April 3
NIGERIA:
Hate speech and its death penalty palava!----One local champion representing
one local area of Niger State has opened wide his mouth and talked of opening
up another barbaric chapter in the story of our nationhood. Adolph Hitler did
it. Idi Amin did it. Sadam Hussein did it
The Nigerian senate has once again shot itself on the foot. This time with a
dangerous AK-47 assault rifle. This time, there is no whodunit. We know who
fired the shot. He is a fully paid up and pampered member of the so-called
hallowed chamber. He is a member of the most cantankerous, selfish,
unpatriotic, arrogant, crotch-grabbing, navel gazing, money-minded and
power-drunk set of humanity we mistakingly call senators in Nigeria. That
theatre of gnomish clowns has once again floated a dangerous, reckless and
demented idea that will fit the dustbin nicely. The ongoing acts of classic
hubristic overreach of our senators is becoming symptomatic of a deep political
imbecility.
One local champion representing one local area of Niger State has opened wide
his mouth and talked of opening up another barbaric chapter in the story of our
nationhood. Adolph Hitler did it. Idi Amin did it. Sadam Hussein did it. Rather
than enact laws and contribute meaningfully to the life of the powerless poor
in our country, this senator is unashamedly asking for a death penalty for the
chattering classes who daily legitimize their internal anger through open
freedom of yabis, critical articles, righteous rebuke, name calling, expose,
naming and shaming, passionate grandstanding and hard talk.
Senator Sabi Abdullahi, a card carrying member of the All Progressives
Congress, is the dark conjurer who wants to hang a person like me for abusing
wayward politicians. Olorun oni fun e she. Senator Sabi, who sabi nothing, is
here reinforcing the widely held belief of most Nigerians that our senators are
zombies and money-guzzling snakes, who, at the drop of a hat, will always and
helplessly fall victims of political infamy. His groundless, vexatious and
scandalous bill proposes that it is an offence when: "A person who uses,
publishes, presents, produces, plays, provides, distributes and visual, which
is threatening, abusive or insulting or involves the use of threatening,
abusive or insulting words or behaviour."
Of course anybody can tell that Senator Sabi, who is possessed by uncivil zeal
in his desire to sponsor a bill for the creation of an Independent National
Commission for Hate Speeches, is projecting a part of his ghoulish desire to a
larger Nigerian screen. With almost comical stridency, this man wants death by
hanging for anybody who, through hate speech, causes the death of another
person. Help me!!! Politics must bring its brain back in Nigeria!!!
It is not hard to see through Sabi???'s brain wave that the twin evil of
fantastic allowances and humungous salary thrills the soul of this senator than
putting his energies into making laws that will alleviate the abject penury and
dark despair of millions of Nigeria. What's going on here? In our search for
the light, our senators have consistently return us to darkness. In our search
for sanity, our senators have consistently return us to stupendous insanity. In
our search for solutions to the hydra-headed challenges buffeting Nigeria, our
senators have been compounding our problems with deadly hubris of arrogance and
lawlessness. The daily insecurity, panic and emptiness of our hope as Nigerians
do not challenge his faculties. What thrills him is the mass beheading of
Nigerians who, in casual yabis, call South Westerners ngbati..ngbati or the
South Easterners ajokuta mamumi or the Northerners mala.
Sabi must be told today that Nigerians are hugely accommodating people. We have
been living happily with centuries of judgmental bigotry, clannish intolerance
and tribal grandstanding without any disastrous destruction to our
co-existence. Without any call for the strong man to commence head chopping on
a genocidal scale as desired by Senator Abdullahi.
Here we have to remind Senator Too Know that the Nigerian constitution
guarantees the right of every Nigerian to freedom of speech and expression.
Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution states: "Every person shall be entitled
to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and
impart information without interference." Also we have global provisions for
freedom of expression and human right charters of all kinds to which Nigeria is
a signatory. Article XIX of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human
Rights provides: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression;
this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers."
Further, Article IX of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights
provides: "Every individual shall have the right to receive information and the
right to express and disseminate his opinions within the law." The subtext in
all these sacred laws of freedom of expression is the affirmation of our right
to speak truth to power, injustice, oppression, abuse, impunity and political
excesses of our politicians. More than ever before, Nigeria has slipped into
aberrations so much that we have to call a spade a spade through critical
articles, satires, name calling, rebuke, polemical attacks, public
denunciations and political incorrectness if only to bring lawless, arrogant,
wayward and corrupt politicians to public court and moral shame. Any public
servant who is feeding fat on our collective patrimony and fears chastisement
is a coward and unfit to lead. Rebuke, correction, criticism and chastisement
are the furnaces through which the gold of true leadership must be tested,
purified and engaged. That balance must be maintained no matter how
cantankerous it is. Eternal vigilance, so the saying goes, is the price of
liberty.
