Jan. 7
SAUDI ARABIA:
Indonesian spared from death row in Saudi Arabia
The Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh has secured the release of an Indonesian man
who had been on death row in Saudi Arabia for alleged murder, the Foreign
Ministry revealed.
The man, identified as Syarif Hidayat Anang, was arrested by Saudi authorities
in 2013 on allegations of being complicit in the murder of another Indonesian
citizen, Enah Nurhasan.
He was detained alongside three Saudi citizens in Ahsa in the country's east,
according to a statement by the ministry's directorate for the protection of
Indonesian nationals and entities abroad.
From the outset, the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh had provided legal
assistance, having appointed Saudi lawyer Abdullah Al Mohaemeed to represent
Syarif until 2015. Since May 2016, defense duties were taken over by Muhammad
Ahmad al-Qarni, another legal adviser.
"From the results of an investigation into the case files by the Indonesian
Embassy's protection team, we were certain that Syarif was not involved in the
murder, and that's why we went all out to secure his release," Dede Rifai, the
embassy's consular attache who coordinated the legal efforts, said on Saturday.
Syarif was acquitted on all charges on Dec. 12 last year, while the remaining
suspects remained on death row. He arrived in Jakarta late on Friday in the
company of his legal adviser, following the issuance of his release earlier
this week, the ministry revealed.
(source: The Jakarta Post)
IRAN----executions
3 Prisoners Executed - 2 for Moharebeh 1 for Drug Charges
3 prisoners were reportedly executed at Rajai Shahr Prison on Wednesday January
4.
According to confirmed sources, 2 of the prisoners were executed on Moharebeh
charges (enmity against God) and the other prisoner was executed on drug
related charges.
According to the human rights news agency, HRANA, the 2 prisoners hanged on
Moharebeh charges were accused of armed robbery. The names of these prisoners
are Traub Rashidi and Ali Cheshmeh Noushi.
The other prisoner has been identified as "Sajad". He was reportedly
transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison from Karaj Central Prison and executed on
drug related charges.
Iranian official sources, including the Judiciary and the media, have been
silent on these executions.
****************************
Prisoner Hanged on Drug Trafficking Charges
At least 1 prisoner, identified as Mohammad Zebardast, was hanged at Lakan,
Rasht's central prison, on drug related charges.
According to close sources, Mohammad Zebardast's execution was carried out on
the morning of Wednesday January 4.
A confirmed source tells Iran Human Rights that Mr. Zebardasht was arrested in
2011 for possession of 2 kilograms of crystal meth and 2 kilograms and 800
grams of opium. He was sentenced to death in September 16, 2012 by a court in
Rasht (Gilan province, northern Iran) for drug trafficking. Mr. Zebardasht was
held in prison from his arrest to his execution.
Iranian official sources, including the Judiciary and the media, have been
silent about Mr. Zebardasht's execution. Close sources say it is likely that
more than 1 prisoner was hanged at Lakan Prison on Wednesday.
(source for both: Iran Human Rights)
INDIA:
December 16 gang-rape: SC seeks affidavits of 4 death row convicts
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the 4 death row convicts in the December 16
gang-rape and murder case to file affidavits on the mitigating circumstances
for its consideration.
A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan asked
the counsel for the condemned convicts, who have challenged their conviction
and the death penalty in the sensational case, to file the affidavits,
detailing the mitigating and other circumstances which favour them.
The oral direction came in the wake of submission of senior advocate Raju
Ramachandran, who is assisting the bench as an amicus curiae, that the trial
court and the high court were "so overwhelmed by the nature of the crime" that
they did not follow the proper procedure for sentencing the accused in the
instant case.
Ramachandran had submitted that the courts below did not consider the
mitigating circumstances of individual accused in the case.
"The accused and their counsel were not asked questions about their individual
backgrounds and the mitigating factors, there was no application of mind to the
case of each accused and therefore, no separate reasons were given for the
imposition of death penalty on each of the accused," he had said, adding this
had resulted in denial of right to equality and protection of life and liberty
under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India respectively.
Earlier, the court, which has been hearing final arguments in the case from
April 4 last year, had appointed senior lawyers Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde
as amicus curiaes.
While Ramachandran would assist the court in appeals of convicts, Mukesh and
Pawan, Hegde would assist in appeals of other 2 convicts, Vinay Sharma and
Akshay Kumar Singh.
These 4 convicts had approached the apex court against the Delhi High Court's
March 13, 2014, verdict which had observed that their offence fell in the
rarest of rare category and had upheld the death sentence awarded to them by
the trial court.
A 23-year-old paramedic was brutally assaulted and gang-raped by 6 persons in a
moving bus in south Delhi and thrown out of the vehicle with her male friend on
the night of December 16, 2012. She had died in a Singapore hospital on
December 29.
The prime accused, Ram Singh, was found dead in a cell in Tihar Jail in March
2013 and proceedings against him were abated.
******************
Sushma seeks report from envoy to Qatar on Indians on death row
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday sought a report from the
Indian Ambassador in Qatar on two Indian nationals who were awarded the death
penalty in the Gulf country last year.
"I have asked for a report from Indian Ambassador in Qatar," the Minister said
in a tweet.
She was responding to a tweet from @bkanagaraja, a Twitter user, requesting her
to save Subramaniam Alagappa and Chelladurai Perumal, two Indians sentenced to
death by the Supreme Court in Qatar.
In an open letter to the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister, uploaded
on the public forum, change.org, H. Vasanthakumar, Member of Legislative
Assembly from Nanguneri in Tamil Nadu, said, "2 Innocent Indian Nationals
namely Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal have been sentenced to
death by the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) in Qatar."
He requested the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister for immediate and
"direct intervention with the Ruler of Qatar" for their safe return to India.
"If these Indian nationals were not released and sent back to India safely, I
will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy in Delhi and Qatar
Consulate in Mumbai," Vasanthakumar added.
On December 8, the ministry, in its weekly media briefing, had said,
"Subramanian Alagappa and Chelladurai Perumal continue to remain on death row.
The 3rd convict, Shivakumar Archunan, his case was reviewed by the appeals
court and his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment."
"We had filed a case in respect of all 3 because we believe that the penalty is
too harsh... Our Embassy in Qatar continues to closely monitor this case in
association with the lawyer who has been appointed for all three accused,"
official ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup added.
(source for both: india.com)
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