August 29
IRAN:
Iran Sentences Prisoner Mohammad Ali Taheri to Death
The Iranian regime's judiciary has sentenced to death political prisoner
Mohammad Ali Taheri, his attorney told news agencies on Sunday.
Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaei told The Associated Press that the court has
sentenced his client to death on charges of "founding a cult."
The 61-year-old Taheri has been held in solitary confinement for over 6 years
in Tehran's Evin prison.
In an Urgent Action issued in July, Amnesty International had warned about Mr.
Taheri facing death Penalty.
Amnesty International statement said: "Prisoner of conscience Mohammad Ali
Taheri is accused of 'spreading corruption on earth' (efsad-e fel arz) through
the establishment of the spiritual group Erfan-e Halgheh and its related
teachings. His trial started on 6 March before Branch 26 of the Revolutionary
Court in Tehran."
"This is the 3rd time that Mohammad Ali Taheri is standing trial on the charge
of 'spreading corruption on earth'. The 1st time was in 2011 when a
Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced him to 5 years' imprisonment for
'insulting Islamic sanctities' but said further investigations were necessary
before it could rule on the charge of "spreading corruption on earth"
"For the next 4 years, the authorities kept him in solitary confinement in
Section 2A of Evin prison, where he remains imprisoned, under the pretext of
conducting investigations. This time counted toward his 5-year sentence, which
was deemed complete in February 2016. He was ultimately tried again on the
charge of 'spreading corruption on earth' in 2015 and sentenced to death, but
he was acquitted in June 2016. Despite this, he was not released and in late
2016, the authorities charged him again with 'spreading corruption on earth'
based on the same activities that had formed the basis of his 2011 conviction."
On Sunday, a group of Mr Taheri's followers gathered outside "Revolutionary
Court" in Tehran to protest the death penalty.
In recent weeks, authorities have detained dozens of his followers protesting
ill treatment of Mr. Taheri.
(source: ncr-iran.org)
INDIA:
"Hang rapist Baba to death", chants UP sadhus for rape convict Ram Rahim
Singh----CBI judge Jagdeep Singh will be soon arriving at Rohtak jail. Police
have been alerted in UP as well ahead of the announcement of the quantum of
punishment
Uttar Pradesh sadhu's demanded death penalty to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the rape case. Quantum of punishment will be
pronounced inside Rohtak jail at 2:30 pm today.
A group of sadhus, including a Naga sadhu, and a few people of Varanasi
demanded 'death by hanging' for the Dera chief who is in Rohtak jail. Sadhus
held placards which read: 'Balatkari baba ko Phansi do-Phansi do' it means hang
to death the rapist baba, reports ANI.
(source: indiasamvad.co.in)
VIETNAM:
51 bankers, businessmen on trial in Vietnam for fraud
A former banking magnate and 50 others went on trial in Vietnam Monday over a
multi-million dollar fraud at a major private bank, as the communist nation
cracks down on corruption in the sector.
Authorities have vowed to clean up an industry plagued by favouritism and dodgy
loans -- part of a broader drive against corruption in the country.
In the latest trial the ex-chairman of Ocean Bank, Ha Van Tham, is accused of
illegally approving loans worth $23 million in 2012, ultimately leading to the
bank's demise and stripping him of his status as one of the country's richest
men.
Tham and 50 other bankers and businessmen, most of whom worked at Ocean Bank,
face various charges related to the illegal loan in the 20-day trial that
opened Monday.
Some face the death penalty, according to the lengthy indictment.
The trial involves a record 50 defence lawyers and more than 700 witnesses, and
is the 2nd time the accused have appeared after a March trial was postponed for
further investigation.
Tham is accused of approving the loan to the Trung Dung real estate company
without proper collateral.
The head of the real estate company, Pham Cong Danh, is currently in jail after
a separate conviction of economic mismanagement.
Ocean Group, which includes real estate and hotel subsidiaries, enjoyed a
meteoric rise after its founding in 2007, and was valued at $500 million in
2013 under Tham's stewardship.