Writers, bloggers, opinion moulders, playwrights, polemicists, satirists,
journalists, public analysts, Devil Advocates, critics and essayists no matter
how jaundiced, are better for a healthy democracy than hypocrites, bottom
lickers, ego massagers, errand boys, intellectual spunk and babel of praise
singing and syrupy rubbish showered on Ministers, Senators and Governors who
are nothing, but demi-gods in Nigeria. We must not allow any law to neuter,
curtail or disable our inalienable right to project our anger and
dissatisfaction through healthy disdain for what passes for revulsion,
sacrilege and infamy.
But wait a minute. If I am allowed to peel back and recount all the muscular
languages used by many of our foremost writers, then no writer is longer safe
from the hangman. Femi Fani-Kayode once called the Vice President a dwarf.
That's a starter. I have been unsparing in my reproach of Nigerian politicians
in all my writings. Pastor Tunde Bakare, the fiery preacher of the Latter Rain
Assembly, has called President Buhari unflattering names. This man of God
should be ready, sooner than later, for the hangman according to the law of Mr.
Too Know - Ogbeni Sabi.
Our rebuke, criticism, open reproach and righteous attacks on the perilous
excesses of our politicians are the only remaining and sustaining power of
moral superiority we have over our politicians. Mr. Too Know, no law, no
institutions can take this away from us. Mr. Too Know, the court is there to
arbitrate over public ridicule, slander, defamation and character assassination
and not unearthly, impractical and barbaric recourse to head chopping for
anybody who called me ngbati...ngbati.
(source: theeadleonline.com.ng)
JAPAN:
Joint Statement of Center for Prisoners' Rights and Japan Innocence & Death
Penalty Information Center to call Japanese government for a sincere dialogue:
Condemning the government for refusing a dialogue with international community
and not accepting capital punishment as a human rights issue
1
I Introduction
The United Nations Human Rights Council completed the third cycle of the
Universal Periodic View of Japan on 19 March 2018. The stance of the Japanese
government regarding the treatment of prisoners and capital punishment opposed
our view. The government has promised efforts to improve prison conditions in
principle, but it has not accepted any recommendations regarding capital
punishment.
II Foreign views of Japan: Promises to improve the treatment of prisoners.
In regard to prisoner treatment within Japan, several foreign countries have
made recommendations. Panama has called for the modification of regulations
concerning solitary confinement. Sweden and Canada has called for the
improvement of medical and dental care, as well as the implementation of
heating and cooling at all institutions. France requested greater protection of
the rights of those sentenced to death. Denmark urged stricter conformity with
the Standard Minimum Rules on Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela
Rules). Spain and Zambia issued similar recommendations. Many governments
recommended that Japan accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Although the Japanese government did not clearly accept these recommendations,
it has reported progress in improving prison conditions. Among these are
medical care and the installation of heating and cooling. It has also indicated
that inmates sentenced to death have been treated appropriately.
Needless to say, Japanese penal facilities still face serious problems in
regard to medical care, the lack of heat, and solitary confinement. We note
that due to the introduction of Correctional Medical Staff Act, and, the
establishment of the East Japan Correctional Medical Center, prisons??? medical
staffing and medical services have been improved.
2
However, many inmates claim that it takes many days to see a doctor, and that
access to adequate medical care is often denied. Few facilities have proper
heating or cooling systems, except for those units in the extreme regions. Some
inmates even suffer from frostbite.
Nonetheless, we appreciate that the government shares these concerns, and
promises to make efforts for improvement in response to the international
community's recommendations.
III Not accepting all recommendations regarding death penalty.
In this year's review, 37 countries called for the abolition of capital
punishment, or, a moratorium on the use of capital punishment, as well as the
ratification of the second optional protocol to ICCPR. These include the
following specific and relatively easy-to-implement recommendations:
1) establishing a moratorium on the application of the death penalty, and the
abolishment of capital punishment (Brazil).
2) a system of mandatory appeals in death penalty cases (Switzerland); ensuring
the protection of the rights of those sentenced to death, by guaranteeing among
other things the suspensive effect of any appeal request or claim to review the
trial (France).
3) designation of an official body to promote informed debate on the reform of
the death penalty (Austria).
4) consideration of a capital punishment moratorium, and public debate about
the future use of the death penalty (Canada).
Nevertheless, the Japanese government did not accept any of these
recommendations. It retorted, "Japan believes that each sovereign country
should be allowed to make decisions on the issue of the death penalty
independently. Domestic public opinion, the existence of extremely vicious
crimes, and other factors make abolishment of the death penalty inappropriate.
A temporary moratorium is also inappropriate, since the final judgement must be
executed impartially and thoroughly under the rule of law."
It is clear that the Japanese government denies that capital punishment is a
fundamental human rights issue based on article 6 of the ICCPR. Such a stubborn
attitude raises serious concerns about Japan's commitment to promoting human
rights.
