June 27
SUDAN:
Prosecution Rests in Trial of Christian Pastors in Sudan
The Sudanese government rested its case Thursday in the trial of Pastors Yat
Michael Ruot and Peter Yein Reith. The 2 Christian pastors from South Sudan
face potential death sentences after being arrested in Sudan because they had
spoken up for fellow Christians in Sudan.
The prosecution called its last witness Thursday. The witness, a National
Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) expert, offered no new evidence
against the pastors. Similarly, during the duration of the trial, which has
been stretched out over a month, none of the prosecution's witnesses have
brought any real evidence to prove that the pastors are guilty of the myriad of
charges against them, which range from insulting the Muslim religion and
undermining the constitutional system to inciting religious sedition and
undermining public order. Some of these baseless charges even carry the death
penalty.
After questioning its last witness, the prosecution closed its case.
At the court on Thursday, the judge allowed the pastors to visit with their
wives for 10 minutes as a guard supervised the visit. However, the wives and
attorney are still not permitted to visit with the pastors at Kober Prison in
North Khartoum where the pastors were recently moved.
Although authorities at the prison continue to violate international laws by
denying the pastors access to their attorney, the pastors are no longer being
held in shackles or solitary confinement. They have been moved into the general
prison population, but unfortunately are separated from each other. This
separation has been very discouraging to them as they are no longer able to
lean on each other for moral and spiritual support.
The trial is set to continue on July 2nd. At that time the pastors will take
the stand so that the judge can question them about the allegations levied
against them. Under Sudanese law, if the judge concludes there is a lack of
evidence on all charges, he must dismiss the complaint and discharge the
pastors from custody. If, however, the judge finds sufficient evidence on any
or all of the charges levied against them, the defense will put on its case to
overcome the presumption of guilt present from the prosecution's evidence.
As the trial wraps up, Pastors Michael & Peter need our prayers and support
more than ever. If found guilty, they could face execution. Will you stand with
us now in support of our brothers in Christ as they suffer for the sake of the
Gospel?
(source: ACLLJ)
SRI LANKA:
Lankan soldier handed death sentence for murder of Tamil civilians
A Sri Lankan court on Thursday handed the death sentence to an army soldier
convicted of killing 8 people including 4 children 15 years ago, in a rare case
of the country's military held accountable for its actions.
Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake, a Sinhalese soldier, was given capital
punishment by a 2-judge High Court in Colombo for murdering 8 civilians by
slitting their throats during the height of the country's civil war.
However, 4 others who were purportedly with the soldier during his crime were
acquitted due to a lack of direct evidence against them. The massacre at the
village of Mirusuvil in the Jaffna peninsula, then home of the Tamil Tiger
rebels, came to light when another civilian escaped the butchery and informed
officials.
The incident happened in 2000 during one of the fiercest battles between the
army and the Tiger guerillas.
The civilians had gone back to check the remains of their bombed homes after an
intense battle between the army and Tiger rebels in their little village.
The court heard that the soldier slit the throats of the civilians and buried
them in a mass grave about 16 miles east of Jaffna town.
In a rare move, the then government under former president Chandrika
Kumaratunge suspended the entire unit of soldiers involved in Mirusuvil and
subsequently arrested the five men who were indicted in 2003.
"Today's sentencing showed that the military was following due process in
dealing with abuses committed during the war," army spokesman Jayanath
Jayaweera told reporters.
Brigadier Jayaweera further noted that Thursday's verdict was a "good example
to show the system is working well."
Sri Lanka has been under heavy international pressure to show accountability
for alleged war crimes committed by the military during the country's 3 decade
war.
An independent United Nations report estimates that the army killed at least
40,000 Tamil civilians in the final weeks of the war that ended in May 2009.
However, past and present governments have denied the allegations. The former
government under Mahinda Rajapaksa under whose regime the Tamil Tigers were
defeated maintained that there was zero civilian casualty committed by the
predominantly Sinhalese army during the war.
The current government, however, has promised to investigate any allegations of
war crimes.
Although Sri Lankan courts pass death penalty in serious crimes such as murder,
rape and drug trafficking, no execution has been carried out since 1976. There
are at least 500 death-row convicts in prisons in Sri Lanka.
(source: Khaleej Times)
PHILIPPINES/MALAYSIA:
'Save Zambo couple from death row'
Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has called on the national
government to save a Zamboangueno couple from the death penalty in Malaysia.
Nurie and Timhar Ong, residents of Barangay Baliwasan here, were arrested in
2005 for carrying nine sachets said to contain shabu.
A Malaysian court sentenced the couple to life imprisonment in 2006, but a
higher court ruled that they deserve capital punishment for possession of 50
grams of shabu.
