Nov. 18
MAURITANIA:
Mauritania broadens death penalty for blasphemy
Showing repentance will no longer prevent the death penalty from being applied
for blasphemy and apostasy, Mauritania said on Friday, as the conservative
Muslim nation hardens up its religious laws.
The decision follows the release on November 9 of a blogger previously
condemned to death for criticising religious justification for discrimination
in Mauritanian society.
A new bill will "harden up expected sentences for blasphemers," the government
of the west African nation said in a statement released by the official AMI
news agency.
"Every Muslim, man or woman, who mocks or insults Mohammed (peace be upon him),
his angels, books... is liable to face the death penalty, without being asked
to repent. They will incur the death penalty even if they repent," Justice
Minister Brahim Ould Daddah said, according to the statement.
The decision to free blogger Cheikh Ould Mohamed Ould Mkheitir for time served
after his sentence for blasphemy was downgraded from death to 2 years in jail
caused clashes and outrage in Mauritania last week.
A Muslim in his 30s, Mkheitir was sentenced in December 2014 over a blog which
questioned decisions taken by the Prophet Mohammed and his companions during
holy wars in the 7th century.
He also attacked the mistreatment of Mauritania's black population, blasting
"an iniquitous social order" with an underclass that was "marginalised and
discriminated against from birth."
Prosecutors have appealed the decision to release the blogger and are calling
once more for the death penalty to be handed down.
Mauritania has not carried out the death penalty since 1987.
Justice Minister Ould Daddah said times had changed since the original law was
written in 1983, and "consequentially the law has to move on," AMI reported.
(source: news24.com)
INDONESIA/AUSTRALIA:
Paintings from executed Bali 9 man Myuran Sukumaran to hang in Bendigo Art
Gallery
Artworks Bali 9 drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran painted in the days before he
was executed will go on show in Bendigo in an exhibition dedicated to the death
penalty and human rights.
Mr Sukumaran faced an Indonesian firing squad alongside fellow Australian
Andrew Chan in 2015 after they were both found guilty of orchestrating a plot
to bring more than 8 kilograms of heroin into Australia.
While awaiting his fate in Kerobokan prison and on island prison Nusa
Kambangan, Mr Sukumaran turned to art, becoming a prolific portraitist.
Some of these harrowing works, which reveal the man's torment in the days
before his death, will feature in the Another Day in Paradise exhibition bound
for Bendigo Art Gallery.
Artist Ben Quilty is one of the curators and mentored the executed man during
his time in prison.
The exhibition will also feature works from Australian artists Abdul-Rahman
Abdullah, Megan Cope, Jagath Dheerasekara, Khaled Sabsabi, and Matthew Sleeth.
"Another Day in Paradise highlights the importance of forgiveness and
compassion for humanity, while proving the profound power of art to change
lives," a gallery statement read.
The exhibition will be on display from July 7 to September 16.
(source: Bendigo Advertiser)
BANGLADESH----executions
2 hanged in Jessore for murdering freedom fighter in 1994
The authorities in Jessore Central Jail have executed death sentences of 2 for
murdering freedom fighter Monwar Hossain 23 years ago.
Senior Superintendent of the jail Kamal Hossain told reporters that the
executioners hanged the convicts, Golam Rasul Jhorhu, 75, and Abdul Mokim, 60,
at 11:45pm on Thursday.
Both the convicts from Alamdanga Upazila's Durlovpur village in Chuadanga were
members of extremist group Purbo Bangla Communist Party.
Kamal said they handed the bodies of the convicts to their families after
post-mortem examination.
Jessore Deputy Commissioner Ashraf Uddin, Superintendent of Police Anisur
Rahman and Civil Surgeon Dilip Kumar Roy were present during the execution.
Before the execution of the death sentence the imam of the jail mosque
administered Tawba of the 2 convicts.
Referring to case dossier, Kamal said some members of the extremist group
hacked freedom fighter and Kumari union council member Monwar to death at
Durlovpur village on June 28, 1994.
Monwar's brother Ahim Uddin started a case at Alamdanga Police Station, naming
21 people, on the following day.
Chuadanga District and Sessions Judge's court sentenced 3 to death, 2 to
lifetime imprisonment and acquitted the 16 others on Apr 17, 2008.
2 of those sentenced to life in prison are Amirul Islam and ‘Hiya’ from the
same village.
Monwar’s son Jahangir Alam, who is a member of Kumari union council now, told
bdnews24.com that the jail officials informed them about the execution of the
death sentences some days ago.
He said members of extremist group 'Janajuddh' threatened his family several
times to save the murderers of his father. "We are happy now as the 2 have been
hanged."
Monwar’s widow China Khatun said, "We shed tears for years…now it’s the turn of
the murderers' families."
(source: bdnews24.com)
NIGERIA:
2 Men Sentenced To Death By Hanging Or Firing Squad For Stealing Handbag
Justice Okey Onunkwo of the Anambra State High Court sitting at Ihiala Local
Government Area of state, has sentenced 2 men to death by hanging for stealing.
2 men who allegedly stole a lady’s handbag, telephone and other personal
effects at gunpoint will die by hanging or firing squad, an Anambra State High
court has pronounced.
The High Court sitting at Ihiala Local Government Area of the state and
presided over by Justice Okey Onunkwo said there was sufficient evidence to
convict the duo.
Our correspondent gathered that the suspects, Anene Maduka, Ikenna Obi and
Osadebe Ezeh on February 2, 2017 allegedly stole a mobile phone, a handbag and
N10,000 cash belonging to one Miss Chinonye Ogujiuba of Eziama Uli.
The Nokia phone was valued at N15,500, while the handbag was estimated at
N2,500.
Anene Maduka, charged with the other suspects was, however, discharged and
acquitted for lack of evidence.
The identity of Maduka, who was the first defendant in the case, was made an
issue in the trial and the court agreed that he was not properly identified
even though the victim gave evidence that he was waiting for the others on his
commercial motorcycle while the robbery lasted.
In his submission, the defense counsel for the convicts - Calistus Ohanusi and
Enright Okilie - had argued that the burden of proof on criminal matters rested
on the prosecution who he said did not prove that their clients robbed, or took
part in robbing the victim, maintaining that there was no sufficient evidence
to convict them.
The Prosecution Counsel, Charity Madukife, submitted that the burden of proof
had been discharged by calling eye witnesses; adding that the defence could not
fault the evidence adduced.
Delivering the judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Okey Onunkwo, said there
was no sufficient evidence against the first defendant (Maduka).
The judge said,”There was eye witness evidence against the convicts, as the
victim had raised the alarm after the robbery, leading to the arrest of the
culprits at Umudimogo Ihiala, after which they were handed over to the police.”
Justice Onunkwo thereby sentenced them to death by hanging or firing squad.
(source: ThisDay)
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