IV The government's response to the foreign community is unforgivable.
The Japanese government has continued executions, even after the past 2 cycles
of the UPR. The government executed 3 death row inmates on 17 June 2008,
immediately after the outcome document of the 1st cycle was adopted on 12 June
2008. It executed 2 death row inmates on April 26, 2014, 1 month after the
outcome
3
document of the 2nd cycle was adopted on 14 March 2013. On 14 March 2018, when
the UN Human Rights Council was about to adopt another outcome document, the
Ministry of Justice transferred 7 of the 13 Aum Shinrikyo cult members on death
row from the Tokyo Detention House to other facilities. The Ministry offered
the lame explanation that the transfer was simply to detain the accomplices
separately. We believe that the Ministry of Justice wants to house the
defendants in different detention centers in order to carry out mass executions
at the same time.
It is unusual to execute those who are seeking retrial. This changed in July of
2017. Many of the 13 Aum members on death row are seeking retrial. We fear that
they might be executed despite exercising legal claims for retrial.
Japan is a member of the UN Human Rights Council, and it will host the UN
Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto in 2020.
Furthermore, Japan will host the summer Olympics that year. If the government
ignores calls from the international community, and chooses to carry out
executions, whether they are Aum Shinrikyo cult members or other inmates on
death row, Japan will be degraded.
We demand that the government reconsider its antiquated and cruel stance
regarding the death penalty. If the government carries out a mass execution,
Japan's international reputation will be irreparably damaged. We demand that
the Minister of Justice, Ms Yoko KAMIKAWA, hold back mass executions, and under
the power of reason, step forwards and enter into a dialogue.
March 30th, 2018
Center for Prisoners' Rights (CPR) Japan Innocence & Death Penalty Information
Center (JIADEP)
(source: Center for Prisoners' Rights Japan)
PHILIPPINES/SAUDI ARABIA:
OFW in Saudi saved from death penalty: DFA
A female overseas Filipino worker was saved from the death penalty in Saudi
Arabia and has returned to the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs
said yesterday.
The DFA did not identify the worker but described her as an "unwitting drug
mule."
The DFA did not say how the OFW gained freedom. It only said she was saved
through the efforts of the Philippine consulate in Jeddah and the law firm it
engaged to assist the OFW.
Quoting reports from the consulate, the DFA said the OFW was imprisoned in
Jeddah on Oct 9, 2013 after she was arrested for possession of illegal drugs.
The drugs were found in the luggage she was carrying for a representative of
her deployment agency in Manila, it said.
The DFA said the OFW was recommended by the Jeddah prosecution office to be put
to death for drug smuggling and fined 100,000 Saudi riyals (about P1.4 million)
The OFW was repatriated to Manila on March 27 along with 4 other female OFWs
after they completed their respective prison sentences in various detention
facilities in the western region of Saudi Arabia.
The DFA also did not identify the 4 other OFWs.
Around 2.4 million Filipinos are living and working in the Middle East, with
1.2 million of them found in Saudi Arabia working in oil fields and medicine,
service industries and as household helpers.
(source: malaya.com.ph)
IRAQ:
Iraq condemns 6 Turkish women to death for IS membership: judiciary
A Baghdad court on Monday sentenced 6 Turkish women to death and a 7th to life
in prison for membership of the Islamic State jihadist group, a judicial source
said.
The source told AFP that the women, all accompanied by small children in the
court, had surrendered to Kurdish peshmerga fighters after having fled Tal
Afar, one of the last IS bastions to fall to Iraqi security forces last year.
The women told the court they had entered the country to join their husbands
fighting for IS in the "caliphate" which the group declared in 2014 in
territory straddling Iraq and Syria.
Iraq in February condemned another 15 Turkish women to death on the same
charge.
Since January, a German woman and a woman from Turkey have also been handed the
death penalty, in rulings which Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned as
"unfair".
Experts estimate that a total of 20,000 people are being held in jail in Iraq
for alleged membership of IS. There is no official figure.
Iraq has detained at least 560 women, as well as 600 children, identified as
jihadist or relatives of suspected IS fighters.
Separately, authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan said in early February they had
detained some 4,000 suspected IS members, including foreigners.
Iraq's anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to
have helped IS even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.
It also allows for the death penalty to be issued against anyone -- including
non-combatants -- found guilty of belonging to IS.
The New York-based HRW has urged Iraqi authorities to "develop a national
strategy to prioritise the prosecution of those who committed the most serious
crimes".
Women suspected only of IS membership rather than any combat role are "getting
the harshest possible sentences for what appears to be marriage to an ISIS (IS)
member or a coerced border crossing," it said.
Many foreign widows of IS fighters have said they had been fooled or threatened
by their husbands to travel to Iraq.
(source: Agence France-Presse)
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