried out in public using a sword.
Muslim scholars and clerics have on occasions criticized Saudi authorities for
indicting and then executing suspects without giving them a chance to defend
themselves.
(source: Press TV)
EGYPT:
Court might withdraw death sentence in Morsi trial: Experts
Former president Mohamed Morsi awaits the final verdict in the espionage and
"Prison Break" trials on Tuesday. Meanwhile, predictions regarding the fate of
the defendants rest primarily on the Grand Mufti's opinion and the current
political circumstances potentially affecting the verdict.
The Cairo Criminal Court had postponed the final verdict against Morsi and
other Muslim Brotherhood leaders in both cases to 16 June. The postponement
coincided with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's visit to Germany to meet
Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The court previously referred the files of the defendants to the Grand Mufti
for consultation. The defendants include the former president, Brotherhood
Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, former parliamentary speaker Saad Al-Katatni, and
renowned Muslim scholar Yusuf Al-Qaradawi.
"We anticipate the court to withdraw many of the death sentences, especially
those handed down to defendants in absentia," said Mohamed Al-Damaty,
spokesperson of the defence team in the prison break and espionage cases.
According to Al-Damaty, the opinion of the Grand Mufti, although consultative,
will largely determine the final verdict. "There are only 2 possible scenarios;
either the Mufti's opinion comes in favour of the court's ruling, which means
that the death sentences would be upheld, or it comes in opposition to the
court's ruling, and in that case, the court would have the capacity to withdraw
the death sentence, based in principle on the Mufti's report."
"Given the nature of the judiciary these days, it has become harder to predict
anything, but I don't think the court will uphold the death sentence," said
Hoda Nasrallah, lawyer at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).
Nasrallah held the view that, on the political level, Morsi is considered a
symbol for the Brotherhood and viewed as the formerly-elected, ousted president
by the international community. Nasrallah added that "the death sentence could
lead to an international embarrassment. However the regime might nonetheless
justify the sentence, if upheld, by citing the rule of law and the independence
of the judiciary arguments."
"We were hoping that the verdict would be reached solely based on documented
evidence without the interference of any external factors," she said. However,
Nasrallah added that most of the sentences are appealed; and heavy sentences of
this kind are mostly given with deterrence as the objective.
Both Nasrallah and Al-Damaty mentioned that the international reactions to the
death sentences given to Morsi and others play a significant role in the final
outcome. Al-Damaty held the view that there is a high chance external pressure
could lead to the withdrawal of the death sentences in the final verdict.
"There would definitely be agitation by the Brotherhood, in addition to
international condemnation, if the death sentence is upheld," commented
Nasrallah.
The verdict could be appealed within 60 days of the court releasing the grounds
of the judgement. Al-Damaty expects that the Court of Cassation would appeal
the verdict because "these are political sentences, especially given the fact
that the court's core beliefs and principles are in contradiction with the
defendants' beliefs and political orientation".
Other grounds for appeal include the presence of the soundproof glass cage that
"completely separated the defendants from the defence team and the court" as
well as a number of violations that disregard Egypt's code of procedures,
according to Al-Damaty.
Morsi was handed his 1st death sentence, alongside scores of Muslim Brotherhood
leaders, on 16 May, in the Prison Break trial. According to the Egyptian penal
code, Article 77 stipulates that any act that threatens the security, stability
and unity of the state is punishable by death. Paragraph (b) of the article
stipulates that anyone who conspires with a foreign state or agent is punished
with the death penalty.
Article 88 stipulates that anyone who enables the escape of prisoners accused
of the aforementioned charges receives a life sentence, and if the escape
resulted in deaths, the set punishment is the death penalty.
Morsi and 34 Brotherhood members were accused of storming Wadi El-Natrun prison
and escaping it in the early days of the 25 January Revolution. The charges
included kidnapping police officers and detaining them in the Gaza Strip.
News of the death sentence sparked international condemnation on a wide scale,
with the US, Turkey, Germany and the UK making statements in opposition to the
mass death sentences and questioning the fairness of the trials.
In the espionage case, Morsi was accused, along with 35 other Brotherhood
members, of leaking documents to foreign agents, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
They also stand accused of funding and supporting terrorism.
Morsi was also sentenced in April to 20 years imprisonment in the 'Presidential
Palace' case, alongside 12 other defendants. They were accused of violence that
erupted outside the Presidential Palace on 5 December 2012.
(source: Daily News Egypt)
NORTH KOREA:
North Korea officially confirms Hyon Yong Chol's execution----An unnamed source
in China said the bulletin confirmed Hyon Yong Chol was executed for
insubordination and disobeying the party leadership.
North Korea dispatched official bulletins announcing the execution of Hyon Yong
Chol for insubordination, South Korean media reported Monday.
South Korean news network YTN reported the news was sent from North Korean
embassies in China and other locations to the host governments, including
Beijing.
Kim Jong Un was reported to have dismissed Defense Minister Hyon after being
outraged by Hyon's "disregard" for the North Korean leader during a meeting,
South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported.
Hyon's purge also has been followed by the forced disappearances of Jang Sung,
an official at the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, and other top-ranking
personnel.
An unnamed source in China said the bulletin confirmed Hyon was executed for
insubordination and disobeying the party leadership.
Kim Jong Un's "Military-First" policy holds consequences for those who do not
follow Kim's orders - including execution.
The South Korean newspaper's source said Hyon's napping during a meeting was
deemed treasonous to Kim, who regarded displays of boredom during meetings,
such as napping or daydreaming, as an offense worse than voicing opposition
before the North Korean leader.
Kim had allegedly asked Hyon his opinion on a matter, but discovered his
defense minister was dozing off when his question was left unanswered. Military
minders later detained Hyon.
Since the purge of Hyon, the defense minister has been deleted from official
state footage.
Kim's emotional response to Hyon's lackadaisical behavior has precedents. Kim's
frustration with other top officials, including uncle Jang Song Thaek, led to
his execution in 2013.
(source: United Press International)
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