The Ongs left 7 children here.
Salazar said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has instructed Overseas Workers
Welfare Administration regional director Hassan Gabra Jumdain to provide
assistance to the couple and their children.
(source: ABS-CBNnews)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO:
Death penalty for 6 in sisters' deaths
6 men from Freeport, among them a former Special Reserve Police Officer (SRP),
were yesterday convicted of the murders of 2 young sisters who died in an arson
attack on their home in 2009.
Siblings Shiva, Ryan and Vishan Bajnauth, their half-brother Soman Rampersad
and friends Kenny Mohammed and former SRP Junior John were before Justice Maria
Wilson charged with the attack, which claimed the lives of Sangeeta, 3, and
6-year-old Sarah Ramdial and left two of their relatives injured.
Presiding in the Port-of-Spain Fifth Assizes yesterday, Wilson read the
mandatory death sentence six times in succession after the 12-member jury
returned with unanimous decision for the former neighbours turned cellmates.
The result, the 1st for prosecutors in a multiple accused trial for quite some
time, took place almost exactly 6 years after the sisters were burned to death
as they slept in their 2-bedroom home at Playground Avenue, Uquire Road,
Freeport, on August 14, 2009.
Screams and wails echoed through the large courtroom as the large contingent of
the men's female relatives burst into tears upon hearing the verdict before
being ushered out the court.
The 6 men launched a verbal attack on all involved in the trial as soon as they
were each given an opportunity by Wilson to say a couple words before being
escorted out of the court by police. As they simultaneously professed their
innocence, the men accused the children's father, Ashook Ramdial, of
fabricating the case against them.
"Nah boy Ashook," Shiva Bajnauth said as he shook his head while staring at
Ramdial, who was seated in the court.
They also accused Wilson and prosecutor Renuka Rambhajan of conspiring to
convict them.
"And you as the judge allowed the prosecution to do all kind of things they
should not be doing," Rampersad said.
They were then led out the court and transported to prison where they will take
up quarters on death row.
Also testifying in the trial, which began in February, was the children's
mother Geeta Singh and uncle Richard Ramdial, who were at home during the
attack and were shot as they as they tried to confront the gang of men, who
were armed with guns, cutlasses and kegs of gasoline.
The jury deliberated for almost 3 hours after Wilson summed up the case, which
was filled with surprises, including a police man providing an alibi for 1 man.
Cpl Ronnie Lee-Gopaul, testifying in March, claimed he saw Rampersad at the
Freeport Police Station when he responded to the report of the fire.
The victims' accounts of the events were also disputed by Richard Ramdial's
mother, who claimed Ashook coerced her son into implicating the 6 men.
The defence witness told the jury that while her son was recovering in hospital
he was visited by Ashook and was threatened to tell police as story concocted
by him.
The men were defended by attorneys Vernon De Lima, Ravi Rajcoomar, John Heath
and Chase Pegus.
Prosecutor Shivana Sharma assisted Rambhajan.
(source: Trinidad Guardian)
INDONESIA:
Jokowi renews call for tough action on drug abuse, trafficking
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reiterated his tough stance on drugs at an event
to mark World Anti-Narcotics Day on Friday, calling for a united front on the
eradication of drug abuse.
Citing a high incidence of drug abuse in the country and the debilitating
impact on the nation's future, Jokowi called on relevant parties to step up
their efforts in the war on drugs.
"I believe, given drugs' destructive power, there is no other choice for us but
to declare war against drugs," he said in a speech during the event at the
State Palace.Jokowi has made tough drug policies a hallmark of his
administration.
Declaring a "drug emergency", he has called for the death penalty for drug
dealers and rejected clemency pleas for convicted traffickers. Despite protests
from human rights campaigners and the international community, his
administration executed 14 convicts - including foreigners of multiple
nationalities - in 2 groups in January and May this year.
There are a further 60 drug convicts on death row, according to the National
Narcotics Agency (BNN).
Despite the harsh penalties imposed on drug dealers, drug abuse continues to
increase in Indonesia. The current rate of drug abuse has reached 4 million
people, or 2.18 % of the total population, up from 3.3 million in 2008. Drug
abuse has also caused Rp 63 trillion (US$4.72 billion) in economic losses.
The government has set a target of reducing the number of drug abusers to 3.7
million by 2020.Jokowi ordered all relevant parties and law enforcers to join
hands with the BNN in fighting drug abuse and drug trafficking in the country,
including by improving international intelligence cooperation.
"We must enforce the law effectively and fight drug abuse and drug trafficking
seriously," he said. "We must arrest and impose harsh penalties on drug dealers
and the 'big fish'."