But after Tham was arrested in 2014, most bank branches shut and the State Bank
of Vietnam, the central bank, acquired Ocean Bank for $0.
Ocean Group is still active in real estate and hotels and services and was
valued at about $3.5 million in 2016, according to its website.
Vietnam has already jailed dozens of bankers in other high-profile banking
cases, though some say corrupt officials should be targeted as part of the
crackdown.
"In economic cases, only enterprise managers and owners are put on trial, not
policymakers or state officials... punishment of party and state (officials) is
not strong enough," economic law expert Nguyen Viet Khoa told AFP.
In September last year 36 former Vietnam Construction Bank employees were given
jail terms of up to 30 years, after they were accused of secretly withdrawing
millions of dollars from clients' accounts to use for loans or keep for
themselves.
Bad debts have long plagued the banking industry. They make up some eight
percent of outstanding loans, according to the state bank, though experts say
the real number could be far higher.
Authorities have also targeted other sectors in their anti-corruption drive,
though analysts say convictions are often driven by political infighting rather
than a genuine commitment to reform.
This month Germany accused Vietnam of kidnapping Trinh Xuan Thanh, a former oil
executive accused of corruption, from a Berlin park.
Officials in Vietnam said he turned himself over to police in Hanoi
voluntarily.
(source: dailymail.co.uk)
MALAYSIA:
Melaka woman who bashed own baby to death deemed of unsound mind; spared
gallows
A housewife escaped the gallows for killing her 22-month-old daughter 2 years
ago after the High Court here found her to be of unsound mind when committing
the offence.
Daphne Phang Mei Kei, 28, clad in a pink jacket over an orange shirt and jeans,
was all smiles and even shook hands with other accused at the courthouse here
when Judicial Commissioner Siti Khadijah S. Hassan Badjenid issued her ruling.
Siti Khadijah ruled that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt
against the prosecution's case, which held that the accused was responsible for
her daughter's death.
However, Daphne was ordered to be sent to the Permai Psychiatric Hospital in
Tampoi, Johor, at the pleasure of the Melaka Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd
Khalil Yaakob.
"Under Section 84 of the Penal Code, Daphne was (deemed) of unsound mind when
committing the murder, and was incapable of knowing the nature of the act, or
that what she was doing what either wrong or contrary to the law.
"Due to this, the court has ordered, under Section 348 (1) of the Criminal
Procedure Code (safe custody of person acquitted), for Daphne to be placed
under the safe custody of the Permai Hospital in Johor Baru.
"Daphne is to be confined to the psychiatric hospital at the pleasure of the
Melaka Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob under Section 348 (2) of
the Criminal Procedure Code," Siti Khadijah said.
Earlier, the atmosphere at the courthouse was tense, as Daphne's relatives
anxiously awaited the sentencing hearing. Family members appeared calm and
composed, and breathed a sigh of relief after the court's verdict.
On Aug 4, 2015, Daphne was charged at the Alor Gajah magistrate's court with
killing her daughter, who was aged 1 year and 10 months. She was accused of
murdering Evan Chee Xin Ci at 5.30pm on July 20, 2015 at her house at No. PS
2237, Jalan Padi Indah Utama, Taman Padi Indah, Pulau Sebang here.
She was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the
mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
It was reported that Daphne, who was pregnant at the time, had tossed Evan in
the air before knocking her head on the floor several times, as she was annoyed
with her continuous crying for milk. Evan died later that day.
The case was initially classified as "sudden death." However, a post-mortem
showed that the child had suffered 2 severe cracks on the rear of her skull,
apart from fresh swelling on her forehead and nose.
Old injuries were also found on her body.
More than 25 prosecution and defence witnesses were called during the trial.
Deputy public prosecutor, Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin prosecuted, while lawyer Tiu
Leong Kim represented Daphne.
It is understood that Daphne has 3 other children by her 35-year-old husband.
(source: nst.com.my)
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