Nov. 20
NIGERIA/SINGAPORE:
Dabiri-Erewa laments execution of Nigerian in Singapore
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora,
Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described the execution of a Nigerian in Singapore
on Friday for drug related offences as heartbreaking.
She also urged Nigerians to avoid drug trafficking which can result in similar
executions.
In a statement issued in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdur-Rahman
Balogun, 'titled Execution of a Nigerian in Singapore, Heartbreaking -
Dabiri-Erewa' the SSA said the planned execution was heartbreaking despite
repeated warnings to Nigerians to obey the laws of the land of their host
countries.
Dabiri-Erewa said since Singapore determined to enforce its laws as a deterrent
to drug trafficking, which has reduced as a result of its stringent capital
punishment, nothing much can be done
"While we regret the death of the Nigerian, we once again appeal to Nigerians
to avoid crimes like drug trafficking with most countries especially in Asia
declaring zero tolerance for drug trafficking", she stated.
She reiterated her appeal to Nigerians to avoid drug peddling in their host
countries, as the laws of such countries, whether acceptable or not, will be
difficult to influence.
A Nigerian, Chijoke Obioha was caught in Singapore trafficking in hard drugs on
December 30, 2008 with his execution slated for and carried out on Friday,
November 18. Obioha was arrested with more than 2.6 kilogrammes of cannabis,
surpassing the statutory amount of 500 grammes presumed as drug trafficking in
Singapore on April 9, 2007.
The international watchdog, Amnesty International had called on Singapore to
halt Friday's planned execution of Obioha, a Nigerian national on death row for
possession of drugs, a demand which was ignored. Obioha's family was informed
that his appeal for clemency was rejected.
Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty International's Director for South-East Asia and the
Pacific, said: "The death penalty is never the solution. It will not rid
Singapore of drugs. By executing people for drug-related offences, which do not
meet the threshold of most serious crimes, Singapore is violating international
law.
Under Singaporean law, when there is a presumption of drug possession and
trafficking, the burden of proof shifts from the prosecutor to the defendant.
This violates the right to a fair trial by turning the presumption of innocence
on its head. Drug-related offences do not meet the threshold of the "most
serious crimes" to which the use of the death penalty must be restricted under
international law.
International law also prohibits the imposition of the death penalty as a
mandatory punishment and Amnesty International opposes the use of the death
penalty outright, regardless of the crime.
(source: today.ng)
******************
. . Chijioke Obioha: Lesson Not Learnt
A Nigerian, 38 year old Chijioke Obioha, was executed recently in Singapore
after he was found guilty of possessing 2.6 kilograms of cannabis (Indian
hemp). He was caught with the substance in April of 2007 and sentenced to death
in 2008. Under Singaporean laws, possession of drugs beyond 500 grams attracts
the death penalty. The Nigerian High Commission in that country made futile
effort to save his life by appealing for clemency.
The Singapore embarkation card contains a warning to visitors about the death
penalty for drug trafficking under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Warning signs can
also be found at the Johor-Singapore Causeway and other border entries.
Singapore has had capital punishment since it was a British colony and became
independent before the United Kingdom abolished capital punishment. In 2012,
however, Singapore amended its laws to exempt some cases from the mandatory
death sentence while boosting enforcement. Although the penalty will stay,
discretionary measures are now given to judges.
Possession of and trade in hard drugs is becoming increasingly dangerous all
over the world. To demonstrate the seriousness attached to the campaign against
the substances, in certain countries, illegal importing, exporting, sale, or
possession of drugs constitute capital offences that may result in the death
penalty. According to a 2011 article by the Lawyers Collective, an NGO in
India, 32 countries impose capital punishment for offences involving narcotic
drugs and psychotropic substances. A 2012 report by Harm Reduction
International documents the 33 countries and territories that retain death
penalty for drug offences, including 13 in which the sentence is mandatory.