The President also called for tough penalties for law enforcement officers and
public officials who provided protection for drug dealers, as well as increased
surveillance at penitentiaries. "This has to end; no more prisons must be used
as drug distribution centers," he said.
The BNN has on several occasions moved against drug rings run from correctional
facilities, including on the Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central
Java, where the 2 recent rounds of executions took place. During raids in April
and February, authorities found 3 convicts involved in the drug business on
Nusakambangan. Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly, whose office
oversees correctional facilities, has acknowledged the involvement of prison
officials in drug trafficking.
On Friday, Jokowi also demanded better monitoring at seaports and patrols in
waters known to be used by traffickers.
He also called for the rehabilitation of 100,000 addicts this year.
BNN chief Anang Iskandar, meanwhile, said that failures to effectively
rehabilitate drug users and impose money laundering charges on drugs
traffickers were the primary reasons behind drug businesses being run from
prisons.
"Drug users should be put inside rehabilitation centers, instead of behind
bars," he said. "And, ideally, all drug dealers' assets should be confiscated,
but money laundering charges are for now rarely used against them."
As of June, the BNN has investigated four money laundering cases related to
drug abuse this year.
Anang also revealed a plan to transform 4 prisons into special penitentiaries
for drug offenders in the near future.
(source: Jakarta Post)
NIGERIA:
Nigerian court sentences 0 to death for blasphemy
9 people have been sentenced to death in northern Nigeria after being found
guilty of blasphemy, a court clerk and the head of the religious police told
AFP on Friday.
The Upper Sharia Court in the city of Kano handed down death sentences to a
Sufi Muslim cleric and 8 of his followers for remarks they made about the
Prophet Mohammed last month.
The comments, made during a religious ceremony, sparked anger and violence in
the city.
Court clerk Alhaji Nasuru said the 9, including 1 woman, were "sentenced to
death in accordance with sections 110 and 302 of the Sharia penal code."
4 other followers of the cleric, Aminu Abdul Nyass, were acquitted, he added.
The defendants were arrested when violence broke out in the Makwarari district
of Kano as they marked the birthday of the former leader of the Tijaniyya Sufi
order, Ibrahim Nyass.
An angry crowd attacked the ceremony and later burnt down Abdul Nyass' home,
police said at the time.
Abdul Nyass belongs to a separate branch of Tijaniyya, some of whose beliefs
are considered heretical because of their different interpretation of some
basic Islamic principles.
The head of the Kano state Sharia (Islamic law) police, known locally as the
Hisbah, welcomed the verdicts.
"We are happy the Sharia court handed the death sentences to the 9 people who
made the blasphemous statements against the Holy Prophet," said Aminu Daurawa.
The trial was held in secret to avoid violence, after crowds set fire to a
section of the Sharia court on the defendants' 1st appearance on May 22.
The judgment still has to be approved by Kano governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje,
added Daurawa, who warned the sentence should remind Muslims that blasphemy
attracts the ultimate penalty.
He also said the risk of violence was high if the nine were released.
"The concern is mobs would take extrajudicial action if these convicts are for
whatever reason released because they would certainly kill them when they see
them on the streets," he said.
There was no immediate word on whether the 9 would appeal.
Sharia courts in northern Nigeria have handed down death sentences for
adultery, murder and homosexuality since they were set up in the early 2000s.
But to date, no executions have been carried out.
12 states in the mainly Muslim north have the courts, which run parallel to
state and federal justice system.
(source: Agence France-Presse)
*******************
Supreme Court upturns death penalty on robbery suspect
The Supreme Court on Friday in a unanimous decision quashed a death sentence
passed on a robbery suspect describing the alleged robbery as mystery and fake.
Reading the lead judgment, Justice Muntaka-Coomassie held that the prosecution
failed to establish any ingredient of the offence of armed robbery against the
appellant - Alhaji Musa Sani.
The apex court held that the prosecution maintained a very material
contradiction as to the date the said armed robbery took place.
The appellant Alhaji Musa Sani and another suspect were alleged to have robbed
one Abdullahi Mohammed (alias Boda) the sum of N940, 000 on or about 28, May
2008 in Katsina Local Government Area of Katsina State while armed with
offensive weapons.
He was alleged to have committed the offence which is punishable under the
Armed Robbery and Fire Arms (Special Provisiions) Act 2004.
The appellant was sentenced to death by the trial Judge, he unsuccessfully
appealed to the Court of Appeal before approaching the apex court which has now
set him free.
Other members of the panel include Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour, Nwali Sylvester
Ngwuta, Clara Baa Ogunbiyi and Kumai Bayang Akaahs.
(source: Daily Trust)
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