Historically, capital punishment has been used in almost every part of the
world. Currently, the large majority of countries have either abolished or
discontinued the practice. As of 31 August 2016, of the 195 independent states
that are UN members or have UN observer status, 56 retain it in both law and
practice. 31 have abolished it de facto, namely, according to Amnesty
International standards, that they have not executed anyone during the last 10
years and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying
out executions. 6 have abolished it, but retain it for exceptional or special
circumstances (such as crimes committed in wartime). 102 have abolished it for
all crimes.
Most human rights organisations have argued that sentencing someone to death
and actually carrying out the sentence denies them the right to life as
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is tempting to see
the issue from that perspective. But most countries that take drastic measures
against the trade have their reasons which are equally persuasive. For these
countries and governments, the yield of the drug trade, when ploughed back into
their systems, distorts the economic and social realities, fuels crime and
criminal activities not to mention other health implications which result from
direct consumption of the substances particularly by the more vulnerable
segment of the society.
Curiously, in our view, this severe punishment has not affected the business in
any significant way. On the contrary, those engaged in the trade see it just as
a high risk lucrative business. In other words, if they are not caught, the
reward is high and worth the trouble.
It may seem attractive to sermonise against the death sentence. This must be
resisted when the anti-social dimensions to drug trade, possession and
consumption are considered. Furthermore, it is a punishment the victims decide
to suffer. They have the other options which include obeying the extant laws
and staying away from the substances either as barons, couriers or consumers.
Obioha who has just lost his life in Singapore knew about the laws against the
trade before he set out for the trip. That is why we find it difficult to share
the position of the human rights activists. He was not the 1st. Even with the
fate that befell him, there is no guarantee that someone will still not try to
go to the same Singapore to trade in drugs. Proof that lessons the laws set out
to teach are not learnt and the victims have only themselves to blame.
(source: Editorial, leadership.ng)
ISRAEL:
Jerusalem's top rabbi says 'homosexuality punishable by death,' faces backlash
Israeli politicians and LGBT activists have called for the resignation of
Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar after the high-ranked cleric said that
homosexuality was punishable by death.
"This is a cult of abomination, this is clear," Amar said when asked of his
attitude toward homosexuality in an interview with Yisrael Hayom newspaper,
cited by Times of Israel.
"This is an abomination. The Torah says it is punishable by death. It is in the
1st rank of severe offenses," he said.
Amar added that he didn't believe in some people having a homosexual
orientation, calling such claims "nonsense."
"There are desires and a person can overcome it if he wants, like all other
desire," Jerusalem's top rabbi said.
After the release of extracts from Amar interview on Thursday, an LGBT
activist, Shirley Kleinman, filed a complaint to the police, blaming the cleric
for incitement to murder.
"Let's try and ensure that this man will not remain in his key public
position," Kleinman wrote on her Facebook page, as cited by The Jerusalem Post.
"This is not an anti-religious issue, I have nothing against religion, every
person shall live in accordance with their faith. I do have an interest to
protect my rights and your rights to live, and [to live with] dignity," she
said.
The call for Amar's resignation was backed by Knesset members Yael German and
Meirav Michaeli, who wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious
Services Minister David Azoulay on the issue.
The parliamentarians from Yesh Atid and the Zionist Union stated that the chief
rabbi was "exploiting his position" as religious authority "for a campaign of
dangerous incitement against a large public group in Israel."
"A public figure who endangers the safety of Israeli citizens by discrimination
and incitement should be fired from their position immediately," German and
Michaeli said in a letter.
Jerusalem City Council member Laura Wharton addressed Amar directly, calling on
him to retract on his anti-LGBT statements.
"Your comments are gross incitement, and just one year after the murder of
Shira Banki [at the 2015 Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade], I would have expected
that you would know they are destructive of our society," The Jerusalem Post
cited Wharton as saying.
It's not the 1st time Jerusalem's top rabbi has found himself in hot water
after his controversial remarks on the LGBT community.
Last year, Amar was criticized for suggesting that most people were "disgusted"
by homosexuality and labeling Jerusalem's gay pride parade "an embarrassing
phenomenon."
However, he condemned the murder of a teenager at the 2015 parade, saying that
the act couldn't be justified.
(source: rt.com)
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